GREECE: Hotel Stay Over Tax Will Negatively Affect Hotel Renovations

The new accommodation tax set to take effect next year is expected to put a damper on plans by smaller hotel units to renovate or upgrade and inhibit investments in tourism, according to Central Greece Region Deputy Governor Ioannis Kontzias.

Kontzias, who oversees tourism, sports and culture issues, said the new levy, the so-called stayover tax to be imposed as of January 1, 2018, on hotels and furnished rooms/apartments for rent will restrain hotel owners from taking measures to upgrade to a new category.

It will be calculated based on the number of overnight stays and the category of the accommodation unit, ranging from 50 cents to four euros per room.

These units, Kontzias says, are already offering friendlier rates, while the tax will instead serve as a disincentive, turning away all potential investments in the sector including plans to upgrade existing units or set up new hotels.

Greece’s hoteliers are up in arms over the government’s decision to impose the new tax.

In the meantime, Kontzias said Central Greece regional authorities have already been implementing a far-reaching plan to promote the area’s tourism offerings and are seeing results primarily in the markets of Romania, Israel and Serbia.

At the same time, the region’s strategy includes combining traditional recreational tourism with alternative forms including gastronomy, health & wellness and adventure.

Greece’s hoteliers are up in arms over the government’s proposal to impose a new accommodation tax for each night spent in the country’s hotels.

The reform is included in a new package of proposals for measures, the Finance Ministry has sent to the country’s creditors in order to cover a fiscal gap of 5.4 billion euros.

The new hotel tax, although not clearly defined, is said to be calculated based on the number of overnight stays and how many stars a hotel has.

For example, three-star hotels will be charged with a special fee of three euros per room, per overnight stay; four-star hotels will be charged four euros per room, per overnight stay, etc.

The president of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, Yiorgos Tsakiris, said the proposal was highly dangerous and that any further burden to the competitiveness of the country’s tourism product after the tax increases would be disastrous and would essentially negate the possibility of Greek tourism sustaining government revenues and providing jobs to Greeks.

The Hellenic Chamber of Hotels has already taken all necessary actions to the relevant authorities, warning of the grave consequences and requesting the cancellation of such plans,he said in an announcement on Wednesday.

On its part, the Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers said that any proposal or intention of imposing further charges to the country’s tourist product, particularly by increasing the cost for foreign or Greek travelers, is unrealistic and directly undermines Greek tourism’s competitiveness, which has already been hit by the doubling of the VAT charge for enterprises.

The federation reminded that the market of private holiday rentals,unregistered private apartments has been left untouched by the government as it continues to operate freely and not under a legal, institutional and fiscal framework.

The federation pointed out that the government could collect unpaid taxes from at least 12 million overnights spent in such lodges.

The General Secretariat of Public Revenue on Thursday issued a circular that includes details on how a new levy will be charged to Greek accommodation units.

The new levy or the so-called stayover tax — will be imposed as of January 1, 2018, to hotels and furnished rooms/apartments for rent and calculated based on the number of overnight stays and the category of the accommodation unit, ranging from 50 cents to four euros per room.

One- and two-star hotels will be charged 0.50 euros, three-star hotels 1,50 euros, four-star hotels 3,00 euros and 5-star hotels 4,00 euros.

One- and two-key furnished rooms/apartments will be charged 0.25 euros, three-key furnished rooms/apartments 0.50 euros and four-key furnished rooms/apartments 1,00 euro.

The new levy is part of an austerity package passed by the Greek government in May.



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GREECE: Greek Police Launch “Stay safe in the city of Athens” Awareness Campaign

The Attica General Police Directorate has launched an awareness campaign for tourists visiting Athens, as part of the upgrading of its services for the safe stay of those visiting the Greek capital.

Through the campaign “Stay safe in the city of Athens”, a special pavilion on Thursday was set up near the archaeological site of the Acropolis, through which tourists and visitors can obtain a brochure in English that contains useful information and instructions for a safe tour of the city.

This action concerns not only Athens but also the airports and tourism destinations of the country. Greece remains a safe country that tourists can visit, said the general secretary of Public Order, Dimitris Anagnostakis.

In an announcement, the head of Greek Police, Lieutenant General Konstantinos Tsouvalas, said that Athens is a beautiful and safe city and that Greece is a safe country. EL.AS (Greek police) guarantees safety and this is what we are communicating today,he said.

On his part, Alkiviadis Assimakopoulos, general police director of Attica, said that the Tourist Police Visitors Help Office has served up to 11,000 civilians so far. We have a cooperation with the city’s hotels, which also distribute our brochures, he said.



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GREECE: Athens Among 10 MICE Destinations 2017, As Luxury Tourism Grows By 10%

Athens, Greece, is included among the top 10 meeting and incentive destinations around the world, according to the 2017 Global Destination Index released recently by Global DMC Partners, the largest global network of independent Destination Management Companies (DMCs).

The data was compiled based on over 700 meeting and incentives that are operating in 2017 in over 500 destinations that Global DMC Partners represents.

Top 10 International Destinations

1 Mexico (Cabo + Riviera Maya)

2 Italy (Rome)

3 United Arab Emirates (Dubai)

4 Bahamas

5 Greece (Athens)

6 Spain (Barcelona + Madrid)

7 France (Paris)

8 Costa Rica

9 Austria (Vienna)

9 Switzerland.

Business meetings, incentive travel, conferences and conventions have a huge impact on the global economy. They help facilitate face-to-face interactions to build stronger and more profitable business relationships, and they contribute greatly to local economies and their sustainability, Global DMC Partners President Catherine Chaulet said.

Many of the 2017 destinations highlighted here have been popular for meetings and incentives for the past few years, however there are a few destinations that we are very excited to see rising in the ranks, such as Colorado, Greece (Athens), Costa Rico, Switzerland, and Cabo and Riviera Maya in Mexico, she added.

The 2017 Global Destination Index also highlights destinations that are rising in popularity based on meetings and incentives that are either booked or close to contracting within a particular destination in 2018.

Luxury tourism in Greece has increased by 10 percent while investment in the sector is also seeing growth, Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura said on Monday during a radio interview.

Speaking on the Athens News Agency’s 104.9 FM, the tourism minister said that a total of 142 applications for the licensing of new and existing four- and five-star hotels of over 300 beds, special tourism infrastructure projects and three luxury tourism resorts had been submitted to the ministry’s one-stop-shop service EFPATE in 2016.

She added that 251 proposals for hotel investments were submitted in Greece’s development bill by March.

Kountoura pointed out that Greece’s shift in attracting tourists from new markets such as China, the Middle East and India was accompanied by the strengthening of traditional markets such as Germany, England, Poland, Russia and America.

Luxury tourism grew by 10 percent, she said, adding that Greece is attracting more tourists that are spending more and choosing four- and five-star hotels.

Moreover, the minister said that thematic tourism and the shift to new markets are tools for extending Greece’s tourism season, which, last year started in April and ran until November, while the months of September, October and November were the best months of all time, with very important occupancy levels.

Minister Kountoura also focused on Northern Greece and Thessaloniki and said that they are now connected with more destinations and constantly attracting tourists.

She referred to the ministry’s actions in regards to attracting more flights through negotiations and agreements with low cost carriers, charter companies and tour operators, that lease and bring their own aircraft from the Balkans, Russia, Germany, the Netherlands and France, markets that in the past produced less demand for Northern Greece.

We made agreements for flights from England to Samos and connected Thessaloniki with direct flights, not only to capital cities, but also to other towns, she said, adding that the new international flights to Greece this year add up to some 2,000. I think these new flights will bring great growth on all levels, she said.


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GREECE: Tax Cuts To Boost Greek Tourism

Tax cuts and land-use planning are the main factors that can improve the competitiveness of Greek tourism and contribute to its steady growth, according to the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE).

In a meeting on Thursday with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the Maximos Mansion, a delegation from SETE, headed by its president, Yiannis Retsos, called for the VAT rates on transport, accommodation and the food sector to be adjusted to lower levels, equivalent to those of competitor countries.

In statements to the media, Retsos said that the confederation informed the Greek PM on the main issues concerning tourism.

“Taxation, especially the value-added tax (VAT) and the stayover tax on accommodation, reduce the competitiveness of our product,” he said. The VAT rate imposed on the Greek tourism sector is currently seven percent more than that in competitor countries.

Regarding the stayover tax, which is planned to be charged on Greek hotels as of January 2018, SETE underlined that its imposition for all months of the year will undermine efforts to extend the season and also negatively affect the country’s winter destinations.

SETE has proposed for the stayover tax to be imposed only during the two-month period from July to August, as it is estimated that demand will be less affected.

Moreover, the SETE delegation brought the issue of land-use planning to the attention of the Greek PM.

“There is currently no land-use plan in place… These two issues, taxation and land-use planning, are also a barrier to investment, which is needed by the country,” Retsos said.

The Greek PM was also informed about SETE’s initiative to link tourism with culture and agriculture.

Regarding the progress of this year’s tourism season, SETE informed PM Tsipras that it is showing growth so far both in arrivals and revenue.

“This year will be a good year… But the government must take advantage of this positive circumstance that exists in the sector so that what is being done today is the basis of a strategic planning for the future… The sector should be the one that the country can depend on in the future to come out of the crisis,” he said.

The South Aegean region and the island of Crete were among the 30 most popular tourism destinations in the European Union in 2015, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

The South Aegean ranked 26th and registered 23.4 million overnight stays by EU residents and non-residents in 2015, while Crete ranked 27th with 23.3 million overnight stays.

The Canary Islands in Spain topped the list with 94 million overnight stays and were followed by Île-de-France with 76.8 million and Catalonia with 75.5 million.

Among the top 30 tourist regions in 2015, six were located in Spain, France and Italy, four in Germany, two in Greece two in Austria, one in Ireland, one in the Netherlands and one in the United Kingdom (inner London).

Nearly 90% of overnight stays within the EU were spent by EU residents, while only 10 percent of overnight stays concerned non-EU residents.

The United States topped the list of EU travelers’ popular destinations outside the European Union with a share of 13.8 percent in 2015. Turkey was second with 10.4 percent and Morocco third with 4.6 percent.

Greeks mostly traveled to Albania (53.8 percent) and Turkey (9.4 percent) outside the EU.

Two tour operators and three airlines are handling the bulk of travelers interested in visiting Greece this summer, according to the Hellenic Slot Coordination Authority (HSCA).

More specifically, according to the HSCA, five airlines, namely Aegean/Olympic Air, Ryanair, easyJet, Smart Wings and Transavia, and four tour operators – TUI, Thomas Cook, Jet2.com and Mouzenidis – control more than half, or 10.5 million spots, out of a total of 20.1 million spots planned for this summer. HSCA data is collected at 23 Greek airports excluding Athens International Airport.

According to the same data, overall tourist traffic appears to be in the hands of just five “players” accounting for almost nine out of the 20 million planned spots: Aegean/Olympic Air, Ryanair and easyJet with 5 million spots, and tour operators TUI and Thomas Cook representing 3.4 million spots.

Aegean Airlines is in the lead with 3.3 million planned spots. Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair meanwhile is the champion serving the majority of international flights to 23 Greek airports (excluding Athens) for the summer, with 1.4 million planned spots.

At the same time, TUI Group has booked 1.8 million spots this summer through its own carriers: Thomson Fly, TUI fly and JetAirFly. Thomas Cook, follows holding 1.5 million spots via its airlines Thomas Cook and Condor.

Greek tour operator Mouzenidis through its carrier Ellinair has scheduled half a million spots for its mostly Russian clientele.



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GREECE: American Tourist Beaten To Death In Bar At Zakynthos Island

An American tourist was beaten to death on Friday after a fight erupted at a bar on Greek island of Zakynthos, and at least eight people have been arrested in connection with his killing, according to local police.

Bakari Henderson, a 22-year-old recent graduate of the University of Arizona, was at a bar on the Greek island of Zakynthos when a fight broke out with another group of people on Friday around 3 a.m. local time, according to police there.

The fight escalated into a brawl and Henderson was battered to death in the street, police said. Further details on the clash were not immediately clear, but police said it involved two groups of people.

Pavlos Kolokotsas, the mayor of Zakynthos, said that both groups involved had been drinking extensively.

The investigation into the incident and Henderson’s death is ongoing.

Police said that a British citizen of Serbian origin, who is temporarily employed in Greece as a bouncer, and a Greek national, who works at the bar in Zakynthos, were arrested Friday and named suspects in the beating death.

Six Serbian tourists were also arrested after being identified on surveillance footage as having taken part in the brawl, police said.

The eight arrested so far are expected to appear in court Saturday.

The University of Arizona issued a statement Friday on the news of Henderson's "untimely death."

"All of us at the University of Arizona are shocked and saddened by the loss of our recent graduate, Bakari Henderson," the university's president, Robert Robbins, said in the statement. "Our hearts and prayers are with his friends and family. I can only imagine the deep sense of loss they must be feeling at his untimely death. It is always a tragedy when a young life ends before it has really yet to begin."

An official within the U.S. State Department said that Zakynthos police had notified the U.S. embassy of the death of an American citizen there early Friday.

We are in communication with authorities and providing consular assistance to the deceased citizen’s family,the official said in a statement Saturday. We offer our sincerest condolences to family and friends, and out of respect for the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment.

Henderson's family said that a memorial service is being planned.

And below, is the Henderson family's statement:

As you can imagine, our family is devastated by the recent loss of our beloved son Bakari Jaward Henderson. He attended Anderson High School through his junior year and graduated from Hyde Park Baptist High School in 2013. Bakari attended The Eller College of Management at The University of Arizona on a full academic scholarship and graduated on May 12, 2017 with a BS in Business Finance and Entrepreneurship.

The summer after his freshman year at University of Arizona, he interned with the Texas Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Texas State Senate. Bakari was in Greece working on a photo shoot to launch his new clothing line when the unbelievable tragedy occurred.

Bakari loved spending time with family and friends, traveling, and meeting new people. He was a big thinker and enjoyed coming up with new business ventures. Bakari was an inspiration to all he met. He loved life and lived it to the fullest.

We would like to thank our family, friends and the Austin community for your prayers, love and support.



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CRETE: Lyttos Beach Hotel The Place To Stay, Wine And Dine In Crete

The Lyttos Beach Hotel, located in the area of Hersonissos near Heraklio, Crete recently completed extensive renovation works in its rooms, sports facilities and public spaces.

Works began in December 2016 and were completed in the end of March 2017, just in time for the hotel to welcome its guests for the summer season.

The complex now includes 48 new suites with a private or a shared pool, six new artificial clay tennis courts and two additional pools, one of which is heart shaped (photo).

The hotel revealed a new tavern, which is organizing theme nights for each day of the week and a brand new snack bar offering Wok and BBQ lunch and dinner.

Lyttos’ sports facilities also include a basketball and a beach volleyball court, a golf training area and a professional bike center.

The Lyttos Beach Hotel is situated in a 150-acre area, with lush gardens and 500 palm trees.

Its “Blue Flag” awarded beach stretches in 350 meters. The rooms and suites overlook the Aegean sea and the hotel’s gardens.

On one of the most beautiful islands in Greece, Crete and within a 20 kilometer distance from the airport of Iraklion (code: HER), a heavenly garden awaits for you in Hersonissos.

In the famous holiday destination of Hersonissos, the hotel can easily be compared to a heavenly scenery.

Just 5 km from the town, hidden amongst vast, colorful gardens, in an area of 150 acres (15 Hectares) of more than 500 palm trees and flowers leading to a 350 meter fully-organized, Blue Flag awarded sandy beach, Lyttos Beach is unlike any other hotel in the island.

Its rooms feature sea or garden view (double rooms, quadruple rooms, family rooms and suites some with private or sharing pool).

Also, six swimming pools (one with fantastic waterslides, one of Olympic size and one heart shaped pool), 3 different restaurants and 3 bars decorate this large area, leaving enough space for 22 tennis courts, a mini football pitch and a basketball court, a beach volleyball court, an archery range, a golf training range (Par 3) and a professional bike center.

Just 5 km away from the hotel, golfers can enjoy the most exciting 18-hole golf courts in the island, with magnificent views to the multi-colored Cretan mountains.

Lyttos Beach is a unique mosaic created by sun, sea, sand, mountains, athleticism, fun and games, relaxation, fine International & Greek cuisine with live show-cooking and friendly atmosphere.

Accommodation at Lyttos Beach Hotel

Enjoy and smell the essence of the flowers and the light breeze from the sea right from your room. Lose yourself in the endless deep blue, get pleasure from the sea views and the harmony of the nature that surrounds your suite, double or family room. All types of accommodation include:

Balcony Balcony or terrace
FridgeFridge
TV TV-set
Telephone Direct telephone
Shower Bath or shower
Save Box Safe (free of charge)
Air Condition Air-condition (free of charge)
Tea and Coffee Tea and coffee facility (free of charge)

Dining

The two restaurants of the Hotel open their doors and invite you to taste traditional and international delicacies and dishes. Indulge in the gastronomical pleasures combined with fine decoration and sea views.

The world known island of Crete is famous for its history, ancient monuments and heavenly beaches.

In the same way, Lyttos Beach will impress you with its unforgettable decorated buffets and gastronomical delights.

Taste local, traditional and international delicacies, be spoilt by the choices of the rich buffets offered in the Main Restaurant.

Breakfast is served in this restaurant from 07:30 to 10:30 and late breakfast from 10:30 to 11:00.

Lunch and dinner is also served in the Main Restaurant. Delicacies are varied daily.

A children’s buffet is also offered. The Main Restaurant accommodates a different theme night, every night!

In a lovely surrounding close to the sea and the sandy beach, guests can enjoy buffets and set menus in “Zorbas”. Although no reservation is required for lunch, a booking is essential for dinner.

Spend romantic evenings in the tavern Zorbas, looking at the colors of the sunset, listening to the whisper of the waves and feeling the cool breeze of the sea.

Wine & Relaxing

Under the clear sky, the moon and the star light, the two bars of the hotel are there to welcome you and serve drinks of your choice.

In a friendly and cheerful atmosphere, the Main Bar ( opening hours: 18:00-01:00 during low season) and the Pool Bar (opening hours: 10:00-00:00) are on guests disposal.

Dance to the music of the Pool Bar, relive moments travelled by songs of past-times and carve new ones in your memory listening to modern tunes.

GREECE: Tourist Arrivals And Revenues Growing Positively

We are not surprised by the increase in tourist revenues, the president of the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Tourist and Travel Agencies (FedHATTA) Lyssandros Tsilidis said in statements to the Athens Macedonian News Agency following the figures pulished by the Bank of Greece.

However, Tsilidis said that the method used is not correct as it does not reflect the real situation.

Based on provisional data, the balance of travel services in April 2017 showed a surplus of 247 million euros, compared with a surplus of 263 million euros in April 2016, the Bank of Greece said.

More specifically, travel receipts rose by 11.3% to 484 million euros in April 2017, from 435 million euros in the same month of 2016.

Travel payments also increased, by 38.1% (April 2017: 237 million euros, April 2016: 171 million euros). The rise in travel receipts was due to a 12.0% increase in inbound traveller flows, as average expenditure per trip fell slightly, by 0.4%. Net receipts from travel services offset 20.9% of the goods deficit and accounted for 40.0% of total net receipts from services.

In April 2017, as mentioned previously, travel receipts rose by 11.3% year-on-year. In more detail, receipts from residents of the EU28 increased by 24.2% to 277 million euros, whereas receipts from outside the EU28 dropped by 3.6% (April 2017: 180 million euros, April 2016: 186 million euros).

The rise in receipts from within the EU28 was due to a 54.9% increase in receipts from euro area residents (April 2017: 207 million euros, April 2016: 134 million euros), as receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries fell by 22.0%.

The Greek tourism sector is moving full speed ahead with a growth rate of 7 percent, double the international average at 3-4 percent, Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura told a conference on “Ways out of the Crisis: Trust, Investments, Exports” organized in Athens by the Panhellenic Exporters Association this week.

“We have achieved high performance in tourism, employment and investment,” Kountoura said adding that the government’s national tourism strategy has produced results despite the geopolitical challenges.

The minister noted that in 2015 a record 26 million people visited Greece and 28 million in 2016, adding that for this year, arrivals, overnight stays, revenue, investment and employment are all expected to increase.

Kountoura further underlined that via the ministry’s strategy the sector has managed to extend the tourism season, open up to new markets with particular attention to higher-income travelers, promote lesser known destinations, tap into thematic tourism, launch direct air connections with many destinations, create new jobs and attract new investments in tourism.

“Investing in tourism means investing in our future,” Kountoura concluded.

Meanwhile, University of Piraeus announced the establishment of the Department on Tourism Studies as of September, 2017 aiming to historically connect the past of the Greek economy and offer students the necessary education on tourism.

Students will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills in order to have a succesful career in tourism and meet the market needs.

The Tourism Department of the University will carefully monitor the constantly changing trends and will continue to adjust its academic programme so that the graduates acquire the best possible education and knowledge, Professor Nikolaos Georgopoulos, President of the Department of Tourism Studies, said.

GREECE: Greece Expecting 500,000-plus Chinese Tourists In Next Two Years

Greece aims to attract between 500,000-600,000 Chinese tourists each year for the next two years, Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura said on Friday, while addressing an event at the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen. Chinese officials, she noted, put this number even higher at one million.

The minister was speaking at an event entitled Alitrip in Greece: Boosting incoming tourism from China to Greece" organised by the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the tradesmen's chamber to present the Chinese travel platform to Greece.

The aim, according to Kountoura, was to capitalise on the contacts between the Greek and Chinese governments, working in cooperation with all the agencies involved, from local government to private businesses.

Presenting the Alitrip platform - part of the Alibaba group - was Alitrip Vice President for European Markets Kai Cui, while 50 top Greek tourism-sector companies and agencies attended.

Given that the Alibaba "ecosystem" currently has more than 500 million Chinese users and the Alitrip platform is one of the largest in China, the company's executives believe that a target of one million tourists to Greece over three years can be met.

Kountoura noted that the number of Chinese tourists to Greece had risen almost ten-fold in the last two years, from 15,000-20,000 in 2015 to some 150,000 at present.

This is a significant increase even if this number does not yet satisfy us, given that the number of Chinese travelling to Europe are 15 million, she added.

A key to further growth in tourism would be the start of a direct flight from Athens to Beijing in the autumn, Kountoura said.

The minister also referred to efforts to open new tourism markets, such as South Korea, China, the Middle East, India and Brazil and rekindle existing markets, such as Russia and the United States.

In the last two years, the growth of Greek tourism was at 7 pct - or double the world average. In 2016 we had 28 million arrivals (with cruises) and increased luxury tourism by more than 10 pct.

We had a spectacular start to 2017, with prebookings and occupancy in hotels exceeding all expectations from all markets, she said.

Three million Germans will visit Greece for summer, according to a report by German magazine Spiegel.

In an article full of praise for Greece, the magazine writes that the number of Germans to the Mediterranean country is expected to be 1 million more than last season.

My sea, my sky, my culture, oh Greece! For another year the white and blue colours will enthuse millions of visitors, writes the magazine lauding the beauties of Greece.

This is where the journey to the most beautiful islands, the serene villages and the special locations will start.

The piece urges even more Germans to choose Greece as their holiday destination, pointing out the love that exists between Greeks and Germans.

Come with us to the most famous beach on the island of Rhodes and marvel the island of Santorini emerge out of the sea, it writes.