Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 14-12-02
CONTENTS
[01] Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers expresses discontent over possible
VAT rate increase
[01] Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers expresses discontent over possible
VAT rate increase
ANA/MPA---The hotel sector and the whole tourism world expresses its
discontent and deep concerns on the possible increase of the VAT rate
on hotel services from 6.5 percent to 13 percent, the president of the
Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers Yiannis Retsos said in a statement
on Tuesday.
He added that the rationale and the feasibility of this measure make
no sense and its impact in the next 12-24 months is estimated to be
disastrous not only for hotels, the accommodation sector and the Greek
tourism "but also for the national economy and for all sectors and
professions affected by tourism activity."
According to Retsos, the VAT increase will abruptly burden the average
package for Greece by 5 percent just when most of the bookings start
and prices with tour operators have been agreed since summer.
The measure, he noted, will severely hit the competitiveness of tourism
in the most critical period and will eliminate any hopes of the domestic
tourism recovery.
The Federation called on the government not to proceed with "the brutal
respite to the dynamic course of the most promising sector of the economy
and prevent the damage which the Greek economy and society will be asked
in the long run to pay for."
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