“Greece was always a safe country, it remains safe and I do not think that we will have any problems,” Alternate Development and Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura on Monday said to Praktorio 104.9 FM.

“We sign contracts with foreign stakeholders, we promote our country giving tourists the opportunity to have a good time and feel safe in our country,” she explained.

As for the VAT increase on islands, Mrs. Kountoura noted that “depending on where they come from, some tourists may also be favored.”

Regarding Greece’s image abroad and whether there is an impact of the refugee and economic crisis on Greek tourism, Mrs. Kountoura said that “Greece’s image abroad was always good thanks to its history, civilization, tourism services and hospitality:, while “the countries that always supported us and continue to support us – France, Britain, Germany – are still very close to us.”

“They understand that Greece has suffered a lot, they understand that the country did not do everything it should do, but on the other hand they feel that Greece should not be punished in that way”, she said.