Levies for tourism going up
The government announced on Monday the details of its measures regarding the cruise levy, the resilience fee on accommodation and other measures concerning tourism that aim at destination decongestion and state revenue growth, for environmental purposes.
At a press conference, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and National Economy and Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis explained the imposition of a cruise fee of up to 20 euros per passenger per port of call and the increase in the Climate Resilience Fee on hotels and short-term rentals up to €15 per day.
They also announced the drawing up of a study on cruise planning across the country with incentives to attract smaller ships with passengers of a higher income level, the extension of the consultation on the spatial planning of tourism and significant interventions afterward based on studies that have been carried out for this.
The minister of tourism stated that the problems caused by the tourist activity are “point-specific” and not general as they do not concern the entire country and the entire year. Even so, the preparation of a masterplan that will face the challenges of the sustainability of destinations remains a top priority, which is at the core of the strategy that governs every action of the ministry, noted Kefalogianni.
Kathimerini understands the government intends to give an additional extension to the one announced Monday, as the zoning plan which has been put up for public consultation concerns data from the pre-pandemic period and does not fully respond to the further development of Greek tourism to a new historical high in 2023. Simply put, a radical reform of the bill is expected, which will take into account both the comments from the public consultation and the priority of ensuring the viability of the sector.
Kefalogianni announced a legislative intervention for the adoption of a framework that will regulate critical issues of operating conditions and safety standards that should be applied to short-term leases.
