Q&A: Greek National Tourism Organisation’s Eleni Skarveli

With Greece remaining a top destination for luxury UK travellers, Aspire’s acting editor Erica Rich sits down with Eleni Skarveli, the director of Greek National Tourism Organisation’s UK and Ireland office, to discuss 2025 travel trends, focuses for 2026 and new luxury product. 

Q. How has 2025 been so far for Greek tourism?

It has been a very good year and the good news is that it hasn’t finished yet because the autumn season is looking really strong – something that 10 years ago I wouldn’t have believed. We have had one of our greatest Septembers and October is also very strong. Even November, for destinations like Athens and the city breaks and some of the islands, are doing very well. We have a lot of tour operators that extended the season until mid-November so this is very important. Showcasing the part of Greece that is more luxury, exclusive and secluded is also part of our strategy and this is going very well, not only from our side with the infrastructure and the investment, but also from the public - we see that they’re very happy.

Q. The move towards the shoulder seasons seems to be a big trend this year. What do you think is driving this?

This is definitely happening this year, and that’s why we’re happy, because we see that our strategy with extending the season and focusing more on the shoulder season is really worth the investment and time that we have put in. But on the other hand, I have to say, Greece is a destination that is mainly working for the summer season. When we’re saying that it’s hot, it’s not hotter than it used to be in the past, it’s just that now you have the option of going off season, when it’s cooler and the prices are better. But often we are addressing young families with children that don’t have the choice of September or October, so it’s still important for us to show that, yes, Greece might be hot some days, but we have to think in a different way, because it’s not the same weather as when it’s hot in the UK; you have the breeze and you have a lifestyle that works on a slower time schedule. So I think the important thing to communicate, especially with agents that are selling Greece, is that it’s not really that hot that you cannot do anything.

Part of our strategy as well is showing that there are destinations in Greece that are not that hot: in Epirus, in the northern part of Greece, there are villages where there is no air conditioning in the rooms because it’s in the mountains so it’s naturally cooler. Luckily in Greece, we have the mountainous areas so you have this choice – it’s not only the Greek islands. So for people that don’t feel like being too hot, you can still enjoy the cool, nice, Greek weather, the food and the hospitality, but in a different destination - you just need to explore a little bit more. 

Q. Have you noticed any other trends this year?

About three years ago we spoke about Paros island and it’s still coming through very strongly – everybody loves it and we see that Paros is the new Mykonos. People don’t seem to mind that there is no direct flight connection, because they know that it’s a very short trip from Mykonos or Santorini, or even from Athens. This is a change compared to, say, 10 years ago, when people only wanted direct flights. Now we see that people want to discover more of Greece, they want to go to islands that they’ve never heard of before, they want to go to places where it’s really beautiful and unique, and in order to do that, you have to take a boat or ferry.

Island hoping also continues to be one of our strongest trends, and actually, this summer, it was amazing because we saw so many cruise lines going to places like Patmos, Samos and Lesvos, which people didn’t expect to cruise to before. Samos is also going to be the new destination for Jet2 in 2026. This shows a trend of people looking for something different or something new, and there are so many Greek islands that they can discover. This has definitely aligned with our strategy of showcasing more new destinations. The other trend that we feel is important when it comes to luxury is villas growing in popularity. The product is getting really good and it’s a great experience for the guests, with all the personalised services that one needs. 

Q. What are your key focuses for 2026?

We’re definitely continuing our sustainability policy and our strategy for that. A lot of people think that luxury and sustainability are not aligned, but when you find a small boutique hotel with 15 rooms, and you have the best hospitality and service, for me, it is a very luxurious, sustainable way of doing your holiday, so we’ll definitely continue promoting that.

We’re also focused on sharing Greece’s credentials as an adventure destination. Adventure doesn’t necessarily have to be backpacking or climbing the Meteora; we’re talking about giving travellers’ options for excursions, walking trails and culture. We have seen this in destinations like Naxos, where they offer all these activities – as well as gastronomy, quaint villages and beaches, it makes a great combination for people that want something different or new. Some small islands like Tinos and Syros have five-star hotels where you can enjoy nice surroundings while also exploring the villages and gastronomy. There are a lot of options out there when you are making smart combinations. If you have a direct flight to Kos, for example, then from Kos, you can go to Nisiros or Lipsi. From Rhodes, you can go to Halki or Simi. Or from Athens, you can stay at the new One&Only hotel in Glyfada and then combine it with One&Only in Kea Island. So we’re continuing to give smart options to travellers and agents. 

Q. What new luxury product are you most excited about?

One of the most exciting openings for us in Athens is Conrad Athens The Ilisian, which will open in 2026 after a multi-year renovation. I think that will definitely place Athens as even more of a hot spot, and not only for a city break, but also as a hub from which to go around the islands like Spetses and Hydra. In Santorini, Domes Resorts has opened two new hotels, attracting a family audience for the first time. There is definitely a lot of happenings and you can see the destination is booming. Recent data from the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels found that between 2019 and 2024, the number of five-star hotels in Greece increased by 36.9% and the four-star hotels rose by 14.9%. Four and five-star hotels, though fewer in number, account for the majority of room capacity and revenue potential, with four and five-star rooms now making up more than half of Greece’s total beds. This shows that Greek product is really high and elevated. For us, it’s very important to continue that to make sure the investment and infrastructure is coming for the right audience.

Q. What makes Greece such an enticing luxury destination?

It’s very difficult to differentiate from the competition - the competition is very tough, especially when we see a trend towards people increasingly favouring long-haul destinations. But I still feel that the Mediterranean and Europe will remain one of the strongest destinations for the British market. I think what Greece has showed, especially after Covid-19, is that we can make it after difficult moments. We’re very resilient. And I think that shows in our professionalism as well. If something goes wrong, agents know that they have people that they can trust and that will deliver. The luxury department might be very well paid, but it’s very challenging and very demanding to keep up the standard, and that’s why I feel that travel agents trusting Greece is the main thing – they know that we always deliver, we’re never going to let them down, and we’ll always find the best solution for the client. 

Q. What is your trade strategy for 2026?

You know how much we love working with Travel Weekly and Aspire and we will continue working with the trade and travel agents. It is very difficult for us to approach all the travel agents as we don’t have the resources and are a very small team. But when they approach us, we always try to help them and give them inspiration. For us, it’s very important for them to know that we exist and that we are there in case something goes wrong or they need something - we’re always happy to help them.

We also try to find any opportunity to show them Greece and show them destinations that are not as well known. Our next fam trip is going to take place in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, a part of northern Greece that not everybody knows. We’ll be flying to Thessaloniki, and then going to the eastern part of Macedonia: Kavala, Thasos and Alexandropoli. Even if you don’t expect it, there are some very nice luxury properties there. We feel that agents would like to experience something different and new, so we will continue to let the trade know that there are other sides of Greece out there.

Q. What are your projections for 2026 in terms of UK arrivals?

With our sustainability strategy, we try to keep the numbers stable. This is actually what we have seen this year; we have seen a bigger increase in revenue than we have for arrivals. But the British market is one of the most important source markets for us so we want to grow, but grow in destinations where we feel they can take it, and not just grow numbers in destinations that we know are already busy. It’s about letting the public know about the lesser-known destinations. UK arrivals in 2024 were 4.5million and we’re expecting it to be more or less the same this year.

Q. Which other source markets have performed well this year?

US travel to Greece is going very well. Americans love Greece and they keep coming back, particularly for the Greek islands. For them, it’s a very reasonable price. Norse Atlantic Airways launched a new direct flight route from Los Angeles to Athens in June so there are a lot of options and we’re thinking that that will continue to grow for the following year as well. Aegean Airlines will also launch its first flight to India in March 2026. For us, this is a very big step. Unfortunately, we don’t have an office there, but we’re going to work, with the embassy, consulate and local markets to open that up. We feel an expansion like that is very important for Greek tourism. But of course, we want to keep the British our number-one market, and this is my goal.