BERLIN: Two conservative German lawmakers proposed a 500 euro incentive to German holidaymakers to visit Greece on the condition that they should bring back equal hotel and restaurant receipts.
Axel Fischer and Ruediger Kruse, members of the Christian Democratic Union have suggested a compensation scheme for German tourists whose expenditure while in Greece will help boost the economy.
According to the German MPs, German holidaymakers on their return from Greece would be reimbursed 500 euros by the German state on presentation of restaurant and hotel bills on condition that the hotel and restaurant in question have paid their taxes. This way, they claim, the German tourists will help Greece fight tax evasion.
Despite the recent wrangling between Athens and Berlin over the Greek debt negotiations, German holidaymakers seem to disregard politics and continue to view Greece as one of the top tourist destinations.
In 2014, 2.5 million Germans flocked to Greece to enjoy the sea and the sun. That was an 8.5 percent increase over 2013, according to Bank of Greece figures. For package holidays alone, the increase was 17 percent, said Germany’s DRV federation of travel agents.
As for 2015, the DRV expects more growth despite recent acrimonious exchanges between Greek and German finance ministers.
