Greece Presses Japan for Direct Flights and Broader Tourism Ties

Greece is stepping up its effort to secure direct air links with Japan as part of a wider policy to increase tourism, extend travel beyond the peak season and deepen bilateral ties. Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni advanced the initiative during a visit to Tokyo for Tourism Expo Japan 2026.

Kefalogianni was accompanied by Greece’s Ambassador to Japan, Olga Kliamaki, and Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development Vasiliki Koutsoukou. Their meetings brought together Japanese officials, an airline executive and cultural representatives, reflecting Athens’ attempt to coordinate diplomacy, transport policy and destination promotion.

Direct flights at the center of talks

Air connectivity was a central issue in Kefalogianni’s meeting with Japan Airlines Vice President Ross Leggett. The Greek minister called for cooperation that could lead to direct flights between the two countries, presenting improved access as a way to support travel and commercial links in both directions.

The discussions did not produce a publicly announced route, launch date or operating commitment. Any direct service would ultimately require an airline to judge demand, aircraft availability and commercial viability, while the two governments could help create the diplomatic and promotional conditions for a route.

Kefalogianni pointed to Greece’s tourism performance in making the case. The Greek minister stated that Greece received more than 43 million visitors in 2025 when cruise passengers were included, and described momentum in 2026 as resilient despite instability in the Middle East.

The proposal forms part of a continuing Greek diplomatic effort rather than a new, isolated request. Greek officials have raised direct connectivity in earlier contacts with Japanese counterparts, arguing that it could increase visitor numbers and strengthen business relations.

Political backing and existing agreements

Kefalogianni also discussed the proposal with Taro Kono, head of the Japan-Greece Parliamentary Friendship Group and a former Japanese foreign and defense minister. Their meeting placed the aviation issue within the broader relationship between the two countries.

Both sides referred to the 2024 Greece-Japan Year of Culture and Tourism as a basis for further cooperation. They also considered collaboration in crisis management and tourism education, areas where government agencies and industry institutions could exchange expertise even before any direct flight begins.

In talks with Japan’s Tourism Commissioner, Norio Kimura, the Greek delegation highlighted natural landscapes, cultural heritage and destinations that receive less international attention. The officials examined how to expand work under an existing bilateral tourism memorandum that supports coordination between public authorities and industry organizations.

For Athens, the policy has a domestic dimension. Encouraging visitors to travel outside the busiest locations and months could distribute tourism income more broadly and reduce pressure on heavily visited destinations. Decisions on promotion and transport links therefore affect regional economies as well as Greece’s foreign relations.

Greece promotes a broader tourism model

At a ministerial roundtable organized by the UN World Tourism Organization, Kefalogianni outlined Greece’s approach to climate resilience and a more even distribution of tourism across regions and seasons. She identified mountain, marine, diving, gastronomy, wine, spa and wellness travel as areas with potential for further development.

The strategy seeks to diversify a sector that is important to the Greek economy while adapting destinations to climate-related risks. Its success will depend on implementation by central government, local authorities and tourism businesses, as well as transport access from long-distance markets such as Japan.

Culture and wine support the diplomatic push

Cultural cooperation formed another part of the Tokyo agenda. At the Tokyo National Museum, Kefalogianni met director Makoto Fujiwara to discuss links between museums. The talks referred to a 2023 exhibition of Greek antiquities in Heraklion as an example of cultural exchange.

The minister also met Atsuko Aoyama, identified in the supplied account as an Ambassador of Greek Wine in Japan. They discussed using the VisitGreece.gr platform to promote wine tourism, arranging familiarization visits for sommeliers and producing promotional material in Japanese.

The visit established a policy direction but left the most consequential transport question unresolved. The next test will be whether talks with airlines and Japanese authorities move from political support to a viable direct service, alongside practical projects under the existing cooperation framework.

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