With its beautiful islands, delicious mediterranean food and a musical (Mama Mia!) promoting its overall beauty, Greece is a travel destination most of us travellers have definitely thought about adding to our bucket lists over the years. Unfortunately, the high cost of flying there (not to mention food and lodging) is a strong deterrent for some.
And it’s about to get even stronger if a new tax goes through.
The government of Greece is now considering an end to a long-standing 30 per cent tourist tax break that is currently in effect on some of the country’s more expensive holiday islands and luxurious hotels. The special status currently applies to the Aegean Islands as an incentive to help develop tourism and off-set the high cost of transporting goods to those destinations. But with the economy still in the dumps and officials facing pressure from the rest of the country, those tax break days could soon be over.
According to reports, this “luxury tax” could be a bargaining chip during the country’s on-going talks with lenders, who are putting pressure on the country to get rid of special tax statuses in the islands.
No word yet on when this special tax could come into effect if it’s passed, which means now might be the time to hit up those Greek islands after all. In case you need a little more motivation, here are some reminders of why it’s worth a little visit.
Natural Pool in Thassos Island, Greece pic.twitter.com/EhlhbAarLc
— Luxurious Images (@LuxuriousImages) April 14, 2015
Kefalonia Island, Greece pic.twitter.com/7gEhzy868b
— Pictures (@BestWorldPix) April 15, 2015
Paxos island, Greece . pic.twitter.com/6eboT5dE0l
— Makrydakis George (@MakrydakisGeorg) April 19, 2015
Blue Caves – Zakynthos Island, Greece pic.twitter.com/cWSFGRJtYl
— Earth Pics (@earthposts) April 18, 2015
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