Greece Ranks Third Best Destination for Olive Oil Tourism

Greece is ranked as the third-best country in the world for olive oil tourism, according to recent research by Compare the Market.

A company known for helping customers save money by comparing prices across a wide range of goods and services, Compare the Market analyzed various factors such as olive oil production, the number of groves, and tasting sessions to identify the top olive oil destinations globally.

Hannah Horton, the company’s Digital PR Manager, noted that olive oil tourism — also known as “oleotourism” — has been growing in popularity. This niche tourism form involves activities such as tasting sessions and tours focused on olive oil.

Greece: World’s 3rd olive oil tourism hotspot

Photo source: Visit Greece

Greece ranks third worldwide, following Spain and Italy. Notably, Greece received the most positive sentiment among all the top countries, reflecting both the country’s reputation and the quality of its olive oil.

Among the top ten olive oil-producing countries that are also major oleotourism destinations, Greece excels due to factors such as production quantities. It recorded the second highest number of olive oil tasting sessions (65) and the fourth highest ranking in terms of olive oil quality (67). Additionally, 60 percent of Greece’s land is dedicated to olive oil production, with groves offering tours throughout mainland Greece and popular islands including Crete, Corfu, and Mykonos.

The methodology used for the ratings considered five key factors: olive oil production per country, the number of olive groves per country, olive oil tasting sessions, positive sentiment data for each country and its olive oil, and the number of olive oil varieties featured in the world ranking for each country.

Top destinations for olive oil tourism

Photo source: International Olive Council

Based on these criteria, the leading destinations for olive oil tourism are:

Spain, which stands out with the largest olive oil production, totaling 5,965,080 metric tons, and the second highest number of olive groves (2,623,100). Prominent regions for olive oil tourism include Valencia, Catalonia, and Extremadura, where visitors can tour olive farms and enjoy tasting sessions.

Italy follows closely, known for the highest olive oil ranking on the list (115), the most olive oil tasting sessions (147), and the second largest olive oil production (2,194,110 metric tons). Olive oil production is prevalent in 18 of Italy’s 20 regions.

Greece ranks third olive oil tourism hotspot in the world, recognized for its rich olive oil heritage.

The country is succeeded by Türkiye, which has the second highest olive oil ranking (105) and the fourth highest production (1,525,000 metric tons). Key olive-growing areas include Balıkesir and Çanakkale, the latter featuring an olive oil museum.

Ranking fifth olive oil tourism hotspot, Albania is notable for having the most olive groves globally, covering an impressive 9,166,006 hectares.

Emerging destinations

Compare the Market’s research also highlights that while the Mediterranean remains a key hub for olive oil tourism, other regions are emerging.

Morocco, in 6th place, boasts the third largest olive oil production worldwide (1,912,238 metric tons) and shares the third highest positive sentiment with Cyprus.

Argentina, in Latin America, is recognized for the fifth most olive oil tasting sessions (seven) and 86,000 hectares of olive groves, placing it 7th.

Portugal is noted for having the fifth highest olive oil ranking (29) and a production of 997,040 metric tons, ranking 8th.

Tunisia, ranked 9th, has the third largest olive grove area, with 1,870,000 hectares.

Australia rounds out the top ten with the fourth highest number of olive oil tasting sessions (11) and olive groves covering 1,000,000 hectares.