A study by the National Bank of Greece has concluded that if the Greek islands are to maintain their attractiveness to international tourists, investment estimated at 35 billion euros is needed over the next decade, to facilitate the upgrading of critical infrastructure such as transport, energy, water and waste management.

The Greek islands welcome almost half of the country’s foreign visitors each year, placing a major strain on the ability of the islands’ infrastructure to cope with the ever-increasing number of tourists.

The level of tourism is also having a major effect on the quality of life of locals, as seen in many other major tourist destinations across Europe, such as mainland Spain, Canary Islands, Italy, Austria, Croatia and the Netherlands, prompting local populations to rise up and hold major demonstrations against the excesses of tourism. 

Greece is predominantly an island tourist destination, with the islands having doubled visitor arrivals in the last 15 years, reaching 16 million in 2024*, achieving 11% of global island tourism. Seven of the Greek islands also appear in the list of the 30 most popular destinations worldwide (on par with iconic islands such as Bali and Hawaii).

* The total population of Greece is only 10.39 million.