The Hoteliers’ Association is requesting the return of the entire amount collected this year through the “Climate Change Resilience Fee” from guests who stayed in Corfu hotels following the devastation caused by the recent floods
The Corfu Hoteliers’ Association is requesting the immediate return to the three municipalities of the Corfu Regional Government of all the revenue collected this year from the “Climate Change Resilience Fee” in a letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, noting that the island has repeatedly faced extreme weather events and serious damage to its infrastructure in recent years.
In the letter, the Association recalls that in the last five years Corfu has been hit by heavy flooding and rainfall, which have caused significant problems in the daily lives of residents and have burdened the already outdated and inadequate — as it characterizes it — public infrastructure. The damage concerns both property and private facilities as well as road networks, technical works and critical points on the island that require immediate interventions.
According to the Association of Hoteliers, the local government does not have the necessary financial resources to manage the extent of the damage, while the process of approving and implementing projects through co-responsible ministries is considered time-consuming. The usual answer that “there is no money available” has, as noted, led to a prolonged delay in interventions.
“A leading tourist destination in the country, such as Corfu, cannot be left on hold,” the Association underlines, stressing that the island and its businesses need immediate, targeted and rational solutions to restore normality and upgrade infrastructure.
For this reason, the hoteliers are asking the government to return all the revenues generated from the Resilience Fee —which was paid by visitors who stayed in Corfu hotels— exclusively for the benefit of the island’s municipalities and for emergency restoration projects. The letter points out that the money should be directed to improving road networks, upgrading critical infrastructure and shielding Corfu against future extreme events.
At the same time, it is requested that the allocation of resources be under the control of the competent ministries, in order to ensure their proper and exclusive use. The Union expresses its confidence that the Prime Minister will carefully examine the request, which it describes as “fair” and crucial for the resilience and prospects of the island.
The letter is signed by the president of the Corfu Union, Konstantinos Merianos, and the general secretary, Haris Maniatopoulos.
