Greece: Vouchers for Trips Canceled Due to Covid Valid Until Year-end

Vouchers issued for canceled trips due to Covid-19 can be used until December 31, 2022, said the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Travel & Tourist Agencies (FedHATTA), which welcomed the decision made by the tourism and infrastructure ministries.

The federation announced the extension – the third one so far – noting that it will offer interested parties the chance to benefit from the extended tourism season this year, “the first to really offer all options after the problems of the pandemic and until the end of the year”.

FedHATTA said the decision to extend the voucher validity period comes after “difficulties faced by many tourist agencies, which still have not been reimbursed the corresponding amounts from their domestic and foreign suppliers (hotels, airlines, etc) for their customers’ trips canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic”.

This, FEDHATTA said, has resulted in travel agencies being unable to refund customers for vouchers expiring on June 30, 2022.

The new extension applies only to vouchers issued by tourism services providers to their customers (B2C) and not B2B agreements.

The first extension was announced in December 2021 and then a second was announced in April 2022. Under the decisions, all vouchers offered by tourist agencies and related businesses to consumers and vouchers exchanged between tourist enterprises instead of immediate cash refunds could be used until March 31, 2021 and then June 30, 2022. Now these can be used until the end of the year according to the decision published in the official Government Gazette [article 10 of Law 4965/2022 (ΦΕΚ Α 162/02.09.2022)].

It should be reminded that consumer groups have repeatedly called for the implementation of an EU law which foresees the option of full refunds for cancelled trips due to Covid.