It’s not surprising that health and wellness tourism is vital to the Greek economy. After all, this is the country that gave birth to the philosopher Thales, who famously said that happiness is “a healthy mind inside a healthy body”; Socrates who taught us that the path to wisdom is to “know thyself”; and of course, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine. 

Greece is also the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet. A naturally healthy way of eating that’s scientifically proven to protect against diabetes and depression, maintain heart health, and reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

When it comes to wellbeing and active holidays, Athens and Attica have rich assets. 4 of the 15 award-winning Greek spas that scooped prizes at the 2017 World Luxury Spa Awards are in Athens: Elxis Spa Group, Arion Resort and Spa, I-Spa, and the Orloff Spa at Life Gallery. Marinas and Blue Flag beaches offering sailing, windsurfing, diving, and watersports, line the photogenic Athenian coast. Seaside resorts with five-star spas offer hydromassage and thalassotherapy, and Lake Vouliagmeni revives with its healing underwater springs. 

Athens is framed by national parks and wooded mountains that make stunning stages for hiking, climbing or mountain biking. Mount Hymettus is famous for its thyme-scented honey, impressive caves and historical monasteries. Mount Parnitha, the only National Park in Europe so close to a capital city (40km), is a sanctuary for flora and fauna (come winter, its snowy slopes host alpine adventures). According to Greek mythology, Mount Penteli is where Pan played his flute and danced in its famous cave.

So it’s hardly surprising that Greece ranks among the Top Ten nations when it comes to spending on wellness tourism. While only 16% of wellness tourism trips worldwide are inbound, for Greece that figure is 41%. Within Greece’s tourism workforce, roughly 1 in 5 people work directly in wellness tourism. Greece’s annual tourism industry is worth nearly USD$16 billion and wellness tourism represents approximately 1 in 5 of every dollar spent (well above the global average of 1 in 7 dollars).