Greece's market share in Japan is strengthening

With the central aim of strengthening Greece's share in the dynamically growing Japanese market, the Greek National Tourism Organization participated in the Japan Travel Expo, which was held in Nagoya, Japan from 25 to 28 September 2025.

The Japanese outbound tourism market is on a recovery path after the pandemic, creating a favorable environment for the development of tourist flows to Greece.

In 2024, 13 million trips abroad by Japanese people were recorded, marking an increase of 35.1% compared to 2023, while the course of 2025 is even more encouraging with an increase of 14.1% between January and July. At the same time, the total travel spending of Japanese people this year is expected to reach approximately 29.4 billion euros, almost reaching the levels of 2019. Europe attracts approximately 17-18% of Japanese travelers, with Mediterranean countries recording steady growth trends, which makes Greece particularly competitive as a destination for culture, experiences and quality tourism.

In this context, Greece's presence in the Far Eastern country acquires particular importance, as in 2024 72,546 Japanese arrivals were recorded in our country, showing an increase of 17.3% compared to the previous year, with Attica, the South Aegean and Crete accounting for almost 80% of travelers. In addition, air arrivals from Japan at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in the period January-July 2025 have increased significantly compared to the same period in 2024.

EOT-JATA agreement for an educational workshop in Greece

Co-exhibitors at the Greek pavilion included travel agencies and Aegean Airlines, while during the exhibition the Greek delegation had numerous contacts with representatives of the Japanese tourism industry.

Particularly productive were the meetings with the members of the Board of Directors of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), as well as with the head of the association's outbound tourism department, Kasumi Abe. During these meetings, the particularly positive climate of the Japanese towards Greece was confirmed, which is linked to their admiration for ancient Greek civilization, but at the same time, key challenges emerged, such as the lack of direct air connections and the limited information provided by travel agents about the modern tourism offer of our country.

The Greek delegation conveyed to the heads of JATA the invitation of the Secretary General of the Hellenic National Tourism Organization, Andreas Fiorentino, to hold a targeted educational destination workshop for Japanese tour operators in Greece in October 2026, with the participation of 30 representatives from the largest tourist agencies in Tokyo and Osaka.

This specific action aims to provide executives of the Japanese tourism market with a substantive introduction to Greek destinations and the thematic forms of tourism they offer. The program will include visits to selected areas of the country, such as the Peloponnese, Macedonia with an emphasis on Thessaloniki, as well as the Ionian Islands with a focus on Corfu and Lefkada, while strengthening their collaborations with Greek tourism bodies and professionals.

The Greek participation in the Japan Travel Expo is part of the development by the Greek National Tourism Organization of a long-term and coherent strategy for promoting Greece in Japan, through targeted actions, a stable presence and leveraging the positive image that our country already has among the Japanese, in order to create the conditions for a substantial increase in the incoming tourist flow in the coming years.