Greece to Allocate Funds to Extend Tourism Season into Winter

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday said that the government will soon approve additional funds for Greece’s further promotion abroad aiming to extend the tourism season into the winter.

Speaking to the public during the launch of the 86th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) at a packed Ioannis Vellidis Congress Centre, the Greek PM included funding for tourism in a 5.5 billion euros package of 21 support measures aimed at offering relief to Greeks impacted by the energy crisis and inflation.

“In order to extend the tourism season into the winter we will approve additional support,” Mitsotakis said, adding that funds will be allocated so that Greece can be promoted by the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) through joint advertising with airlines and tour operators until March 2023.

Highlighting the “highly successful summer tourist season“, the PM said that the government intends to provide additional incentives to extend the tourist season through domestic tourism and announced that the “Tourism for All” program that offers subsidized vacations to Greeks would be expanded to cover another 200,000 new beneficiaries.

“Our fellow citizens should not feel that because of the economic crisis they could not go on vacation this year,” he said.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Moreover, the Greek PM announced that the reduced VAT on transport, coffee and non-alcoholic drinks will be extended until June 2023.

“The same will to apply to culture, tourism, gyms and dance schools,” Mitsotakis said.

Aiming to boost more permanent job positions, the Greek PM announced an incentive for businesses to convert part-time employee contracts to permanent ones.

“In order to create more permanent jobs, from tomorrow until the end of 2023 all companies that convert part-time contracts of their employees into permanent ones will be exempted from 40% of the insurance contributions of those employees,” he said.

Broken down, the new package of 21 support measures announced by PM Mitsotakis includes eight support measures to be implemented immediately by the end of 2022, another 12 permanent measures to go into force at the beginning of 2023 and a major support scheme that focuses on housing, especially for young people.

The 86th Thessaloniki International Fair will run until September 18 at the northern city‘s Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center.