Greece is set to construct the world’s first educational and entertainment theme park dedicated to Alexander the Great, a project to enhance tourism and attract investment to Northern Greece.
The “Alexander Theme Park” will be built on an 8-acre site near Amphipolis, between Kavala and Serres. It will feature a mix of indoor and outdoor family-friendly attractions that blend interactive learning with entertainment. Construction is slated to begin in 2026, and the estimated investment is under €10 million.
Grigoris Avanidis, project manager at DreamWorkers, announced the initiative during a tourism and real estate development conference hosted by The American College of Thessaloniki. Avanidis highlighted the park’s connection to the region’s historical significance, particularly the Kasta Tomb excavation, which has sparked global interest. “This will be the first theme park in the world dedicated to Alexander,” he stated, noting that the project avoids overly academic themes to appeal to a wide audience while serving as both a cultural landmark and an economic driver for local tourism.
Conference speakers stressed Greece’s need for more thematic attractions to remain competitive. Avanidis noted growing interest from Greek and international investors in developing similar projects nationwide. Georgios Zografos, a property development consultant and professor at the Hellenic Open University, underscored Northern Greece’s strategic location, advocating for stronger ties with Balkan and Eurasian markets. He reported that foreign investment in the region rose to €3 billion in 2024 from €2.1 billion in 2023, primarily from Bulgarian and Romanian investors aged 40 to 60, focusing on apartment purchases. Zografos pointed to projects like the Neapolis Project and Gerat Resort in Eastern Kavala as signs of the area’s growing appeal, predicting that underutilized regions could become major tourism and residential hubs.
Tasos Andreadis, CEO of Stanta S.A., forecasted a record-breaking year for Greek tourism in 2025 but cautioned against unchecked growth. “Each area must be evaluated for its capacity to handle tourism, or we risk overburdening the places we aim to promote,” he warned. In Thessaloniki, the hotel sector is trending toward luxury, with Stefan Merkenhof, tourism director at CBRE Atria, noting a rise in five-star hotels while lower-rated ones decline. The city currently hosts 151 hotels, half located downtown. Major urban developments are also in progress, including the redevelopment of the former Allatini ceramics factory site, set to feature Thessaloniki’s first high-rise building and new public parks, according to Andreadis.
Konstantinos Dendrinos, CEO of Nesaj Real Estate in Saudi Arabia, joined the conference remotely, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s shift toward tourism as it prepares for a post-oil future. To attract 150 million tourists annually by 2030, the kingdom has launched $1 trillion in tourism infrastructure projects, including luxury resorts and high-end hotels. Dendrinos urged Greece to act swiftly to stay competitive in the global tourism market.
Source: iefimerida