Domestic Tourism Decrease Brings Drop In Greek Tourism Complaints

Consumer complaints in regards to tourism services amounted to 56 reports from 1 July-15 August 2012 compared to 154 complaints filed last year for the same period, the Consumers’ Protection Center (KEPKA) said on Thursday 23 August.

The center said the crisis had corrected several mistakes of professionals but underlined that the decrease in domestic tourism was also one of the reasons the complaints were less this year.

KEPKA showed that the majority of consumer complaints were related to hotels and other lodgings as 22 complaints were filed. On many occasions hoteliers demanded 50 percent of the full room price as an advance payment (the law foresees that the advance payment for a reservation corresponds to 25 percent of the room price).

In other instances hotel owners refused or postponed the reimbursement of consumers who had canceled their reservation on time.

In regards to air travel, 12 complaints were filed. Those complaints involved postponed flights by a major airline, delayed flight departures and refusals to refund travelers for ticket cancellations.

Eight cases were recorded in regards to complaints on package trips and four complaints were filed in regards to Greek coastal shipping.

KEPKA said that -with their intervention- most of the filed complaints had been resolved while others are still in process.

KEPKA advised the Greek State to continue and intensify checks throughout tourism destinations and “eliminate” those who harm the country’s tourism industry.

“The disclosure of the names of the businesses that harm our tourism industry is required so  consumers will avoid them and this way an effective punishment will actually take place,” KEPKA concluded.