Tourism for All: 200,000 Greeks to Get a Subsidy for a Domestic Vacation

The online platform for the annual “Tourism for All” subsidy program for domestic holidays launched on Saturday, according to an announcement by the Greek Tourism Ministry.

Fully revamped, the platform is available on vouchers.gov.gr and offers a subsidy for the holidays of 200,000 lower income Greeks and their families.

Through the revamped scheme, beneficiaries will be able to issue an e-voucher, which they can use for their stay at any hotel or accommodation in the country that they choose.

“In this difficult time, we are supporting the holidays of our fellow citizens until the end of the year, so that this year’s tourism success is felt by every provider (hotelier) who is struggling at this time and so Greeks can take a well-deserved break and enjoy the beauties of their country,” Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said.

Beneficiaries of the “Tourism for All” program are citizens with an individual income of up to 16,000 euros and a family income of up to 28,000 euros, an amount that is increased for each child.

According to the ministry, the program is an upgraded version of the program compared to previous years, as for the first time it offers:

– an increased subsidy of 150 euros per beneficiary (from 120 euros last year)
– a higher subsidy of 200 euros for people with a disability of more than 67 percent
– contactless payment and redemption of the e-voucher at any accommodation provider (hotels, rooms to let, etc.) and at any destination in the country, without geographical restrictions

The upgraded program also gives beneficiaries the option to redeem their e-vouchers once or in installments until June 2023, so people can also take a vacation outside the peak tourist season.

Moreover, providers (hoteliers) will immediately be reimbursed.

“This initiative is a response to our commitment to improve the old subsidy program, supporting our fellow citizens and society in practice, so as to strengthen domestic tourism as well, in a year where excellent performances are already recorded from the (international) tourist flows in Greece,” Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki said.

Eligible parties can sign up to the “Tourism for All” program through vouchers.gov.gr by using their Taxisnet codes until Thursday, July 21. Applications can also be made through the KEP citizens’ service centers. An online draw will take place after the deadline and 200,000 “Tourism for All” vouchers will be distributed to Greek citizens.

The revamped “Tourism for All” subsidy program has been launched by the tourism ministry in collaboration with the ministries of digital governance, finance, development & investments and aims to strengthen domestic tourism, which is part of the government’s broader strategy to support Greek households and businesses against the effects of the global inflationary crisis.

The government’s budget for this year’s “Tourism for All” social tourism program is 31 million euros.

Further information on the “Tourism for All” program can be found here (in Greek).