Greece pushes hidden gems

Greece’s campaign went live on April 1, 2026 and is scheduled to run April–June 2026, marking a three‑month, creator‑led roll‑out rather than a traditional multi‑channel TV buy. (pappaspost.com) The Greek National Tourism Organization says the effort is built entirely around selected TikTok and YouTube creators under the creative line “Real influence – Real people – Real scale,” with creators chosen for platform reach and audience fit. (tovima.com) GNTO and city or regional partners are targeting roughly 19 million users across five European markets — the UK, France, Germany, Sweden and Denmark — as the campaign’s primary audience footprint. (news.gtp.gr) The push follows the Unseen Greece strategy promoted at the Unseen Greece Conference 2025, where Deputy Minister Anna Karamanli outlined geographic and seasonal diversification plus thematic tourism (wine, mountain, maritime) as policy pillars. (news.gtp.gr) Athens has been building digital ties with platforms since a 2024 partnership with TikTok, and officials have cited year‑round demand and sustainability goals in government briefings as key rationales for the 2026 influencer approach. (news.gtp.gr) Spain’s rebound is part of a national upswing that saw about 96.8 million foreign visitors in 2025 and foreign‑visitor spending rise to roughly €134.7 billion, according to national tourism figures reported in early 2026. (marketbeat.com) Barcelona’s local figures show the city welcomed 16 million visitors in 2025 (a 2.9% year‑on‑year increase) with direct tourism spending estimated at €10.375 billion, even as the city advances measures such as revoking tourist‑apartment licences by 2028 and closing its north port terminal to cruise calls. (ajuntament.barcelona.cat) (wanderlustmagazine.com) Photographs published by Reuters during Holy Week 2026 show Chinese visitors at Sagrada Familia on April 1–2, underlining a return of that market to Barcelona after pandemic‑era declines. (reutersconnect.com)