The climate crisis resilience tax introduced in Greece at the start of 2024 replaces the tax on overnight stays, Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said in a BTA interview. She was asked to comment on media publications in Bulgaria that the new tax will increase holiday prices in Greece.
The new tax aims to include tourists in the protection of tourist destinations from the climate crisis and their general development. The climate tax amounts to some EUR 1.50 a day per hotel room, rented room, and short-term stay property. The tax may reach EUR 10 in luxury accommodations, such as five-star hotels and rented houses.The tax is more than two-fold lower in winter, the Minister specified.
Kefalogianni presented the measures undertaken by the Greek government to support the population and the economy, and the tourist sector in particular, after the devastating fires and floods in several regions last year. Greek tourism showed resilience and, despite the difficulties, registered record-high results in terms of tourist numbers and revenues in 2023. The main part of the disasters’ consequences have been overcome, and the destinations across the country are ready to welcome their guests this year, she said.
Kefalogianni noted the prospects for developing the cooperation between the tourist sectors in Greece and Bulgaria, particularly in the context of the Programme for Joint Action in Tourism for the 2024-2026 period, which she and Bulgarian Tourism Minister Zaritsa Dinkova signed in November 2023. Kefalogiannia also noted the prospects for interaction in attracting tourists from distant destinations. Among the actions planning within the Programme are the exchange of know-how and good practices in digitization, innovation, and sustainable development.
The Programme also envisages participation in tourism fairs in Bulgaria and Greece, interaction in the creation of common tourist packages targeting non-EU countries, cooperation in investment and personnel qualification, and joint actions within international organizations.
The Greek Minister underscored the advantages for the tourism sector should Bulgaria and Romania join Schengen by land in the future. That would increase not only the tourist flow to Greece but also the interest into the whole region on the part of non-EU visitors. They would benefit from the the single visa policy, where one Schengen visa allows them to visit many countries within the border-free area, as well as from the simplified procedures when crossing borders. That would promote common marketing campaigns of the Greek, Bulgarian, and Romanian tourism, increase the interest in trips to all three countries and contribute to a longer stay and repeated visits, Kefalogianni told BTA.
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