The amendment of the framework for mixed tourist developments was approved today by the Council of Ministers, with the Deputy Minister of Tourism explaining that the most important one, which does not change the overall building rate, concerns the increase of the residential percentage within the total gross floor area of the mixed tourism development from 33% to 40%.
Speaking after the Cabinet meeting, Perdios clarified that the existing framework has been in place since 2013 and was a memorandum obligation. He explained that due to the pandemic, many people are choosing a tourist facility with hotel or tourist services instead of hotels or crowded accommodation. Also, he said, many markets they are targeting through the National Tourism Strategy, such as Saudi Arabia and other countries around the world, there is a habit of families traveling together, 8 - 9 - 10 people many times - he said - and they want to stay in a house with tourist services.
"We believe that in this way we will be able to better serve in the near future, these new markets, new trends and help the sector in terms of investment," he noted.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism announced that the subsidised holiday programme for permanent residents of the Republic will continue this year, with a differentiated approach. The programme, he said, will be implemented from 1 May to 31 July. The maximum price a tourist accommodation can charge, he continued, is 100 euros, instead of 80 last year,[/B] so that there is more choice of accommodation. The subsidy from the State Department in all cases, he said, will be 20 euros per double per day including breakfast.
Until June 9, he continued, the minimum stay will be for two nights and from June 10 until the end of July, three nights.
This program, said Savvas Perdios, will cost 3 million euros, is from additional appropriations and not savings of the Ministry of Tourism and for this he thanked once again the Ministry of Finance and especially the Minister, Konstantinos Petridis for the understanding to the Ministry and the difficulties that tourism is going through.
It is a very important programme, Perdios said, and especially because of the problems people are facing with the increases in the prices of goods and services, this will help a lot, he said.
Invitation for participation of Tourist Accommodation
In a statement later on the "Subsidized Holiday Programme", the Deputy Ministry of Tourism said that Tourist Accommodation (Hotels, Organized Apartments, Tourist Villages, Rural Tourist Accommodation) and Tourist Offices cooperating with legal tourist accommodation establishments, which may offer for the period from 1 May 2022 to 31 July 2022 a maximum price of EUR 100 (including VAT) for a double room, including breakfast, per day.
Businesses wishing to participate in the programme can submit a participation form to the Ministry of Tourism and the participation form can be found on the Ministry's website (announcements column). The deadline for submission of the application is Wednesday 13 April 2022 at 13.00. Subsequently, the relevant lists will be prepared for public information.
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