Greece Introduces New Climate Tax on Tourist Stays for Environmental Recovery

To combat climate change and repair damages from recent natural disasters, Greece has introduced a new tax for tourists. Effective from this month, the tax applies during the high tourist season from March to October. Tourists staying in accommodations ranging from apartments to luxury hotels in Greece will be charged an additional €1 to €10 per night, depending on the standard of their stay.

Greece Implements New Tourist Tax for Climate Change Efforts

Greece is taking a significant step to address climate change and rebuild after severe forest fires and floods. This month, the country has started a new tax for tourists, known as the climate resilience tax. It is a special tax that tourists will pay when they stay in any type of accommodation in Greece, from simple apartments to five-star hotels. The amount of tax ranges from €1 to €10 for each night, depending on how fancy the accommodation is.

According to Schengen Visa News, the tax will not be included in the price shown by travel agents or online platforms. Instead, tourists will have to pay it separately in local currency. This tax is only for the busy months from March to October. In the quieter months, from November to February, the old, lower tax rate will be in place.

There are some concerns about this new tax. Grigoris Tasios, the head of the Panhellenic Hoteliers Association, is worried that it might make tourists less likely to visit Greece, which could reduce the money made from tourism.

Despite these worries, the Greek government is hopeful. They expect this new tax to bring in about €300 million in 2024, doubling their special climate-related funds. Last year, even after big floods that caused a lot of damage, Greece's tourism sector saw a huge number of visitors, more than in the years before the pandemic. This shows the country's strong appeal to tourists worldwide.

Greece Expects Big Jump in Tourism for 2024

Greece is looking at a big boost in tourism for 2024. Airline bookings are up, showing more people plan to visit. This could mean a 10% increase in tourists compared to 2023. Europe's big travel company, TUI, says this might be Greece's best year for tourism, if nothing unexpected happens.

Flights coming to Greece in winter 2023/2024 are also on the rise, with 17% more seats planned than last year, as Neos Kosmos reported. The 2023 tourist season lasted longer, but this meant a drop in jobs in November. Over 82,000 jobs were lost, with more than half from hotels and places to stay.

Data from Greece's Labor Ministry shows this was the second biggest job loss in 22 years for November. However, there were still more jobs this November compared to last year.

Also, a study by Manpower Group found that Greece is one of four countries where most bosses (82%) say it's hard to find the right workers. Despite these challenges, the outlook for tourism in Greece is very bright for the upcoming year.