Exceeded 5 billion euros sightseeing investments in Greece in 2023 and were almost double compared to 2019. “The continuation, however, of this positive trend, will depend on a series of factors that directly affect the attractiveness and competitiveness of tourism investments”, highlighted the president of SETE, Yiannis. Paraschis, during the 32nd ordinary general meeting of the Association.
“We are in dialogue with the ministries concerned regarding the necessary interventions in the labor market” declares the president of the SETE.
Mr. Paraschis mentioned that there were discussions about increasing passage fees or other fees at hotels, expressing SETE’s total opposition.
“As soon as there is budgetary margin, the first tax reductions that we wish to make will concern employer contributions,” underlined Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking at the SETE general assembly. As he mentioned, the government recommended wage increases as a front for its economic policy in the second quadrennial period.
The Prime Minister described 2023 as a pivotal year for Greek tourism. He stressed that improving the tourism product is a permanent challenge for the government. Regarding short-term rentals, he indicated that the government is studying the issue.
“The specifications that these homes need to have, but also possibly some additional restrictions that might need to be included.”
For his part, the president of the SETE, in his previous speech, declared that “in addition to the fee for resilience to the climate crisis, discussions were recently started by representatives of local authorities to increase the fee for non-residents or other charges on hotel turnover, with the justification of overcharging tourism destinations,” Mr. Paraschis characteristically said and added:
“It is obvious that due to the weakness of infrastructure and the lack of effective management of destinations, it is not reasonable to once again put pressure on a single economic activity, the benefits of which are distributed throughout the economy and the Company.”
According to the president of SETE, “the position of the Association is that tourism taxes and fees must be directed towards actions related to tourism, to improve the functioning and life of residents and visitors of the areas from which they are collected.
Mr. Paraschis expressed moderate optimism “for the positive performance of Greek tourism also in 2024”, emphasizing that the development dynamics of the strong Greek brand, built in recent years, demonstrate significant resilience.
Performance
Presenting the figures which suggest positive performances in tourism again this year, he declared:
- Air arrivals compared to 2023 show an increase of 12.4% over the five months (+16.4% at AIA and +9.5% at regional airports).
- Airline reservations are up +8.2% over the whole year.
- Road tourism in the first five months shows an increase of around 11%.
- Average spending per capita (APP) in the first quarter increased by 3%.
The SETE president revealed that “we are in dialogue with the relevant ministries regarding the necessary interventions in the labor market”, with emphasis on improving working conditions and mitigating seasonality with programs aimed at attracting, training and continually improving the skills of human resources.
Furthermore, he stressed that the legal framework for personnel transfers from foreign countries should be made more effective “so that we can respond to new workplace requirements and international trends that have formed after the pandemic “.