Greece plans to build the world’s first educational and entertainment theme park dedicated to Alexander the Great, aiming to boost tourism and attract investment to the Northern Greece region.
The “Alexander Theme Park” will be constructed on an 8-acre site near Amphipolis, between Kavala and Serres. It will feature indoor and outdoor attractions for families, combining interactive learning with entertainment. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with investment estimated below €10 million.
The announcement was made by Grigoris Avanidis, project manager at DreamWorkers, during a tourism and real estate development conference hosted by The American College of Thessaloniki. Mr. Avanidis said the idea draws inspiration from the region’s connection to Alexander the Great and the Kasta Tomb excavation, which has renewed global interest in the area.
“This is the first theme park in the world dedicated to Alexander,” Mr. Avanidis said, adding that the project avoids “heavy historical themes” to appeal to a broad audience. He said the park will be both a cultural landmark and a tool to strengthen the local tourism economy.
Conference speakers emphasized Greece’s need to develop more thematic attractions. Mr. Avanidis said there is growing interest from Greek and international investors seeking locations across the country for such parks.
Georgios Zografos, a property development consultant and professor at the Hellenic Open University, highlighted Northern Greece’s geographic advantage and urged greater integration with nearby Balkan and Eurasian markets.
He said foreign investment in the region reached €3 billion in 2024, up from €2.1 billion in 2023, with investors primarily from Bulgaria and Romania, mostly aged 40 to 60 and targeting apartment acquisitions.
Mr. Zografos cited developments like the Neapolis Project and the Gerat Resort in Eastern Kavala as evidence of the region’s rising profile, predicting that underutilized areas will become major tourism and residential hubs.
Tasos Andreadis, CEO of Stanta S.A., said early signs point to a record year for Greek tourism in 2025. However, he warned that unregulated growth could strain local communities. “Each area must be assessed for its capacity to handle tourism, or we risk overwhelming the very places we want to promote,” Mr. Andreadis said.
In Thessaloniki, hotel development is shifting toward luxury. Stefan Merkenhof, tourism director at CBRE Atria, noted that five-star hotels are gaining ground while lower-rated properties are declining. The city currently has 151 hotels, half in the downtown area.
Major urban projects are also underway, including the redevelopment of the former Allatini ceramics factory site, which will include Thessaloniki’s first high-rise building and new public parks, Mr. Andreadis said.
Speaking remotely, Konstantinos Dendrinos, CEO of Nesaj Real Estate in Saudi Arabia, said the Gulf kingdom is pivoting toward tourism as it prepares for the post-oil era.
He said Saudi Arabia aims to attract 150 million tourists annually by 2030 and has launched $1 trillion worth of tourism infrastructure projects, including luxury resorts and high-end hotel developments.
Mr. Dendrinos emphasized that Greece must move quickly to remain competitive in the global tourism market.