Greece Looking to Win Over New Tourism Markets in 2024

Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) Secretary General Dimitris Fragakis.

Greece is looking to open to new markets this year, following a record year of tourist arrivals and revenue in 2023, according to the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO).

Speaking on Wednesday during a media event in Athens, the organization’s secretary general, Dimitris Fragakis, said the target markets the GNTO is prioritizing in its strategy this year include China, India, the Arab countries, as well as Korea, Australia and Latin America.

Referring specifically to China, Fragakis reminded that the market was closed for a long period due to Covid restrictions and informed that the GNTO is in discussions with Air China to boost flight frequencies to Greece.

Referring to the low numbers of visitors from Arab countries to Greece, the secretary general said they were “unreasonably low” and that the GNTO is looking to change this through its promotional strategy.

Fragakis highlighted that promotion to Greek tourism’s traditional markets of Europe and the United States this year will continue regularly.

“The GNTO never stopped promoting Greece as we are running a non-stop campaign, which we are enriching all the time, either by promoting our winter product during the low season or introducing lesser-known destinations,” he said, underlining that the campaign has a focus on both traditional and new markets.

Referring to the GNTO’s plans for this year, Fragakis said the goal remains to maintain the demand for Greece at very high levels, even higher than in 2023.

“This year, we are planning an overseas promotion program based on two pillars that includes direct promotion in media and international market platforms and a targeted advertising program in the US and European markets,” Fragakis said.

The total budget for Greece’s tourism promotion in 2024 is 9.4 million euros, Fragakis informed, adding that the amount includes co-advertising deals (running until May) with 10 leading tour operators and airlines such as Jet2.

Aim to spread tourism revenue to all regions

Moreover, Fragakis highlighted that the GNTO will aim for arrivals and revenues to be distributed in all regions of the country.

According to data on incoming tourism to Greece in 2022 by INSETE, some 90 percent of all travel receipts were concentrated in five of the country’s 13 regions with the South Aegean Region in the lead. The region, which includes hotspots such as Mykonos and Santorini, accounted for 27 percent of total tourism revenues in 2022. The South Aegean Region was followed by Crete, Attica, the Ionian islands and Central Macedonia.