Tourists now have to pay a tax for visiting Greece
Planning a trip to Greece? Well, you now have to pay a tax! Yes, the country has introduced a new "climate crisis resilience fee" for tourists to help fund future disaster relief efforts. This decision comes after it faced severe wildfires, heatwaves, and flooding in 2023, which took a toll on its tourism industry. The new tax replaces the previous hotel tax and varies depending on the hotel category and season.
Climate change impacts on Greek tourism
In 2023, wildfires and heatwaves hit several Mediterranean destinations, including Greece, Italy, Algeria, and Tunisia. The European Union estimates that these countries lost over 1,350 square kilometers (520 square miles) to fires that affected 120,000 people in late July. Climatologist Friederike Otto from Imperial College London and co-funder of World Weather Attribution (WWA) said that the flooding in central Greece after Storm Daniel had a "very clear climate change fingerprint."
Tax amounts and tourism's role in Greece's economy
The new tax rates per room per night are as follows: €10 (Rs. 900 approx.) for five-star hotels from March to October and €4 (Rs. 350 approx.) from November to February. €7 (Rs. 630 approx.) for four-star hotels from March to October and €3 (Rs. 270 approx.) from November to February, while it is €3 (Rs. 270 approx.) for three-star hotels from March to October and €1.50 (Rs. 135 approx.) from November to February.
Tax amount for hotels rated one or two stars
According to the Greek government, for hotels rated one or two stars, tourists have to pay a sum of €1.50 (Rs. 135 approx.) from March to October and €0.50 (Rs. 45 approx.) from November to February as a part of the latest tourist tax policy.
Other cities and countries that are levying tourist tax
The city of Barcelona, in Spain declared in 2022 that it would raise its tourist tax over the following two years. All visitors staying in Valencia's lodging establishments—hotels, hostels, apartments, and campsites—will be subject to a tourist tax in 2024. In Bali, arrivals from abroad and within the country will be required to pay a fee of IDR 150,000 (Rs. 800) starting on February 14, 2024. This must be paid for at designated locations at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport.
