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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 12-11-22
CONTENTS
[01] Samaras in Brussels for EU Summit
[02] Small hotel units' viability in serious danger
[01] Samaras in Brussels for EU Summit
AMNA --Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is in Brussels to participate
in the EU Summit on Thursday that will focus on the EU budget for
2014-2020. Although the Greece issue and the debt crisis in the eurozone
are not on the Summit's agenda, it is possible that some discussion
will take place.
Samaras will also meet with Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker.
In an announcement early Wednesday on the outcome of the Eurogroup
meeting, Samaras stressed that whatever technical difficulties in finding
the technical solution do not excuse any oligory or delay on the Greek
issue. Our partners, together with the IMF, are obliged to do that
which they have undertaken. Not only the future of our country, but the
stability of the entire eurozone, depend on the successful completion
of this effort in the coming days noting that "Greece has done what it
should and what it had committed to do".
[02] Small hotel units' viability in serious danger
AMNA--The viability of small hotel units is being driven onto a very
difficult path due to the further burdening from the increase in taxation
and their inability to take out loans from the banks, the president of
the Hotels Chamber of Greece Giorgos Tsakiris stressed on Wednesday.
According to Zakynthos island hotels president Christina Tetradi, hotel
units of an under-150 bed capability are operating marginally and are
only meeting their expenses. These units are surviving because they are
mostly family businesses and staffing needs are met by members of the
family, she added, noting that otherwise the labor cost would skyrocket,
rendering the hotels unable to stay in operation.amna
Cephalonia hotels president Spyros Galiatsatos told AMNA that despite
an 'expected' increase in tourist arrivals in 2013 the small and even
the larger hotel units will once again have to wage a struggle for
survival. Galiatsatos referred to very low-price contracts, stressing
that "We are cheaper even than Turkey and Egypt... It's the lowest we
can go".amna
Roughly 6,000 hotel units face the danger of shutting down while the
number of hotel units of all categories throughout Greece is estimated
at 9,500.
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