Greece’s Seasonal Tourism Staff to Receive Support in View of Covid-19

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis participated in a UNWTO virtual meeting held to assess the damage caused to the tourism sector by Covid-19. Photo Source: UNWTO

Participating in a UNWTO high-level virtual meeting of world tourism leaders assessing the damage caused by Covid-19 and addressing the management of the health crisis at its current phase, Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis underlined the importance of ensuring employees who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak be compensated and trained to re-enter the job market after the health crisis is over.

In this direction, Theoharis said the Tourism Ministry in cooperation with the Labor and Social Security Ministry have introduced a support measure for the country’s seasonal workers: the extension of unemployment benefits for two months (April and May) for those whose unemployment card expired during the first three months of the year and were to be employed this tourism season. According to the labor ministry, the unemployment benefit maybe be extended beyond May if deemed necessary.

Individuals employed in the tourism sector who would have otherwise not suffered a loss of income, will receive an 800-euro benefit.

According to a recent government decision, there can be no lay-offs after March 18.

The minister also underlined the importance of relief measures for tourism businesses.

Meanwhile on Thursday, the Greek finance ministry announced a new 3.8-billion-euro round of support measures addressed to a total of 1,400,000 employees from Greece’s private sector.

The total recorded coronavirus infections in Greece by late Friday were 495 with the death toll at 10.