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In this video you’ll hear from Eleni Skarveli, director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation UK and Ireland and TTG’s content writer Charlotte Cullinan.

Video transcript 

Charlotte: Welcome to our In The Spotlight video with the Greek National Tourism Organisation! Eleni, Greece has a very strong focus on sustainable tourism, so how can agents find out more about all the fantastic initiatives taking place across the country?

Eleni: Oh, yes, indeed. We have a great platform just for that. The sustainablegreece.co.uk platform, where we’re putting together some initiatives, best practices, not only for the public, but also for the trade. They have the possibility to find out about the packages and the offers that have, let's say, a more responsible approach.

This is really a platform that's very dynamic. We keep informing it. We keep implementing and having new things, new initiatives, new experiences. 

And actually Karpathos is one of those, it's the next one, the next entry that we are going to have. A really very unique area, an island that not a lot of people know about. It's really amazing how you can go back to history. There is a special village back up in the mountains. It's called Olympos and there the women are still dressed with a traditional costume and clothes, it’s really like going back in time. 

Charlotte: Fantastic. Thank you. And let's talk about Samos, there's some exciting news on the horizon, isn't there?

Eleni: Oh we're very excited with Samos. It's one of the not so well-known islands, but with great possibilities. A lot of people go there, but not a lot of people know about this island. So we are very excited that we're going to have another tour operator, Jet2.com, that they're going to have frequent flights to Samos for 2026. And I think it's going to be amazing how you can make a combination on the northern side of the Aegean, for Samos, Lesbos, and all the small islands that are around those big islands.

Charlotte: And to give everyone lots of inspiration, could you give us some suggestions for twin-centres in Greece? 

Eleni: Actually this is exactly what we are trying to give. We are trying to give inspirations for smart combinations that people will take advantage of the direct flights. So for example, go to Rhodes but don't stay the whole time in Rhodes. Go a few days to Symi or a few days to Halki, or at the same time, take advantage of the plethora of flights that are going to Kos and then take the small boat and go to Nisyros or go to Lipsi. There are so many options that they can go and then move around. And I think it's a great way to find out new things and discover new destinations in Greece. 

Charlotte: And do you have a top suggestion for clients who are looking for an exciting city break? 

Eleni: Athens, it's already of course a city break that already mature. And we've seen in the last couple of years a great increase of the interest of people that are visiting Athens.

But we think that people haven't realised how beautiful the northern capital of Greece is, which is Thessaloniki, and with direct flights, and I'm happy to say that easyJet, this year, they've managed to go all year round. So at this moment there are flights and options and great offers that one can go for a city break in Thessaloniki. Three days or four days, most of the time people make a combination with Halkidiki in the summer. But especially this year, and it's going to be all year as well as winter, Thessaloniki is going to be there. So I think it's going to be definitely one of the hits of the new city breaks destinations. 

Charlotte: Oh that's a great tip. Thank you. And I know you're encouraging agents to consider Greece for more than just sea and sun, so could you give us some ideas that they could propose to clients? 

Eleni: Sea and sun of course, it's very well known for Greece, and it's difficult to move away from the summer destinations. But we really feel that even in the summer, you can have another more fresh look for that. For example, like hiking in Epirus. Epirus it's a region not so well known, but it's very easy, and the connectivity from Thessaloniki it's not too far away, it's just one hour and 45 minutes. 

And at the same time, you have Peloponnese, which again, you have the flight from Athens and Kalamata. You have an amazing Euphoria Retreat down in Peloponnese, that one can really enjoy and have a more relaxing holiday. So there are plenty of options. 

Of course, don't forget the cultural part of Greece, there’s a lot of archaeological sites like Delphi of course, and Olympia. A lot of options I have to say, and difficult to choose from.

Charlotte: Fantastic. Thank you for sharing all of that great information Eleni, and thank you for watching our In The Spotlight video with the Greek National Tourism Organisation.