Laws, Regulations & Policies

Tourism and infrastructure will be at the top of the Greece-China agenda of collaborative efforts, Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism Minister Giorgos Stathakis said during a business forum on shipping held in Beijing.

Greece’s tourism industry is expected to post growth this year, Greek Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura said on Tuesday during a press conference in Athens.

Russians can once again resume travel to Turkey after President Vladimir Putin announced that he was lifting a ban on tourism there following recent phone talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Capital controls, which were implemented in the summer of 2015 amid Greek political havoc and eurozone uncertainty and restricted access to personal deposits, are still with us a year later.

The dwindling rate of the British pound and the possibility of imposed customs duties may impact foreign trade between Greece and the UK, leading to a potential loss of some 2.3 billion euros and of 2 billion euros in tourism, the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PPCI) warned recently referring to the Britons’ decision last week to exit the EU.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) said on Friday that travel to, from and within the EU and UK will not be affected in the short term. The statement came after Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23.

Europe appears to be shocked at the decision of UK citizens to leave the EU voting by 51.9 percent for an exit while conservative parties across the 28-member bloc are now calling for referendums in their countries placing European unity at risk.

Greece could lift most or all capital controls imposed on bank deposits by the end of the year, under certain conditions, according to the head of the Hellenic Bank Association, Louka Katseli.

Promoting Greece abroad and boosting the country’s image is a top priority for the government, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday, adding that he will double the given budget to 10 million euros to achieve the best results for both the economy and society.

The European Commission is calling for a stricter enforcement of rules so that passenger rights are respected, laying out the details in its new guidelines published this week.