The new zoning of tourism in Greece divides the territory into five categories based on the degree of tourist development. This plan includes restrictions on short-term rentals (Airbnb) and rooms for rent, addressing a long-standing request from the tourism industry. The new special zoning plan, proposed by the Ministries of Environment and Tourism, is open for public consultation until September 15. It also includes the imposition of a “green” fee to fund renovations and infrastructure through the Green Fund, and provisions for building large tourist units on uninhabited islands of more than 300 acres. Additionally, the construction of new units will be linked to subsidies through the NSRF or Development Fund based on area and quality characteristics (stars).

Key Provisions

Investment Subsidies:

• No subsidies for new units or expansions in saturated areas (control areas).
• Subsidies in developed areas only for accommodations above 4 stars.
• In other areas, tourist investments above 3 stars can be subsidized.

Modernization Subsidies:

• Subsidies in saturated areas for hotel modernization only if upgraded to at least 4 stars.
• In other areas, subsidies will support accommodations above 3 stars.
• For traditional or conserved buildings, subsidies for projects upgraded to above 3 stars in saturated or developed areas and at least 2 stars in other areas.

Categorization of Areas

The national space is categorized into:

• Control Areas (Saturated): Limits set at 16 acres. Includes areas like Pieria Beach, parts of Skiathos and Corfu, Laganas, Arkadia, Zakynthos, Hermoupolis of Syros, Santorini, Eastern Kos, Mykonos, and parts of Rhodes, Tinos, Heraklion Peninsula, Malia, and Chania Nea Kydonia.
• Focus on modernizing accommodations, removing disreputable buildings, converting traditional buildings into hotels, limiting new beds, and controlling short-term rentals (Airbnb).
• Developed Areas: Limits set at 12 acres. Subsidies for accommodation above 4 stars.
• Developing Areas: Conditions for new development supported.
• Areas with Potential for Development: Support for organized developments.
• Undeveloped Areas: Attractive building conditions for new developments.

Sporadic Hotels

The special zoning introduces “Sporadic Hotels,” allowing complex tourist accommodations (combining hotel infrastructure with furnished houses for rent or sale and special tourist facilities) within abandoned settlements (existing before 1923 or with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants). This aims to revive and rebuild areas such as villages in Kozani, Tinos, and the Peloponnese.

Islands

The plan categorizes islands into three groups, continuing from previous frameworks, and includes specific provisions for tourism development.

Summary

The inaugural action of the “Plastic Free Greece” campaign for 2024 took place on the third-largest island of Greece, Lesbos. Between May 29 and 31, volunteers, Lidl Hellas employees, and students from the University of the Aegean’s Environment and Oceanography departments collected almost 303 kg of waste from three coasts. The initiative included cleanups at Tsamakia Beach (81.2 kg of waste), Skala Polichnitou Beach (186.7 kg), and Panagiouda Beach (35 kg), significantly improving the coastal environment.