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Greece adopts new tourism spatial framework, reshaping rules for Greek hotel development

Greek Spatial Tourism Plan

Greece has adopted a new special spatial framework for tourism, introducing nationwide planning rules that will determine where and under what conditions tourism development can take place. The framework divides mainland Greece into five categories based on tourism intensity and development pressure: controlled development areas, developed areas, developing areas, early development areas and special development support areas. The different categories are intended to manage growth in highly developed destinations while encouraging investment in areas with greater capacity for tourism development. The framework also establishes separate provisions for islands, taking into account their size, environmental sensitivity and existing tourism pressure.

 

The new zoning system has a direct impact on Greek hotel construction. In areas facing the greatest tourism pressure, development conditions become stricter, while less-developed areas offer greater scope for new investment. For hotels outside urban planning zones, the minimum plot requirement is set at 16,000 square meters in controlled development areas, 12,000 square meters in developed areas and 8,000 square meters in developing and early development areas. The rules direct new accommodation investment towards areas considered capable of absorbing additional tourism activity.

 

For existing hotels, including smaller properties, the framework is particularly significant because it provides transitional arrangements for existing tourism businesses. Hotels and other tourism investments that were legally established under the previous planning regime are not simply required to comply with the new minimum plot requirements. Existing projects and investments at specified stages of approval are protected, while existing hotels can continue to be modernised, upgraded and, where permitted, expanded under applicable planning provisions. This is important for smaller hotels that may operate on plots below the new minimum thresholds, as the new rules do not automatically remove their existing development rights.

 

The framework does not introduce a blanket right for hotels to add floors or use a larger percentage of their land. Whether an existing hotel can expand its building footprint, increase capacity or make other physical changes will continue to depend on the property's location, its existing planning and environmental approvals and the rules applying to its specific tourism category. In highly developed areas, the framework seeks to limit additional tourism pressure and promote higher-quality and more sustainable development, while less-developed areas are given greater opportunities to attract new accommodation and tourism infrastructure.

 

The new rules also introduce tighter controls for islands and environmentally sensitive areas. Smaller Greek islands face lower building intensity and restrictions on new hotel capacity, while areas experiencing significant tourism pressure can be subject to carrying-capacity assessments. The framework also strengthens protection of coastal and environmentally sensitive areas, including restrictions on construction close to the coastline and rules governing tourism development in protected areas. At the same time, the special development support category is intended to encourage investment in areas such as mountainous, rural and border regions, including through the reuse of existing buildings and abandoned settlements and the development of alternative forms of tourism.

 

The new framework aims to guide where new tourism investment can take place while introducing clearer limits on the scale of development that destinations can accommodate. Highly developed tourism markets will face tighter controls on new construction, while less-developed areas will have greater scope to attract new hotels and tourism projects.

 

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