Main Opposition Party Presents Tourism Manifesto

Main opposition party New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras did not get a warm response from the Culture and Tourism Ministry when he invited the Greek Government to establish a National Tourism Council. The ministry said New Democracy was “completely unaware” that a national consensus had already been agreed at SETE’s 19th General Assembly (photo) in May.

Main opposition party New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras triggered an angry reaction from the Culture and Tourism Ministry last month when he invited the Greek Government to establish a National Tourism Council among parties, social partners and collective agencies in the tourism sector.

According to the culture and tourism ministry, the national consensus in the tourism industry is already in force and “New Democracy neither has the knowledge nor does it observe the big changes occurring in the tourism sector.”

New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras’ proposals included the establishment of an independent Tourism Ministry, the creation of a marketing company with the partnership of the public and private sectors and reduced VAT rates on tourism services.

Via a press release, the culture and tourism ministry responded to Mr. Samaras and rejected the establishment of an independent Tourism Ministry and underlined that the establishment of a marketing company with private-public sector partnership was already in the works.