Tag: Mercan Group

After a powerful rebound from the pandemic shock, Greece’s tourism industry is entering a new phase of development. Recent data shows that while the rapid growth in visitor numbers is gradually slowing, tourism revenue and per-capita spending continue to rise, signaling a structural shift from volume-driven expansion to value-led growth. 2023–2025: From Post-Pandemic Rebound to […]

AHM – Ace Hospitality Management, a long-standing hospitality management partner of Mercan Group, closed the year with €50 million in revenue. This milestone reflects a period of strong operational performance as AHM accelerates the expansion of its hotel management platform nationwide, with a clear objective to manage 15 hotels in Portugal by 2028. This positive […]

Greece’s property market is undergoing a clear structural transformation in 2025, with foreign investors increasingly concentrating on high-end residential assets. Amid global inflation, geopolitical tensions, and regional instability, Greek real estate is no longer viewed primarily as an affordable holiday option, but as a strategic vehicle for asset protection and long-term value growth. According to […]

Portugal’s real estate market continues to heat up. According to the latest data released by Statistics Portugal (INE), Portuguese house prices reached a new all-time high in the third quarter of 2025, with the house price index rising 17.7% year-on-year. This marks the third consecutive quarter of record-breaking growth, confirming that property prices remain on […]

The prime residential market was marked by a cyclical slowdown in the third quarter of 2025, registering the slowest growth rate in the last two years. However, Lisbon stands out as one of the most resilient European markets. According to Knight Frank’s Prime Global Cities Index (PGCI), the average annual global appreciation was 2.5%, while […]

The new president of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP), Pedro Pimpão, has argued that Portugal effectively needs an immigrant population, considering that the national demographic conditions are insufficient to meet the needs. “Immigration is not a problem; it is a challenge for the country as a whole to create effective conditions to integrate […]

Greece’s main railway corridor linking Athens and Thessaloniki is set to become fully operational by summer 2026, with upgraded safety systems along the entire route, according to Alternate Transport Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis. Speaking at an international infrastructure conference, Kyranakis said the line will operate with full signaling, centralized traffic control and automatic braking systems throughout, […]

According to the newly released MMGY Travel Intelligence report, “Portrait of the European Traveler 2025,” Greece has become one of the most desirable travel destinations for Generation Z (Gen Z) travelers in Europe. Over the next three years, Greece ranks among the top three most popular outbound destinations in Europe, trailing only Italy and Spain. […]

Greece’s tourism industry is on track to achieve €23.5 billion in tourism revenue by 2025, according to Greek Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni. Speaking on Monday, she emphasized that following a strong post-pandemic recovery, Greece is shifting its tourism strategy away from volume-driven growth toward a model focused on higher value, year-round tourism, and sustainability. […]

Since its establishment in 2020, Panama’s Qualified Investor Program (QIP) has been positioned as a Residency-by-Investment (RBI) pathway designed for worldwide investors seeking flexibility, clarity, and long-term security. Over the past decade, Portugal Golden Visa has demonstrated how a well-structured residency-by-investment program can evolve into a powerful global magnet for capital and international investors. As […]

The authoritative British magazine The Economist has announced that Portugal has been named “Economy of the Year” 2025, ranking first among the world’s 36 wealthiest countries and successfully surpassing last year’s champion, Spain. This marks the fifth consecutive year that The Economist has conducted a comprehensive ranking of economic performance among 36 high-income countries, selecting […]

The Portuguese government has confirmed that starting from the first quarter of 2026, the validity period of Portuguese passports will be officially extended. For adult citizens, passport validity will be doubled from the current 5 years to 10 years. This measure is one of the government’s key reforms aimed at simplifying public services and reducing […]

On 19 Dec 2025, The President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has recently vetoed and returned two parliamentary bills concerning amendments to the Nationality Law and the Criminal Code, in accordance with constitutional requirements. The decision follows rulings by the Portuguese Constitutional Court, which found several provisions of the proposed legislation to […]

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni outlined new opportunities for expanded Greek-American cooperation in the travel sector during meetings with the US tourism industry this week, following another year of strong growth in American arrivals to Greece. In her visit to the United States, Kefalogianni highlighted the continued surge in US travel to Greece in 2024, when […]

This year, foreign investment enthusiasm in the Greek real estate market has noticeably cooled. According to Balance of Payments data from the Bank of Greece, the share of real estate within foreign direct investment (FDI) has declined. Declining Share of Real Estate in Foreign Investment Data shows that in the first half of the year, […]