Greece has introduced a new Special Spatial Framework for Tourism to regulate development, protect destinations and the environment, and provide greater security for investments, according to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency.
Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou and Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni announced the framework, which aims to replace fragmented growth with clear spatial rules.
Papastavrou said the framework is a choice of responsibility for the country's future that introduces long-term planning where there was previously ambiguity. Kefalogianni emphasised qualitative tourism development that balances protecting saturated destinations with creating opportunities for less developed areas.
The joint ministerial decision sets medium and long-term directions for the spatial structure of tourism to ensure economic, environmental and social sustainability. Goals include upgrading the tourism product, extending the season, reducing regional inequalities and adapting to climate change.
Five development categories
The plan divides Greece into five categories based on tourism intensity, calculated by comparing tourist beds to the area and permanent population of each municipal unit.
The categories dictate the conditions for new hotel investments. In Controlled Development areas, which face the highest tourism pressure, the minimum plot size for a new out-of-plan hotel rises to 16 stremmata. Only three, four and five-star accommodations are permitted, and new infrastructure in Natura 2000 areas requires prior management plans.
In Developed areas, the minimum plot size is set at 12 stremmata, again limited to three to five-star hotels. Islands falling into this category will face a cap of 350 beds for new accommodations.
In Developing and Early Development areas, the minimum plot requirement is eight stremmata, leaving larger margins for new investments and special forms of tourism. Special Development Support areas will offer incentives for new destinations, heritage building utilisation and low-footprint glamping.
Special rules for islands
The framework establishes specific rules for the islands, excluding Crete and Evia. Group I covers islands over 250 square kilometres, such as Rhodes, Corfu, Naxos, Kos, Lesvos, Chios and Kefalonia. Group II covers islands between 20 and 250 square kilometres, including Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Milos, Syros, Tinos and Ios.
Planning on the islands will tie closely to carrying capacity and landscape protection. On large islands, local planning may create zones where tourism construction is limited or banned to protect cultural and natural heritage.
Short-term rental restrictions
The decision incorporates short-term rentals into spatial planning. Depending on local tourism pressure, authorities may impose annual time limits, geographical ban zones and restrictions on new supply, particularly in saturated areas and newly built homes.
The framework mandates Carrying Capacity Assessment Reports for urban planning to ensure development aligns with a destination's actual limits. Coastal rules mandate free beach access, restrict linear construction expansion along the coastline and require tourism activities to adapt to the coastal morphology.
According to the ministries, the new framework introduces a logic of greater control in saturated areas and stronger links between investments and a destination's environment and identity.
