There is concern in the hotel sector of Rhodes, as a drop in bookings has been observed since May, as the president of the Rhodes Hoteliers Association, Yiannis Papavassiliou, stated today to ERT South Aegean.
As he stated, “while up until April, occupancy rates were at very satisfactory levels – partly due to the 20% discount offer – since May, there has been a noticeable decrease in new bookings.” The current occupancy rate in hotels is 85%, with Mr. Papavassiliou expressing the hope that in the coming days it will reach 100%. Nevertheless, he estimated that this year’s tourist season will close with a small change, at ±1% compared to last year.
The president of the hoteliers attributed the decrease in demand mainly to the increased cost of living in European countries, but also to the Resilience Tax, which, as he argued, significantly burdens the traveler. “The tourist is asked to pay up to 250 euros in overnight tax before even entering the hotel door,” he said, noting that this amount is ultimately deducted from consumption in the local market.
He was also particularly critical of the management of the revenue from the Resilience Tax, speaking of injustice: “The money goes directly to the state and nothing returns to the place from which it is collected,” he said, adding that tourists are asked to pay for climate change, without any substantial works having been carried out on the island to justify this taxation.
“Rhodes has been abandoned – they only tax,” the president of the Hoteliers’ Association concluded characteristically, highlighting the need for a fairer and more locally rewarding tax policy in tourism.
