Greece’s Tour Bus and Travel Services Providers Calling for Support

Reducing a special fuel consumption tax, providing subsidies for the renewal of fleet, and offering support to impacted businesses are among the eight proposals made by the owners of tourism agencies, tourist bus services and small and medium-sized accommodation facilities in Greece citing the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

More specifically, the General Panhellenic Federation of Tourism Enterprises (GEPOET) presented Finance Minister Christos Staikouras with the proposals during a working meeting this week at the ministry.

The set of recommendations comes after a series of letters to the minister requesting actions in view of the challenging conditions created by the pandemic which have led many tourist bus and agencies to despair.

Among others GEPOET is requesting the reduction of a special tax on fuel for the duration of the inflation crisis or alternatively offsetting the amount with a reduction in social security contributions and tax dues; writing-off interest and surcharges created in the last two years as well as suspending the payment of new liabilities created during the coronavirus until the end of 2022; offering renewed emergency funding to tourist buses operating on reduced capacity; subsidizing the renewal of tourist bus fleet under the new NSRF program; including in services providers in the new Public Investment Program for the year 2022-2023 so that enterprises can become eligible for funding for the replacement of fleet and the creation of parking facilities; slashing vehicle tax to the levels paid by KTEL intercity buses; including tourist bus services providers and tourist offices in all support measures planned affected companies; retaining VAT on transport at 13 percent and reducing VAT on tourist packages – currently at which is at 24 percent – to the same level.

In 2020, Greek tourism enterprises operating buses received a total of 20 million euros in aid to cover Covid-19-related losses in July and August.