The Greek National Tourism Organisation and VisitGreece.gr are entering a new era in the collection, dissemination, and promotion of tourism information through the GNTO Digital Transformation project, scheduled for completion in April 2026.

 

With a total budget of €7.5 million, the project is being implemented by the Greek National Tourism Organisation in collaboration with the Technical Chamber of Greece, with NOVA ICT and Aegean Solutions serving as implementation contractors. Its clear objective is to position Greece at the forefront of both the digital era and the evolving competition among destinations, by presenting the country’s tourism offering in a structured and coordinated manner and by leveraging every available digital tool.

 

Digital transformation acts as a catalyst for tourism competitiveness, enhancing the overall travel journey by making it more seamless and of higher quality, from the initial search phase through to the on destination experience.

 

As highlighted by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development), preparing the tourism workforce and businesses for the digital future enhances productivity, resilience, and service quality. These advantages are particularly significant for Greece’s small and medium sized tourism enterprises, as strengthening digital presence, digital skills, and overall digital maturity has demonstrably contributed to increased bookings, improved customer service, expanded access to international markets, and enhanced resilience in times of crisis, including pandemics and demand fluctuations caused by natural phenomena.

 

At the same time, as the use of Artificial Intelligence continues to grow rapidly, the integration of digital capabilities into marketing, which constitutes GNTO’s core mission, is of fundamental importance to the Organisation. Studies indicate that half of global travellers already use Artificial Intelligence to plan and book their trips, a trend expected to intensify in the coming years.

 

Strategic planning takes into account the long standing objective of promoting year round tourism across a broader range of Greek destinations, while responding to international trends, evolving travel behaviour, and consumer demand.

 

The GNTO Digital Transformation project will generate new added value for the Brand Greece tourism identity, strengthening the country’s image as a destination defined by authentic experiences. At the same time, it provides an important platform of visibility for small and medium sized enterprises that offer the high quality, authentic experiences sought by today’s travellers.

 

 

The Digital Tourism Map, the GNTO Digital Museum, and the new VisitGreece.gr

Within the framework of the project, the Digital Tourism Map has been developed as an innovative system that records tourism activities and businesses across all destinations and integrates data reflecting the country’s tourism offering into a unified, dynamic, and multidimensional information ecosystem.

 

The Map also includes more than 700 tourism resources across 170 destinations in all regions of Greece, covering natural attractions, monuments, landmarks, areas of exceptional natural beauty, cultural events, and tourism activities.

 

The Digital Map will be utilised by the Greek National Tourism Organisation, the Ministry of Tourism, and regional and local authorities as a strategic tool supporting the planning and promotion of destinations, tourism products, and experiences.

 

The Organisation’s legacy in establishing Greece as a globally renowned tourism destination, as well as the evolution of the country’s tourism brand, is presented through the Digital Museum, which includes a significant part of the GNTO Historical Archive. More than 7,000 archival items, including posters, photographs, albums, slides, and rare audiovisual material, have been preserved through digitisation, organised into distinct collections, and form the foundation of the digital repository and the interactive Digital Tourism Museum, which will be accessible to both the public and the academic community.

A central component of the project is the redesign of Greece’s official tourism portal, VisitGreece.gr, both as a website and mobile application, which is being upgraded into a fully integrated digital platform. It will function as a unified gateway for inspiration, information, and traveller support across all stages of the travel journey, with clearly defined objectives:

 

• Before the visit. Inspiration, information search, travel planning, and organisation.
• During the visit. Information, support, and personalised experience recommendatons.
• After the visit. Communication, sustained engagement, and re engagement.

 

Through advanced trip planning functionalities, as well as digital assistants and personalised recommendations available in six languages, visitors to Greece will be able to plan their journey, find inspiration through more than 1,500 new editorial content pieces, 11,000 photographs, and 100 videos, and select from a wide range of experiences such as relaxation, wellness, and discovery, as well as thematic categories including beaches, winter escapes, outdoor and marine activities, city breaks, gastronomy and local products, monuments, cultural routes, and more.

 

For the first time, the new VisitGreece platform will also feature 15 fully curated digital routes, experience driven itineraries presenting authentic Greek experiences in a contemporary and immersive way, such as seaside sunsets, Greek geoparks, and wine routes. Their objective is to connect the legacy of Greek tourism with the present, positioning Greece as a high quality cultural and experiential destination.

 

Another key innovation of the new system is the Business Marketplace section, where tourism enterprises across the country will be able to enhance their profiles and showcase their products using AI powered tools, enabling them to appear in user searches and on pages associated with specific destinations or thematic experiences.

 

Through these new digital tools, the Greek National Tourism Organisation is creating a comprehensive digital journey for potential travellers, enabling access to all necessary information from a single point, allowing them to gain inspiration and organise the key elements of their trip.

 

At the same time, a smart digital interaction environment is being established, enhancing the traveller experience, supporting sustainable tourism development, and positioning Greece as a leading destination for digital innovation in tourism.