From the coast to the countryside
The agritourism opportunity for Athens and the Attic hinterland
In 2024 Athens International Airport welcomed roughly 11.1 million international air arrivals, 38 percent of the national total, making Athens the country's undisputed main gateway. And yet, very few of those visitors will ever see the Attic countryside. Just a few kilometres east of Mount Hymettus, the Mesogeia region unfolds vineyards, fig orchards and pistachio groves, an entire map of agritourism and wine tourism on the capital's doorstep. Here lies a rare advantage: unlike the islands, Athens does not need to bring in the market. It already has it, eleven million visitors, waiting at its door.
Not a magic solution, but a relationship of trust
Agritourism is not another El Dorado that will automatically turn every village into a destination. International experience shows that the success of such a venture is judged as much by the revenue it generates as by the good it does for the local community. Professor Louis Jolin sums up sustainability in three pillars: respect for the community and its identity, real economic and social benefits for residents, and a genuine say in the decisions that affect them. The local resident is not merely a labour pool or a host community. They are part of the very experience the traveller is seeking.
What the leaders do
The comparison with three leading Mediterranean destinations is revealing.
In Italy, the institution of agriturismo has matured impressively: in 2024 around 26,100 licensed agritourism businesses were recorded, almost double the 2014 figure, covering 64 percent of Italian municipalities, with roughly 4 million arrivals and 15.5 million overnight stays. The secret? A connection with authentic gastronomy: farm to fork meals, cooking classes, wine and olive oil tastings.
In France, the Gîtes de France network, founded in 1955 by farmers and elected officials to halt rural depopulation, today counts 55,000 properties and 42,000 owners. In 2024 it recorded 27.2 million overnight stays, up 3 percent, and generates around 2.2 billion euros in direct and indirect turnover, supporting more than 31,000 jobs. It is a model of slow tourism and of staying in the local's own home.
In Spain, turismo rural attracted more than 4.7 million travellers and 12.6 million overnight stays in 2024, with foreign visitors rising 13.5 percent. A telling detail: by law, these properties must be housed in local architecture or on working farms.
A comparative snapshot of the three models
Indicator (2024) | Italy (agriturismo) | France (Gîtes de France) | Spain (turismo rural) |
Units / properties | approx. 26,100 businesses | 55,000 properties | Registered by region |
Overnight stays | approx. 15.5m (2023) | 27.2m (+3%) | 12.6m (+0.4%) |
Visitors / arrivals | approx. 4m (2023) | 42,000 owners | 4.7m travellers |
Key factor | Farm to fork gastronomy | approx. EUR 2.2bn turnover, 31,000+ jobs | Foreign +13.5% |
The roadmap for Attica
Three concrete lessons emerge from these models for Attica, with a common denominator: the need for the destination to stand out from the crowd. First, a recognisable quality mark is needed, like the Italian agriturismo or the French label, that guarantees authenticity. Greece already has its Special Agritourism Mark. What is missing is its widespread adoption. Second, wine as the spearhead: the Wine Roads of Athens, the historic Savatiano of the Mesogeia and dozens of family vineyards are exactly the vine to glass experience that propelled Italy. Today the potential for wine tourism in Attica is enormous, yet it remains at an early and unorganised stage.
Third, a strong digital presence and the use of proximity. As the French example shows, an elegant online portal with articles, videos and images is the channel through which visitors choose a destination. Athens' great advantage is distance: a short excursion or a day trip, before or after a cruise, can turn the urban visitor into a visitor of the countryside.
And, above all, the local community must take part in the planning from the outset: not as a spectator or a critic, but as a partner in shaping it. As Quebec's tourism policy defines it, sustainable tourism is tourism that makes optimal use of environmental resources, respects the sociocultural authenticity of communities and delivers benefits to all stakeholders.
Athens does not need to become Tuscany or Provence. It needs to discover, with confidence, its own countryside, and let it speak.
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Sources
Athens / Attica: International air arrivals in 2024 at Athens International Airport approx. 11.1m (38% of the national total, Greece's leading gateway), INSETE. Mesogeia, Wine Roads of Athens, wine tourism: athensattica.com, visitgreece.gr, iefimerida.gr.
Italy: ISTAT / Italy Law Firms: approx. 26,129 agritourism businesses in 2024, 64% of municipalities, approx. 4m arrivals and 15.5m overnight stays (2023).
France: Gîtes de France, 2024 report (27.2m overnight stays, 55,000 properties, 42,000 owners. MKG Consulting study: approx. EUR 2.2bn turnover, 31,520 jobs).
Spain: INE, Survey of Occupancy in Rural Tourism Accommodation 2024 (4,773,632 travellers, 12,660,212 overnight stays, foreign +13.53%).
Framework: Attached articles “Tourism development in a rural environment” (Louis Jolin / Quebec Tourism Policy) and “Comment développer le tourisme dans un village ?”. Special Agritourism Mark: Ministry of Rural Development / Ministry of Tourism.
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