Greek Tourism Tax 2018

Pollycat

Well, I've not written Greece off.
I'm going twice this year. :j
But only in fairly basic accommodation so it's only 50 cents per night for us.

But we do go self-catering and eat out every lunch and dinner so put a fair amount of money into the local economy.

NoodleDoodleMan

Another ploy by the Greeks to get the tourist to help ease the country's self inflicted debt problem !!!

For example, prices in official duty free outlets at airports ar a joke - much cheaper to buy in resort.

The government should focus on tax avoidance which is a national pastime - and get to grips with the state's overstaffed and overpaid agencies such as the railways - cleaners on 40,000 Euro and drivers over 100,000 Euros etc.

benjus

NoodleDoodleMan wrote: »

For example, prices in official duty free outlets at airports ar a joke - much cheaper to buy in resort.

You seem to have a real bee in your bonnet about this - you even found a way to mention it in a thread about buying something in the airport when leaving the UK and then bringing it back into the UK which has nothing whatsoever to do with prices in Greek airports.

Airport prices (whether DF or not) are never guaranteed to be cheaper than non-airport prices in any country - anyone with any sense should check before buying.

Twopints

NoodleDoodleMan wrote: »

Another ploy by the Greeks to get the tourist to help ease the country's self inflicted debt problem !!!

For example, prices in official duty free outlets at airports ar a joke - much cheaper to buy in resort.

The government should focus on tax avoidance which is a national pastime - and get to grips with the state's overstaffed and overpaid agencies such as the railways - cleaners on 40,000 Euro and drivers over 100,000 Euros etc.

If the extra tax keeps idiots like you away then it will be a price worth paying.

NoodleDoodleMan

If the extra tax keeps idiots like you away then it will be a price worth paying.

A valuable contribution to the discussion.

Maybe you should reduce your intake to one pint, better still, sign the pledge.

Unless, of course, you get some satisfaction insulting other posters on an internet forum.

NoodleDoodleMan

You seem to have a real bee in your bonnet about this - you even found a way to mention it in a thread about buying something in the airport when leaving the UK and then bringing it back into the UK which has nothing whatsoever to do with prices in Greek airports.

That was a casual observation and aside about DF.

We were returning from a cruise via Corfu airport so never saw local prices - maybe I should have inserted elsewhere for in resort.

TBH I don't pay much attention to DF prices, especially since they were done away with for travel within the EU - about 20 years ago now ?

It's often just as cheap, if not cheaper, to buy in a UK supermarket than in overseas airports and cruise terminals.

I believe the Greek DF outlets are state owned ? The prices I clocked were astonishing.

After 60 years of flying in and out of Med resort airports I have managed to acquire a little "sense" on the world of DF.

Kim_kim

Pollycat wrote: »

We always work on 'total cost of holiday'.
flights, accommodation, transfers, food and drink, cost of getting to departure airport and possibly overnight accommodation.

No point booking a flight from LGW that's £50 cheaper than from MAN if it's going to cost you more in fuel.

No point booking a 'cheap' all Inclusive if the food is so bad (always check the reviews before booking and take them with a pinch of salt) that you have to eat out.
We prefer to choose to eat out at a place of our choice.

We find that a 2 week holiday in Greece can cost as much overall as 3 weeks in the far East or India Ocean.
We budget 100 euros per day in Greece to eat/drink out but only a third of that when we used to holiday in Goa regularly.

I would absolutely agree with you. My annoyance with this was it wasn’t publicised when I booked last year.
It also feels a little unfair I as a solo traveller will be paying the same tourist tax as the couples & family groups around me.

Pollycat

Kim_kim wrote: »

I would absolutely agree with you. My annoyance with this was it wasn’t publicised when I booked last year.

Maybe it hadn't been decided when you booked.

Kim_kim wrote: »

It also feels a little unfair I as a solo traveller will be paying the same tourist tax as the couples & family groups around me.

Would you feel better if it was a 'per person' tax?

I guess something like this has to ride a fine line between bringing in extra revenue and not hacking off visitors so that take their money elsewhere.

PompeyPete

Kim_kim wrote: »

I would absolutely agree with you. My annoyance with this was it wasn’t publicised when I booked last year.
It also feels a little unfair I as a solo traveller will be paying the same tourist tax as the couples & family groups around me.

It's not a Tourist Tax, the tax relates to the type of room not the number of people who occupy the room, and applies to Greeks as well.

It might sound unfair on solo travellers and you might be right, but it is what it is.