This was stated by the Greek Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefaloyani
The tax to overcome the consequences of the climate crisis in tourism, which has been in force since the beginning of the year in Greece, replaces the previously existing tourist tax.
This was explained in an interview with BTA by the Minister of Tourism of Greece, Olga Kefaloyani, when asked to comment on publications in Bulgaria, that the new tax will increase the prices of vacations in Greece.
Kefaloyani informed that it is a matter of a fee, which will be in the amount of 1.50 euros per day for a room in the hotels of the more popular categories, for the rooms for rent and for the properties with short-term rentals.
Its size can reach up to 10 euros, but this applies to luxury accommodations, namely five-star hotels and private houses. The fee is more than double during the winter months.
The Greek minister said that the purpose of the measure is for tourists to participate in the protection of tourist destinations from the climate crisis and in their general development.
She highlighted the measures taken by the Greek government to support the population and the economy, and in particular the tourism sector, after the devastating fires and floods in some areas of Greece last year. Kefaloyani stated that Greek tourism has shown resilience and, despite the difficulties, recorded record results in 2023 in terms of both the number of tourists and revenue. The Greek Minister of Tourism assured that the main part of the consequences of the disasters on tourism has been overcome and the destinations throughout the country are ready to welcome their visitors again this year.
Kefaloyani also focused on the prospects for the development of cooperation between the tourism sectors in Greece and Bulgaria, especially in the context of the Program for joint actions in the field of tourism for 2024-2026, signed in November between her and the Minister of Tourism of Bulgaria, Zaritsa Dinkova.
The Greek minister highlighted the prospects for interaction in attracting tourists from distant destinations. Among the planned actions within the program, she pointed out the exchange of know-how and good practices in the fields of digitization, innovation and sustainable development. The program also provides for participation in tourist exhibitions in both countries, interaction in the creation of common tourist packages aimed primarily at non-EU countries, cooperation in investments and the qualification of personnel, joint actions within the framework of international organizations.
Minister Kefaloyani also emphasized the advantages for the tourism sector that the future accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area would have, not only with the air and sea borders, as decided at the moment, but also with the land borders. She said that this would not only increase the tourist flow to Greece from these two countries, but also boost interest in the whole region from non-EU visitors. They would benefit from the unified visa policy, where with one Schengen visa they could visit many countries of the single space, and also from the simplified procedures when crossing the borders. This will promote the common marketing campaigns of Greek, Bulgarian and Romanian tourism, increase interest in trips that include all three countries and promote longer tourist stays and repeat visits, said Greece’s Tourism Minister Olga Kefaloyani.
Illustrative Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-photograph-of-the-parthenon-during-daytime-164336/
