«It is not enough to count every year how many visitors came and how much money they spent. We must also look ahead. Success itself creates new demands on infrastructure, the environment, workers and the daily lives of residents. So the question is not whether we want more or less tourism. It is how we can achieve better tourism — bringing greater value to the economy while also delivering greater benefits to local communities».
These remarks were made by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, who opened the Rethymno Tourism Summit 2026 in Rethymno today.
He said the four key priorities were:
- Modern infrastructure. «Without, for example, Athens’ major airport, the four main road links, the concession agreements for the 14 regional airports, and the metro systems in Athens and Thessaloniki, we would not have seen the tourism growth we are experiencing», the Deputy Prime Minister said. «In Crete, the Northern Road Axis of Crete is not simply a major infrastructure project. It is about road safety, residents’ daily lives and visitors’ access. The same is true of the new airport at Kasteli, which will significantly strengthen the island’s links with international markets. It is not just a question of scale, but also of the quality of the services on offer». He noted, however, that infrastructure means more than roads, ports and airports. «Especially in Crete, it also means the integrated management of waste and water. Significant progress has been made on waste management over the past seven years, but more needs to be done. Water management is the government’s next major priority for Crete over the coming four years, after the Northern Road Axis and the new airport. This is so that we can prevent flooding and, above all, water shortages».
- Clear and straightforward rules. «Businesses need stability and certainty in order to invest. At the same time, we must ensure that tourism development does not come at the expense of the environment or the character of our regions. That is why I consider the adoption last August of the new Special Spatial Planning Framework for Tourism particularly important. It binds us all and must be implemented. Over the next four years, it will be complemented by local and special urban plans that will flesh out the provisions, providing complete legal and investment certainty. This will allow us to combine development with environmental protection — goals that are not in conflict».
- A longer tourism season. «It has been said that year-round tourism is a realistic goal for Greece. We can make much better use of the country’s many advantages beyond sun and sea. Crete has enormous potential in this respect: culture, gastronomy, mountain trails, sporting activities and conferences. Imagine how much greater the benefit to the local economy would be if more visitors knew about these aspects of Crete too», Kostis Hatzidakis said. «But this will not happen on its own. It requires cooperation between the state, local authorities and businesses, as well as the producers who give our region its own identity».
- Tourism training and the workforce. «There are significant staff shortages today, whereas five years ago the problem was high unemployment», Kostis Hatzidakis said. «The government, he said, would focus on the following:
- First, speeding up procedures under bilateral agreements so that workers from non-EU countries can come here to work.
- Second, upgrading tourism education, with better curricula, closer cooperation with businesses, and greater emphasis on modern skills and certification.
- Third, improving working conditions and offering better career prospects, to make tourism a more attractive career choice, particularly for young people. This also means addressing practical problems such as housing for workers in areas with heavy tourism development. Solutions here require cooperation between the state, municipalities and businesses».
Kostis Hatzidakis said Greece was heading for another record year for tourism arrivals and receipts in 2026, with arrivals up 10% and revenue up 9.4% through August compared with a year earlier. He added that Greece ranks among the world’s top 10 countries for tourist arrivals, a major national achievement given the country’s size and the fact that it is competing with countries such as the US, France and Spain. He also highlighted the gradual extension of the tourism season, «which means more revenue for businesses and more stable employment for workers».
«None of this», he concluded, «happened by chance. Behind the figures are thousands of people: hoteliers, small-business owners, and workers in hospitality and transport. Everyone who invests, works hard and takes risks. The government, too, supported their efforts, with tax measures such as cuts to VAT on transport tickets and port fees; funding for tourism investment through the NSRF and the Recovery Fund; and institutional reforms such as the law promoting sustainable tourism development. But the success of Greek tourism is above all a success for the people working in the sector. And today, as a government, we owe them a big “thank you».