Laws, Regulations & Policy

Greek Parliament has passed an amendment to the law of the “stayover tax”, which is charged to guests at hotels in Greece.

Greek professional conference organizers may be up against a restriction to the number of domestic medical congress events they are allowed to organize.

The creation of a conference registry and supporting PCOs are included in the Tourism Ministry’s plans to further develop conference tourism in Greece.

The issue of port and passenger ship boarding security has recently come into the spotlight in Greece, after a man jumped off a ferry near Syros.

The Traditional Boat Association of Greece is calling on the government to safeguard the country’s seafaring heritage and stop the EU-funded destruction of traditional fishing boats.

The mayors of the North and South Aegean islands have appealed to the European Parliament over the abolition of a special tax status applicable until now.

In efforts to minimize disruption in business, tourism and security, EU ministers agreed to a set of guidelines in order to finalize post-Brexit relations with the UK.

Greece’s international lenders and the government are estimating that privatization projects will boost state coffers by some 2 billion euros this year.

Overtaxation is turning away investors, while buyers are spending money on real estate in tourist destinations, according to the Hellenic Property Federation.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) is calling on the UK government to reach an aviation agreement with the EU before the Brexit deadline in March 2019.

The lack of a spatial planning framework and long delays in administrative procedures hinder tourism investment in Greece, according to SETE President Yiannis Retsos.

An amendment to the law of the “stayover tax”, already being charged since January 1 at hotels and rooms-to-let across Greece, has been tabled in Greek Parliament.

Dozens of tourism projects are among 70 large-scale investment ventures in Greece, included in the government’s “general entrepreneurship” scheme under the latest development law.

In order for the stayover tax on hotels and rooms-to-let to be effectively collected, a series of adjustments must be made, the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels says.

Authorities on Santorini and Mykonos have expressed their opposition over revisions to a legal framework, covering the licensing procedures and operation of casino ventures.

Greek hoteliers are calling on Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura to re-examine a series of revisions to a draft bill, which includes a provision on special tourism infrastructure.

In efforts to rein in short-term home rentals, officials in Amsterdam said the city would be imposing a cap of 30 nights per year as of 2019.

Greece is among the world’s safest destinations, according to a new travel advisory system assessing security conditions for American holidaymakers, announced by the US State Department.

A legal framework covering the licensing procedure and operation of casino ventures in Greece is up for discussion in an omnibus bill tabled in parliament.