Spotlight on New Hotels

Athens Considers City Tax for Tourists

tourists visiting Acropolis in Athens

The Greek capital is considering introducing a city tax for tourists visiting Athens. As the city becomes a popular tourist destination, Kostas Bakoyannis, the mayor of Athens suggested a city tax for tourists will help the economy.

Athens, which “has 650,000 permanent residents and serves 3.5 million people a day,” is under extra pressure from a tourist influx, Kostas Bakoyannis told the Union of Municipalities and Communities, according to the Kathimerini newspaper.

“Tell me, how does that equation work?” he said, noting that popular tourist destinations in Europe, including Barcelona, Brussels, Berlin and Rome charge a similar tax to tourists.

 

 

Bakoyannis accused public institutions in Athens of failing to pay their bills and municipal taxes.

“The ministries don’t pay their dues. They pay for their lights, water, and telephones but they don’t pay the municipality for their trash or outside lighting. They don’t pay municipal taxes,” he said.

 

 

Data from Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) in September said tourism was a key driver in Greece with a 7.7% GDP growth in the second quarter, compared to the same period in 2021.

Greece forecasts more than €18 billion ($18.5 billion) in tourism income for 2022.​​​​​​​

Source: AA


 

Latest Travel News

Karawanken-Karavanke UNESCO Global Geopark in Austria/Slovenia

The Race for the 2024 Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism Award

September 25, 2023 Tours
Today marks a significant stride in sustainable tourism as the European Commission unveils the cities in the running for the esteemed 2024 Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism award. This award is a symbol of extraordinary commitment to fostering sustainable and…
Railroad construction repair

UK’s Over-Budget Rail Project Risks Cancellation

September 25, 2023 Rail
The UK government is contemplating the cancellation of a significant portion of the delayed and over-budget High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project, initially promoted as a catalyst for job creation and investment in northern England.

Tours & Travel Agency News

Copyright © 2023 ftnNEWS - Focus on Travel News.

Quantcast

Search