​​Central

The central Government, through the Ministry of Tourism, is responsible for:

• Planning and implementing national tourism policy.
• Planning national tourism development within the context of the general government policy.
• Cooperating with all relevant ministries in order to harmonize tourist-related policies and in order to create a welcoming environment for tourist-related investment;
• Representing the country on international and bilateral meetings related to tourism. Signing international cooperation agreements related to tourism.
• Planning and realising training programs with the aim of improving all tourist-related services; .
• Designing actions to increase tourist inflows;
• Planning and conducting long-term marketing campaigns to promote Greek tourism;
• Drafting all primary and subsidiary legislation.

• Encouraging tourism investments through EU-funded programmes and national financial instruments.
• Developing maritime tourism by means of spatial planning and monitoring the operation of the national tourist ports.
• Mitigating seasonality (extending the tourism season)
• Focusing on the sectors in which Greece has a comparative advantage on tourism.
• Cooperating at European and international level with organisations and agencies in order to implement and disseminate good practices.
• Checking the compatibility of the regional and municipal promotion programmes and actions with the central planning of tourism promotion.
• At the decentralised level, through the  decentralised administration, the state is responsible for the exercise of the necessary competences in order to ensure the effective operation of the tourism businesses (e.g. granting of certificates and licenses of operations) as well as meeting visitors'/tourists' demands and expectations (e.g. inspections of food and leisure businesses).
• The Ministry of Tourism is responsible to work with the relevant ministries in order to create a spatial plan that is appealing for investments on tourism.

The Greek National Tourism Organisation has Regional Tourism Services throughout Greece whose major competences are: granting the special license of operation, keeping the relevant tourism business register, inspecting/auditing tourism businesses and imposing sanctions in cases where there is a violation of the tourism legislation in force.

 The Special Agency of Culture and Tourism (organisational unit of the former Ministry of Culture and Tourism) is responsible for planning, coordinating, managing and monitoring the implementation of the National Development Plan of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and its supervised bodies.

 In order to implement the national strategy for tourism, the Ministry cooperates with the competent bodies (e.g. Ministries of Infrastructure and Transport, Environment and Energy, Hellenic Statistical Authority, Local Government Organizations, etc.) and coordinates the operation of the supervised entities (mainly the services of the Greek National Tourism Organisation and of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels).        

Regional

Regional authorities are responsible for:

• The drafting and implementation of programmes for tourist planning and promotion, in order to enhance the tourist flows in their territory, ensure tourist development and promote the image of each region.
• The exercise of the necessary competences in order to ensure the effective operation of the tourism businesses (e.g. granting of certificates and licenses of operations) as well as meeting visitors'/tourists' demands and expectations (e.g. inspections of food and leisure businesses).
• The decision on the characterisation and border definition of Areas of Integrated Tourist Development (P.O.T.A)
• The drafting of infrastructure development plans for the enforcement of the climate change consequences on tourism, within the framework of development programmes.
• Licensing voyager ships that operate in lakes or rivers. 
  

Local

Municipal authorities are responsible for:

• The implementation or participation in programmes for tourism development and for the promotion of alternative forms of tourism and the creation of resorts and other leisure facilities;
• The development of cultural tourism;
• The enforcement of the respective law by the businesses of tourist interest; and
• Linking agricultural production and tourism development.

The exercise of the necessary competences in order to ensure the effective operation of the tourism businesses (e.g. granting of certificates and licenses of operations) as well as meeting visitors'/tourists' demands and expectations (e.g. inspections of food and leisure businesses)

Responsible ministries/bodies

Ministry of Tourism

Sources

Ministry of Tourism according to Presidential Decree 127/ 2017 (O.G. 157/ 20-10-2017)

Law 3270/2004 (OJ A 187/ Α/11.10.2004).

Law 3463/2006 (OJ Α 114/30.6.2006) 'Code for Municipalities and Communities', Article 75.

Law 3852/2010 (OJ Α 87/7.6.2010) 'Reorganisation of Local Government - Kallikratis Programme', Articles 94 and 186.

Statute Law 2860/2000(OJ A 251/14.11.2000).