Laws, Regulations & Policy

South African ambassador to Athens, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, has praised Greek Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura for achieving to boost Greece’s tourism development.

In efforts to attract foreign film productions to Greece, EKOME is working towards the establishment of a National Film Offices Network in the country.

Cruise and marina infrastructure development will be among investments the Shipping Ministry is planning for 10 ports in Greece.

In response to the Greek government’s decision to increase the minimum wage by 11 percent, SETE and SEV are calling for a decrease in taxation and social insurance contributions.

Greece issued three times more investor visas in 2018 than a year earlier, according to data released by the migration policy ministry.

The ratification of the Prespa deal by the Hellenic Parliament opens a new page for Greece’s trade relations with Skopje, according to Union of Hellenic Chambers President Constantine Michalos.

The European Commission plans to develop a common set of security checks for investor-friendly golden visa schemes by the end of the year.

The European Court of Auditors plans to examine whether EU-designed asylum and return procedures in Greece and Italy are effective and swift.

A decision that foresees the transfer of 2,330 Greek sites to the Public Properties Company SA for their exploitation has been upheld.

Travel may be affected after UK lawmakers turned down Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit agreement, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The government is revising the legal framework covering Greece’s golden visa scheme in efforts to ensure transparency after reports of illegal dealings.

AIA SA is calling on the relevant authorities to set a specific timeframe for the completion of the Athens International Airport concession agreement.

North Aegean Regional Governor Christiana Kalogirou has cleared the way for the start of upgrade works on Chios Airport after approving a study for road relocation works.

A total of 11.82 million euros will be allocated to 76 newly-established small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to the Region of Attica.

A total of 144 tourism projects are in the pipeline for the Eastern Macedonia-Thrace region after securing EU and regional funding.

The Hellenic Association of Certification Bodies – Hellas Cert is calling on the government to make revisions to a law covering thematic and special interest tourism, with regard to certification procedures.

A new law requiring home sharing platforms like Airbnb to hand over detailed customer data to city authorities every month, has been ruled down by a New York court.

Northern Greece hoteliers are cautious when making forecasts for 2019 in view of Brexit and the comeback of rival markets, and expect to have a clear indication after March.

All Greek island residents can now claim transportation discounts as part of the “transport equivalent” measure, according to an announcement by the shipping ministry.

Greece and other leading European tourism destinations will be working in the coming months on addressing the sector’s main challenge: overtourism.