The new initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, “TAG GREECE – Tradition, Agritourism and Gastronomy”, aimed at creating a unified, strong and internationally recognisable identity for Greek gastronomy and agritourism, was presented by the Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, at a special event.
The Minister noted that the initiative forms part of the national strategy for sustainable, high-quality and balanced tourism development. It aims to enrich Greece’s tourism offering and spread tourism activity across more regions and over a longer period of the year.
“With TAG GREECE, we are bringing Greek production, gastronomy and hospitality together under a unified promotional framework. Our aim is to showcase to international audiences a side of Greece that offers distinctive experiences and new reasons to visit the country in every season of the year,” the Minister stressed.
Regarding the performance of Greek tourism, she pointed out that three consecutive records in tourism receipts and visitor arrivals were recorded between 2023 and 2025. Growth in both revenues and arrivals is gaining further momentum in 2026, particularly during the winter months and the off-peak season, reflecting the results of the Ministry’s strategy.
Ms Kefalogianni stressed that Greek gastronomy and agricultural production are an integral part of the country’s cultural identity. She highlighted the wealth of local products, Greek wine’s international recognition and the efforts made by winemakers to promote indigenous grape varieties. She also referred to the contribution of Greek chefs, who draw on local ingredients and culinary traditions, giving them a contemporary and creative expression.
She further underlined that agritourism, culinary tourism and wine tourism respond to travellers’ growing desire to connect with nature, culture and local life.
Regarding the regulatory framework, she recalled that in 2014 agritourism and wine tourism were legally recognised as special forms of tourism, with the introduction of the Special Agritourism Seal and the Winery Visitor Seal. These were followed by certification schemes for breweries, cheese dairies, olive mills and distilleries open to visitors. In 2023, the National Wine Tourism Council was established, while opportunities for accommodation and dining services within wineries were also expanded.
Ms Kefalogianni also referred to cooperation with the UN Tourism and UNESCO, as well as to her recent meetings in Paris focusing on promoting intangible cultural heritage through tourism.
Regarding the cooperation between the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) and the MICHELIN Guide, which is now entering its third year, she noted that restaurants in Thessaloniki and Santorini will be included for the first time in the 2027 edition. The announcement will build on the Athens restaurant selection, which marks its 20th anniversary in the Guide.
Presenting TAG GREECE, she explained that the initiative is being implemented through a dedicated project by the Ministry of Tourism, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The project includes coordinated activities to develop a distinct identity, promote and publicise agritourism and gastronomy in Greece and abroad. It brings together producers, local products, quality-certified visitor attractions, gastronomy and hospitality businesses, and local organisations under a common national identity.
The initiative will be supported by a dedicated website featuring an interactive digital map of businesses, producers and gastronomic routes, which will be linked to the newly redesigned visitgreece.gr.
The new communication and promotional campaign, “Come Closer to Greece”, includes advertising in public spaces, on public transport and across social media. Advertising messages will also begin airing today on international, national and local television and radio channels. The campaign will additionally include online advertising, placements in the Greek and international press, participation in tourism trade fairs, as well as conferences, technical meetings in the Regions and information activities in central locations across cities.
As the Minister emphasised, TAG GREECE pursues clear development and communication objectives: supporting local communities and the primary sector, strengthening small businesses and expanding markets for Greek products. The initiative also seeks to create new opportunities for people in regional areas, particularly young people and families, enabling them to remain and prosper in their home communities while contributing to regional development and social cohesion.
In closing, the Minister stressed that the initiative extends an invitation to cooperation, saying: “With this initiative, we are inviting people involved in production and tourism to work together, so that the wealth of every region can gain greater visibility and create more opportunities. We are inviting Greeks to rediscover, or discover for the first time, destinations, products and flavours, and international travellers to get to know Greece through its gastronomy and traditions, which give each region its own distinctive value.
And this invitation is summed up in the slogan of our campaign: ‘Come Closer to Greece’.”
Event Participants
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Tourism Anna Karamanli, President of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) Angeliki Varela, GNTO Secretary General Andreas Fiorentinos, and Secretary General for Administrative Affairs at the Ministry of Tourism Ioanna Christou.
Also in attendance were the Ambassadors of Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Georgia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Albania, Brazil, Algeria, Vietnam, Kuwait and Korea, as well as representatives of the Embassies of Egypt, Japan, Austria and Poland.
The Region of Attica was represented by Deputy Regional Governor Christina Kefalogianni, while the Region of the Peloponnese was represented by its Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism, Thanasis Michelongonas.
Also in attendance were Agni Christidou, Executive Director of the Board of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels; Christina Tetradi, President of the Institute for Tourism Research and Forecasts (ITEP); and Nikos Diamantopoulos, Managing Director of Marketing Greece.
Representatives of tourism industry associations and organisations, as well as other institutional and business stakeholders, were also present.
The event was hosted by journalist Giorgos Evgenidis.
Dining and Cooking