The Federation of Greek Associations of Travel & Tourism Agencies (FedHATTA) has recently been the recipient of strong protests from European associations of travel agencies and tour operators, following the government’s announcements on the upcoming increases in the climate resilience fee and the new cruise fees.
As stated in a relevant announcement, such measures are exclusively of a revenue-raising nature, without taking into account the damage they will cause to the viability and competitiveness of the Greek tourism product, burdening travellers who choose to travel and stay overnight or cruise in our country.
The climate resilience fee has already increased twice in two years, and to an exorbitant degree. The same sector cannot always be responsible for financing the State’s actions on climate change (which have not even been accounted for to date), as it is not the only one responsible for the problem.
This policy, which is ultimately punitive towards visitors to our country, as it is characterized by foreign tour operators, risks deterring a large number of travellers from choosing Greece as their next destination, forcing them to seek other, more competitive tourist destinations, which are not burdened every year with new taxes and fees, making it more economically advantageous for them both to visit and to stay there for a longer period of time. However, this economic policy is also punitive for Greek tourism businesses, as well as for the tourism sector of our country as a whole, which is the mainstay of the Greek economy.
The statement concludes, “The Greek Government should consider whether it wishes to develop Greek tourism or whether it will eventually lead to tax suffocation.”
