From the turquoise waters of Amorgos in The Big Blue to Skopelos in Mamma Mia! and Kefalonia in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, films and television productions have repeatedly linked Greek destinations with images that attract international visitors.
Now, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is also putting Greek landscapes back in the international spotlight and raising a broader question: how can the publicity generated by major productions translate into visitors, tourism spending and lasting economic value for filming locations?
The phenomenon, known internationally as film tourism, screen tourism or “set-jetting,” has moved beyond a passing travel trend.
A new study by the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE) examines the relationship between international productions filmed in Greece and tourism trends in the locations where they shoot.
Leonidas Christopoulos, chief executive of the Greek Film and Audiovisual Centre – Creative Greece (EKKOMED), told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that the study provides an econometric approach to measuring the connection between international film productions and tourism.
According to the study’s findings, every additional €1,000 in state cash-rebate support for international productions corresponds to 31 to 43 additional foreign visitor arrivals and 45 to 105 additional overnight stays.
Based on average tourist spending, that additional activity translates into approximately €17,700 to €24,600 in extra tourism expenditure.
The figures suggest that a film production can generate value twice: first during filming, through spending across the local and national economy, and later when images of the destination reach international audiences and encourage people to visit.
Almost €500 million in direct spending
International productions already generate a significant economic footprint in Greece.
According to EKKOMED Observatory data, authorities have approved 188 international productions and minority co-productions through the cash-rebate programme since 2019.
EKKOMED has paid or expects to pay approximately €270 million in rebates for these productions. The productions themselves, however, have generated or are expected to generate almost €480 million in direct private spending in Greece.
The benefits extend well beyond the audiovisual sector. Hotels, restaurants, transport companies, construction firms, rental businesses and dozens of other local enterprises can benefit from film shoots.
A study by Olsberg SPI estimates that between 55% and 75% of production-related spending can flow into sectors outside the core audiovisual industry.
Christopoulos therefore argues that Greece should view the cash rebate primarily as an investment tool rather than simply a public subsidy.
According to the independent Olsberg SPI study, every euro of public support through the programme generates €4.20 in additional economic value for the Greek economy. That calculation does not include the potential subsequent impact of international film successes on tourism.
Measuring the journey from screen to destination
Until recently, the relationship between a successful film and tourism growth remained largely based on anecdotal evidence. The challenge now, according to Christopoulos, involves moving from observation to systematic measurement.
The IOBE study examines how a production’s popularity online can translate into actual tourism activity.
Its findings indicate that for every additional 1,000 users who rate positively a production featuring Greek filming locations on IMDb, the relevant location records between 500 and 770 additional foreign visitor arrivals.
Christopoulos said EKKOMED plans to use its Observatory to monitor the impact of major international productions before and after their release by combining filming data with visitor arrivals, overnight stays and tourism spending in the relevant areas.
The Odyssey and the Peloponnese opportunity
The Peloponnese is already seeking to capitalise on the international attention generated by Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Thanos Micheloggonas, the Peloponnese deputy regional governor for tourism, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that the production has placed the region’s landscapes at the centre of international attention and demonstrated its potential as a filming destination.
The region plans to promote the filming locations through VisitPeloponnese while working with major international media to increase the area’s exposure.
Authorities are also developing a themed route focused on the “Homeric” Peloponnese, seeking to turn the film’s publicity into a broader tourism experience rather than a short-lived promotional opportunity.
“We aim to turn film publicity into a complete tourism experience and development value for local communities,” Micheloggonas said.
Skopelos still benefiting from Mamma Mia!
Skopelos provides perhaps the clearest example of how long a film’s tourism impact can last.
Eighteen years after the release of Mamma Mia!, the film continues to serve as international publicity for the island and generate new tourism experiences.
Mary Diamanti, president of the Skopelos Hoteliers Association, said the island also benefits from strong word-of-mouth promotion among visitors.
Skopelos combines its natural environment — pine forests cover approximately 80% of the island — with local gastronomy, accessibility and a competitive quality-to-price balance.
Yet Mamma Mia! remains a powerful attraction.
The island now has an open-air cinema, where visitors from countries including the United States, Finland and Thailand travel specifically to watch the film in the location where it was shot.
Some visitors combine a trip to Athens and the Acropolis with a short stay in Skopelos, sometimes lasting just two days, specifically to experience the film locations.
Private tours have also developed around the filming sites, with Agios Ioannis, where one of the film’s best-known scenes was shot, among the main attractions.
The film’s legacy has therefore evolved beyond promotional exposure. New tourism products and services have emerged around the movie, including private tours, increased taxi demand, improved connections, enhanced local transport and new business activity.
The impact also extends across the wider Sporades. In Skiathos, for example, Mamma Mia! has influenced day cruises that incorporate experiences inspired by the film and its musical phenomenon.
Greece seeks to turn film success into lasting economic value
According to Christopoulos, Greece has made significant progress in recent years and has developed into a genuine international production market rather than relying on isolated successes.
The country now offers one of the world’s most competitive production incentives, he said. Competition remains intense, however, and Greece’s landscapes and high rebate rates alone cannot guarantee continued growth.
The country needs a stable and predictable financing environment, faster procedures, more production infrastructure and studios, a stronger post-production sector and continued investment in skilled personnel.
The ultimate objective is to turn Greece’s position as an international filming destination into a lasting economic advantage.
“Greece has already secured a place on the international filming map,” Christopoulos said. “The next challenge is to turn that position into a permanent economic advantage for the country.”
From The Big Blue to The Odyssey, Greece now has more tools to pursue that goal, including investment incentives, a unified national body, data and research capable of measuring the results.
The objective, therefore, is no longer simply to attract more films to Greece. It is to ensure that every production leaves greater value in the Greek economy — and that every image of Greece reaching audiences around the world can translate into tangible tourism and economic benefits.
