Tourism ‘collapsing’ in Lesvos. Letter to Greek government

They demand concessions and incentives for tourism to stay afloat under current conditions

The tourism business community of the island of Lesvos, in the eastern Aegean, has sent a letter addressed to Greek government, and PM Alexis Tsipras, warning of the catastrophic state of the tourism industry. The letter paints a bleak picture of the industry, informing Greek state officials of the collapse of tourism on the island with a 57% decrease in charter bookings for April and a 65% drop in May of 2016. The latter continues by noting that hotel bookings have dropped dramatically between 80-90%, affecting employment, consumption and the total revenue. The Lesvos Hotel Association said their calls for action to address the issue have fallen on deaf ears so far, adding that the situation demands immediate emergency measures, like tax concessions, incentives etc, as it threatens not only the current tourist season but the ones ahead too. Their proposals include a 50% cut in all types of financial burdens arising from either public service payments, or other forms like air, landing and handling fees.