Trade Associations

Dinos Frantzeskakis was re-elected as the president of the Hellenic Association of Airline Representatives (SAAE) for a 2-year mandate on May 25, following the association’s annual general assembly in Athens.

The single value-added tax (VAT) rate on the Greek tourism package should not exceed 10 percent on average nor the levels of competitor countries, the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) and the heads of the country’s tourism sector associations said through a joint statement.

Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis on Wednesday assured Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura that there will be no change in the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate for tourism related activities this season.

The Union of Cruise Shipowners and Associated Members (EEKFN) called on the relevant authorities to work towards upgrading existing port infrastructure or moving ahead with related projects on the islands, during their recent visit to the Greek ports of Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes, Heraklion and Santorini.

Greek Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura on Wednesday assured that any changes in the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate for tourism related activities would be put into effect as of October.

A possible increase of the Value Added Tax (VAT) will have “catastrophic consequences” on tourism, representatives of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) said on Tuesday after their meeting with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

Greece’s main goal is to extend the tourist season, Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura said while speaking at an Economist Conference in Athens. “We want tourism 12 months a year”, she said.

Tourism bolstered employment by 23 percent in 2014, according to data released by the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) based on statistics by IKA, the country’s largest social security fund.

Greek Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura recently discussed a series of issues concerning Hellenism in the United States and Canada with a delegation from the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA).

The Hellenic Chamber of Hotels on Friday sought Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ intervention to prevent new tax hikes to tourism enterprises in Greece.