{"id":12557,"date":"2024-09-08T00:50:48","date_gmt":"2024-09-08T00:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=12557"},"modified":"2024-09-08T00:50:48","modified_gmt":"2024-09-08T00:50:48","slug":"greece-to-crack-down-on-short-term-rentals-and-levy-port-fees-amid-overtourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=12557","title":{"rendered":"Greece to crack down on short-term rentals and levy port fees amid overtourism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced measures aimed at addressing the negative impact of overtourism as visitors continue to arrive in record numbers in the post-pandemic era.<\/p>\n

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The government has been \u201cvery concerned\u201d about an influx of cruise passengers during certain months of the year and will begin charging fees, Mitsotakis said Saturday during his annual speech at the Thessaloniki International Fair. It will also increase a tax related to the climate-crisis on accommodation.<\/p>\n

Greece received a record 36.1 million visitors in 2023, while arrivals rose 16% to 11.6 million in the first half of 2024, according to the latest\u00a0data<\/a>\u00a0from the Bank of Greece. The tourism sector contributes about 20% to the economy, making it vital to the health of the nation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The country will also expand its so-called \u201cGolden Visa\u201d program to investors who are willing to put at least \u20ac250,000 ($277,000) into local startups. Foreigners were previously required to buy property to acquire the visa.\u00a0<\/p>\n

All passengers arriving at Greek ports will pay a fee, and the charge will be greater in the popular tourism islands of Santorini and Mykonos. A lodging tax for the April-to-October period also will be increased, with revenue benefiting local communities.<\/p>\n

Mitsotakis reiterated concern that parts of Greece face the problem of \u201covertourism.\u201d In an interview with Bloomberg in June, he announced plans to\u00a0restrict cruise ships<\/a>\u00a0visiting the country\u2019s most popular islands from 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Short-term rentals have been blamed for fueling the country\u2019s housing crisis, which along with high consumer prices has been at the center of recent political debate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The government will ban any new short-term leasing for at least one year in three main parts of Athens, Mitsotakis said. Property owners who change leases from short-term to long-term won\u2019t have to pay rental tax for three years, as will owners who decide to rent their homes instead of keeping them off the market, he said.<\/p>\n

Holiday rentals increased an annual average of 28% from 2019 to 2023, while available short-term rentals doubled in the same period. Meanwhile, hotel accommodation rose just 3.5% in that period, according to data published in a\u00a0Grant Thornton report<\/a>\u00a0for the country\u2019s Chamber of Hotels released this week.<\/p>\n

The government will also begin a new \u20ac2 billion program that will be used to reduce interest-rate costs for mortgage loans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

More Measures<\/h3>\n

Mitsotakis on Saturday also revealed a number of measures aimed at easing the cost of living, including a reduction in social insurance contributions by 1 percentage point in 2025 instead of a previous plan for a 0.5 point cut.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The premier also announced, among others:<\/p>\n