With the participation of leading representatives of the international tourism industry, the This is Athens – Agora, the City of Athens’ flagship B2B tourism event, officially opened today. The event is organized by the City’s Development Agency in collaboration with the European Tourism Association (ETOA).
Now in its 11th edition, the event confirms Athens’ steady upward trajectory as a destination, while highlighting its ability to operate as a modern international stage, capable of hosting major events, conferences and large-scale global gatherings.
The Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, stated:
This is Athens – Agora is not just an event. It is a strategic tool for the city. It brings together people, ideas and markets, creating the conditions for sustainable growth. In recent years, Athens has turned a page. From a stopover destination, it has evolved into a strong, independent destination — the leading one in the country. This momentum is clearly reflected in the data: increased international arrivals, more overnight stays and a significant rise in revenue. However, this success also comes with new challenges. In this context, we are calling on the State to introduce clearer regulations for short-term rentals, in order to address the pressure caused by unregulated tourism growth. We propose that short-term rentals be treated as a tourism use rather than residential use from an urban planning perspective. At the same time, we are advocating for a fair redistribution of resources generated by tourism, so that municipalities have the means to invest in quality of life and the infrastructure required by increased visitor numbers. For us, tourism is a tool to make Athens a better city — for residents, visitors and investors alike.
Vangelis Marinakis, President of Athens Development Agency S.A., noted:
Strengthening extroversion and building strong partnerships are key pillars of our strategy for Athens. Through major initiatives such as This is Athens – Agora, we invest in a model of tourism that creates value for the city and its residents, while respecting sustainability and everyday life.
Elissaios Sarmas, CEO of Athens Development Agency S.A., added:
This is Athens – Agora is a strategic platform that strengthens Athens’ connection with international markets and creates the conditions for sustainable and high-quality tourism development. Our goal is to continuously highlight new opportunities for the city and tourism professionals.
Participation of 62 international and 80 Greek tourism businesses
This is Athens – Agora 2026, taking place on April 20–21 at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, brings together 62 representatives of international tourism businesses from key target markets (Europe, the United States, Canada and India), as well as 80 Greek tourism companies, with more than 120 participants in total.
Over the course of the two-day event, more than 1,500 B2B meetings are scheduled, aiming to foster meaningful partnerships and business opportunities for the Greek tourism sector.
A press conference was held as part of the event, featuring the Mayor of Athens Haris Doukas, Ioanna Papadopoulou (Communications & Marketing Director, Athens International Airport), Pepi Stamati (Chief People & Corporate Affairs Officer, AEGEAN), Alexandros Thanos (Executive Advisor, SETE) and Elissaios Sarmas (CEO, Athens Development Agency S.A.).
The discussion highlighted Athens’ growing momentum as an international destination, as well as the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in promoting sustainable and high-quality tourism development.
Agora Insights and The Creators’ Stage
During the two-day event, distinguished speakers take part in Agora Insights, a series of discussions focusing on current challenges and future prospects of tourism, with an emphasis on infrastructure, partnerships and sustainable destination development.
Representatives from the tourism industry, local government and the wider market contribute to a meaningful dialogue about the future of Athens, highlighting the conditions required to sustain and further strengthen its momentum.
As part of This is Athens – Agora, Mayor Haris Doukas also participated in the panel “This is My Athens | The Creators’ Stage”, alongside radio producer Zoe Pre, actress and Cultural Diplomacy Ambassador of Greece and Cyprus Maria Korinthiou, and chef Georgianna Hiliadaki. The discussion explored Athens as a cultural, cinematic and gastronomic destination. It was moderated by ERT journalist Marianna Petraki.
This is Athens – Agora 2026 concludes on Tuesday, April 21, reaffirming once again the role of Athens as a strong and continuously evolving destination.
The initiative is implemented within the framework of the project “Actions for the promotion, strengthening and development of tourism in the Municipality of Athens” (Subproject 1), part of the “Attica 2021–2027” programme (OPS 6018475), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
