Greek Health Tourism Field Attracting Foreign Investment Activity

Foreign investment activity is being recorded in Greece’s health and wellness tourism field, according to Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development George Tziallas.

Speaking during the recent 2nd International Conference on Health Tourism held on the island of Kos, Tziallas said that Greece sees foreign investors either seeking specific opportunities in the health tourism field or are in an advanced stage of implementing their investment plans.

Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development George Tziallas.

“Thematic tourism and especially health tourism is a privileged area for investment in Greece,” he said, while speaking of Greece’s growth prospects as a global attractive investment health tourism destination.

Referring to the Tourism Ministry’s new framework that has paved the way for the recognition of dozens of spa and wellness facilities in Greece and the development of new ones, Tziallas announced that 53 thermal springs have already been recognized by Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura while many are already in the licensing process.

He also presented the new framework for the development of Greece’s thematic tourism products, which is currently up for public consultation.

Moreover, the secretary general also announced that new financial tools have been provided through a NSRF (National Strategic Reference Framework) program that will enable municipalities to make use of their health tourism resources.

Organized by the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE), Kos Municipality and the National Health Tourism Council Elitour, the 2nd International Conference on Health Tourism in Greece aimed to boost the country’s health travel industry and was attended by experts, opinion leaders and visionaries of the health travel and tourism industry. The conference was held under the auspices of the Tourism Ministry and the Medical Association of Athens.