Bulgaria and Romania will officially join the Schengen Zone on January 1, 2025, enabling free travel across 29 countries, including Greece. This decision will significantly impact trade and tourism between Greece and its northern neighbors. Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, being strategically positioned, aim to enhance their role as a commercial and tourist corridor, with improvements in infrastructure facilitating this goal. Regional officials emphasize that while there are opportunities from this change, careful management is required to address potential challenges arising from increased cross-border movements.