Greece is moving to deepen its ties with the French tourism market through new air connections and strategic partnerships aimed at boosting year-round arrivals.
France is already Greece’s fourth most important inbound market in terms of travel receipts, and demand from French travelers is showing strong growth for 2025, according to the Bank of Greece.
Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni highlighted the country’s priorities on Monday during her visit to the IFTM – Top Resa 2025 travel expo in Paris, where she met with leading travel industry players.
At IFTM 2025, Kefalogianni, joined by new Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) President Angela Varela, toured the GNTO stand, spoke with regional and municipal representatives, and held meetings with tour operators, airlines and travel agents to discuss joint initiatives and marketing actions.
New Transavia flights, Air France/KLM talk expanding air connectivity
Key talks included a meeting with Transavia CEO Olivier Mazzucchelli, where the minister was informed of the launch of two additional weekly flights from France to Thessaloniki during the winter season. The discussions also explored co-marketing programs and familiarization trips for agents and journalists to further position Greece’s second city as a city-break destination for the French market.
Kefalogianni also held talks with Frédéric Descours, Commercial Director of Air France/KLM, on strengthening direct flights to Heraklion, Rhodes, Santorini and Mykonos, as well as extending the operating season and creating connecting flights from the United States.
In addition, she met with senior executives of major tour operators Thalasso N°1 and FRAM/Karavel to review the season’s performance, discuss 2026 priorities, and identify opportunities to expand travel flows and highlight new Greek destinations.
During her meetings, the Greek minister highlighted that Athens and Attica, with access to the Athenian Riviera and Saronic islands, represent a top European year-round destination. She also underlined ongoing airport investments in Kalamata and opportunities to develop new tourism packages across the Peloponnese.
The IFTM – Top Resa, one of the largest international trade shows for the travel and tourism industry, is held annually in Paris. This year’s edition runs September 23–25, 2025, bringing together thousands of global travel professionals and decision-makers.
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