The article analyzes the development trends of the tourism and travel industry inthe largest countries of the world. The authors show the relevance of the Russiantourism industry development as a type of recreation and a promising sector of theeconomy following the model of Greece. The paper gives an overview of the country-specific characteristics of Greece, its geographical location, and socio-economicdevelopment. Special attention is paid to the characteristics of the tourism industryin Greece, its problems, current state and development prospects. It is proved thatin the context of the coronavirus pandemic, which affected one of the pillars ofthe world economy - the tourism industry, the active development of the domestictourism industry following the model of Greece has undeniable advantages.