Greece and Japan Strengthens Tourism Ties With New Direct Flights, Cultural Experiences, Investment and Wine Travel
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Greece expands tourism ties with Japan through direct flights, cultural tourism, investment, wine experiences and year-round travel.

The move to step up Greece’s efforts on tourism development in Japan is through increasing air connectivity, cultural tourism, year-round tourism, and personalized experience for visitors. Tourism Minister of Greece, Olga Kefalogianni made a visit to Tokyo to attend the Tourism Expo Japan 2026 where she explained the plans that Greece has on creating destination resilience and tourism activity diversification.

Her visit involved meeting the different players in the aviation industry and tourism sector. The timing of her visit was perfect as Greece aims to diversify its visitor arrivals and build stronger relations with long-haul markets. She was a guest of honor at a ministerial roundtable organized by the World Tourism Organization, which gave her an opportunity to explain Greece’s strategy on destination resilience and tourism diversification.

Climate Resilience Becomes Central to Greece’s Tourism Planning

At the ministerial discussion, Kefalogianni highlighted policies designed to strengthen Greece’s ability to respond to the effects of the climate crisis. The strategy focuses on more effective destination management and the diversification of tourism activity. Greece is seeking to develop a tourism model that can operate more evenly throughout the year rather than relying heavily on peak summer demand. The approach includes strengthening infrastructure and updating the institutional framework supporting different forms of tourism.

Priority areas include:

  • Mountain tourism
  • Sea tourism
  • Diving tourism
  • Gastronomic tourism
  • Wine tourism
  • Spa tourism
  • Wellness tourism

Developing these segments can give visitors more reasons to explore different parts of Greece while helping distribute tourism activity beyond the country’s most heavily visited locations.

Greece Targets More Balanced Tourist Flows Through Thematic Tourism

A major element of Greece’s strategy is the expansion of thematic tourism. Rather than concentrating visitor demand around traditional beach holidays and major summer destinations, the country is seeking to promote experiences connected with nature, food, wine, wellness and outdoor activities. This approach can encourage visitors to travel during different seasons and explore regions beyond the most established tourism centres.

The modernisation of tourism infrastructure and institutional frameworks is intended to support this diversification. For the Japanese market, these experiences provide opportunities to present Greece as a destination offering more than ancient monuments and island holidays. The strategy aims to create a broader picture of Greece built around its natural environment, cultural heritage and regional diversity.

Greece and Japan Explore Direct Air Connectivity to Increase Visitor Flows

Strengthening aviation links emerged as a key priority during Kefalogianni’s meetings in Tokyo. During discussions with Ross Leggett, Vice President of Japan Airlines (JAL), the Greek Tourism Minister stressed the importance of developing cooperation to strengthen air connectivity between Greece and Japan. Particular attention was given to the possibility of direct flights between the two countries.

Improved direct connectivity could make Greece more accessible to Japanese travellers while supporting stronger tourism and business exchanges. The Minister also referred to the significant growth of travel to Greece, noting that the country received more than 43 million visitors in 2025, including cruise passengers. She also highlighted the continued momentum of Greek tourism during 2026 despite the consequences of the crisis in the Middle East.

Greece Japan Tourism Year 2024 Created Stronger Cultural Connections

Kefalogianni also met Taro Kono, head of the Greece-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group and a former Japanese Foreign Minister and Defence Minister. The discussions highlighted the importance of 2024, the Year of Culture and Tourism of Greece-Japan, as a significant bilateral initiative. According to the discussions, the programme helped deepen cultural connections and strengthen tourism flows between the two countries.

The two sides explored further ways to increase visitor exchanges, particularly through improved air connectivity. They also discussed cooperation in:

  • Crisis management
  • Tourism education
  • Cultural tourism

The talks demonstrated the close relationship between tourism and cultural exchange in Greece-Japan relations.

Japanese Tourism Officials Discuss Wider Cooperation With Greece

The Greek Tourism Minister also met Norio Kimura, Commissioner for Tourism of Japan, to discuss the future of tourism cooperation. Kefalogianni highlighted the continued participation of the Greek National Tourism Organization at Japan’s major tourism exhibition. She presented Greece’s strategy for promoting its tourism offer in Japan, with particular attention to the country’s natural environment and cultural heritage.

Another priority is promoting less prominent Greek destinations. This approach aims to encourage Japanese travellers to explore beyond the country’s most familiar tourism locations. The discussions also considered ways to increase tourist flows between Greece and Japan by using the existing Memorandum of Cooperation between the two countries. The agreement provides a framework for coordination between governments and tourism market participants.

Greek and Japanese Museums Explore Stronger Cultural Tourism Links

Culture was another major focus of the Minister’s visit to Tokyo. Kefalogianni visited the National Museum of Japan, where she met Makoto Fujiwara, the museum’s Director General and former Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Fujiwara referred to the 2023 exhibition “Legacy of Beauty: Archaeological Treasures from Japan” held at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

Kefalogianni, who also has roots in Crete, described the exhibition as an important starting point for cultural cooperation. She stressed the value of stronger connections between museums in Greece and Japan. The discussions recognised the shared interest in culture between the two peoples and the role museums can play in encouraging international travel.

Greek Wine Tourism Gets New Attention in Japanese Market

The Minister also met Atsuko Aoyama, Ambassador of Greek Wine in Japan, to explore opportunities to promote Greek wine and wine tourism. Greek wine was discussed as a living part of the country’s tradition and culture that can enrich the visitor experience. Several promotional ideas were examined, including activities through the official VisitGreece.gr travel portal.

The discussions also considered organising familiarisation trips to Greece for Japanese sommeliers. Another proposal involves creating tourism and wine information materials in the Japanese language. These initiatives could help introduce Japanese audiences to Greek wine regions and encourage travellers to connect food, wine and culture during their Greek holidays.

Greece Uses Japanese Media to Promote Tourism Opportunities

During her Tokyo visit, Kefalogianni also gave interviews to major Japanese media organisations. The interviews provided opportunities to present Greece’s tourism strategy directly to Japanese audiences. International media engagement forms part of the broader effort to increase awareness of Greece as a destination and promote its diverse tourism offering. The strategy is particularly focused on highlighting natural and cultural attractions as well as destinations that may be less familiar to Japanese travellers.

Tourism Investment Opportunities Across Greek Regions Presented in Japan

The Greek delegation also used the Tokyo visit to promote tourism investment opportunities. Vasiliki Koutsoukou, Secretary General of Tourism Policy and Development, held meetings with investment and tourism stakeholders, including representatives of the Keidanren Secretariat, the Japanese Business Association, and a director and board member of the Japan Travel Agents Association (JATA).

The discussions included investment opportunities across different Greek regions. These opportunities were presented in connection with the Special Spatial Planning Framework for Tourism. The meetings also explored how Greek tourism authorities and the Greek National Tourism Organization could develop more targeted travel experiences specifically for Japanese visitors.

Greece Plans More Tailored Travel Experiences for Japanese Visitors

A key outcome of the discussions was the intention to develop travel proposals adapted to the needs and interests of the Japanese market. Rather than promoting a single standard tourism product, Greece is looking to create more targeted experiences that reflect Japanese visitor preferences.

Potential areas include:

  • Cultural heritage
  • Natural landscapes
  • Gastronomy
  • Wine tourism
  • Wellness
  • Regional travel

Such diversification could encourage Japanese travellers to explore Greece beyond its most established destinations. It also supports Greece’s wider objective of distributing tourism activity more evenly across regions and seasons.

Greece and Japan Strengthen Long-Term Tourism Partnership

The participation of Greece in Tourism Expo Japan 2026 and subsequent meetings in Tokyo reflect a wide-ranging strategy in developing their bilateral tourism relationship. The strategy focuses on establishing direct flights, cultural exchanges, tourism investment, marketing and diverse travel experiences. In addition, Greece is trying to enhance its resilience towards climate pressure, while increasing tourism activity throughout the year.

The marketing of Greece among the Japanese focuses not only on famous cultural and island experiences, but also on their mountain, diving, food, wine, spa and wellness experiences. The planned development of direct air routes between Greece and Japan would support their increasing visitor numbers, while cultural exchanges and promotional efforts between museums will help promote both countries. Thus, the trip to Tokyo is yet another step of developing Greece’s tourism relations with Japan.

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