Tourism prospers in spite of overtaxation

Despite the excessive taxation, tourism last year directly accounted for the creation of 10.3 percent of the country's gross domestic product, while the sum of its direct and indirect contribution is estimated at between 22.6 and 27.3 percent of GDP, according to the head of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), Yiannis Retsos.

In the context of SETE's 26th general meeting, Retsos said on Thursday that tourism has managed to retain its role as the protagonist in the effort to get the Greek economy back on track for yet another year, even though Greece as a destination is facing increased competition and the local tourism product is overtaxed.

He went on to cite the necessary conditions for tourism to keep growing: They are summarized in the maintenance of political and economic stability, the creation of a realistic and stable tax framework, the operation of a...