Greek Tourism Ministry Olga Kefalogianni on Thursday signed a MoC with a private company to promote the country as an LGBTQ-friendly destination.

In statements afterwards, Kefalogiannis said Greece is the first European country actively seek arrivals from this community.

The LGBTQ+ community is estimated to represents more than 10% of global tourism demand and nearly 16% of total expenditures in the sector, calculated at exceeding US$ 195 billion.

Initiatives include amending the framework regulating hotel-customer relations, rating accommodations by including the criterial of staff awareness and services to LGBTQ holiday-makers, and inaugurating relations with specialized travel agencies abroad.

The private company, Queer Destinations, maintains a presence in 14 countries and trains professionals to cater to needs of LGBTQ+ visitors.