19 January 2026

On the occasion of the 75^th anniversary of the establishment of the Hellenic Tourism Organisation (HTO), the Tourism, Leisure & Recreation Unit of the Athens Institute organized, on Monday, 19 January 2026, from 17:30 to 20:30, an anniversary event entitled “75 Years since the Establishment of the Hellenic Tourism Organisation (HTO): The Past, the Present, and the Future of Greek Tourism.” The event took place at the premises of the Athens Institute, 9 Chalkokondili Street (5th floor), Kaniggos Square, Athens.

The aim of the event was to highlight the historical evolution of Greek tourism, assess the current state of the sector, and explore its future prospects. The program included presentations and interventions by distinguished academics and senior tourism professionals, who approached the subject from scientific, 

institutional, and professional perspectives.

The opening remarks were delivered by Gregory T. Papanikos, President of the Athens Institute. In his opening speech, he delivered a brief presentation based on his article entitled “The Hellenic Tourism Organisation and International Tourist Arrivals, 1951-2026”, which is available in Greek on the ResearchGate. His remarks highlighted the long-term role of the HTO in shaping and developing the Greek tourism model, as well as its contribution to attracting international tourist flows.

The event was moderated by Dr. Gregory T. Papanikos. During the event, the following speakers addressed the audience in alphabetical order:

1. Ioanna Chatzopoulou, Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism Management, University of Patras
2. Panagiota Dionysopoulou, Member of the Teaching Staff, Hellenic Open University, and former Head of the General Directorate for Tourism Policy, Ministry of Tourism
3. Konstantina Goggaki, Associate Professor, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
4. Eleftheria Griba, Executive Officer, Ministry of Tourism
5. Kostas Katsigiannis, Former Director General, Hellenic Tourism Organisation
6. Konstantinos S. Margaritis, Journalist – Author
7. Konstantinos Marinakos, Associate Professor, Department of Tourism Management, University of West Attica
8. Naoum Mylonas, Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism, Ionian University
9. Maria Pelefanti, PhD Candidate, University of Piraeus
10. Efthymia Sarantakou, Associate Professor, Department of Tourism Management, University of West Attica
11. Dimitra Skandali, Lecturer, University of the Peloponnese, and Postdoctoral Researcher, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
12. Paris A. Tsartas, Emeritus Professor, Harokopio University
13. Giorgos Tsipranis, President, Hellenic Pilots Association
14. Agapitos Xanthis, Professor, University of the Aegean

Following the scheduled presentations, brief interventions were delivered by Mr. Georgios Papathanassopoulos (Greece Representative, International Federation of Tourism Journalists – F.I.J.E.T.) and Mr. Stavros Alifragkis (Associate Professor, Department of Interior Architecture, University of West Attica), which further enriched the discussion.

The event concluded with a short closing address by Mr. Kostas Katsigiannis, who summarized the main conclusions and underscored the importance of the HTO’s role in the long-term development of Greek tourism.

The event attracted strong interest from academics, tourism professionals, and the general public, confirming the continued relevance of the topic and the need for ongoing dialogue regarding the future of the Greek tourism product.

The next event of the Tourism, Leisure & Recreation Unit of the Athens Institute is the 22^nd Annual International Conference on Tourism, which will take place on 8–12 June 2026 in Athens, Greece (www.atiner.gr/tourism)