In the field of tourism, the current institutional framework refers to three main areas of tourist activity, as follows: a) tourist enterprises, b) special tourism infrastructure facilities and c) special forms of tourism.
According to the tourism legislation, “Tourism Enterprises”are the enterprises operating in the tourism sector and belonging to one of the following seven categories, namely:
- Τourist accommodation,
- Special tourism infrastructure facilities,
- Tourist/Travel Agencies,
- Car Rental Agencies (Rent a Car),
- Agencies Renting Motorcycles, Three-Wheelers, Four-Wheelers over 50 cc without a driver (Rent a Moto),
- Tourism Road Transport Companies and
- Yacht Brokering Companies.
Additionally, said Law makes a distinction between the Special Operating License that remains valid for tourist accommodation in order for it to operate legally and the attestation of the existence of the legal conditions for the operation of tourist accommodation that is established for the rest of tourism businesses. Thus, the initial authorisation of operating of a tourism business was replaced by the Special Operating License that currently only applies to tourist accommodation. The Special Operating License is replaced by an attestation of the existence of the legal conditions for the operation of other tourism businesses, in order to improve and simplify startup procedures of tourism enterprises.
According to Law 4276/2014, article 1, para. 2, as “tourist accommodation” is characterised the tourism businesses that receive tourists and provide them accommodation and other incidental to accommodation services like catering, entertainment, recreation, sport. The tourist accommodation is divided into main hotel accommodation (principal accommodation) and main non-hotel accommodation (secondary accommodation).
The principal accommodation is divided into a) Hotels, b) Organised Camping Sites (campsites), c) Youth hostels, d) Tourism accommodation complexes, e) Condo hotels, and f ) Hotel accommodation within traditional buildings.
The secondary accommodation is divided into a) Self-catering Tourist Accommodation -furnished mansions (villas), b) Self-catering Tourist Accommodation - furnished residences, and c) Furnished rooms-apartments for rent. According to Law 4276/2014, Article 1b, Special Tourism Infrastructure Facilities are incorporated into the tourism enterprises. The Law does not specify what constitutes “special tourism infrastructure facilities” but Article 1, para. 3 refers to the following special tourism infrastructure facilities:
- Conference Centres/Convention Centres,
- Golf Courses,
- Tourist ports/Marinas,
- Ski Centres,
- Amusement Parks/Theme Parks,
- Therapeutic treatment infrastructures (therapeutic treatment facilities, therapeutic - thermal tourism centres, thalassothérapie centres, health spas),
- Coaching and Sport Tourism Centres,
- Mountain refuges,
- Annular speed - test tracks.
Thus, the legislator makes a simple list of special tourist infrastructure facilities. In addition, the legislator, taking into consideration the need for frequent changes and amendments generated by contemporary tourism entrepreneurship and innovation, provides the minister with the possibility to determine additional forms of tourism enterprises or facilities as special tourist infrastructure facilities and to set the necessary terms and conditions for their operation.
In any case, special tourist infrastructure facilities means infrastructure that is necessary to develop different forms of tourism by tourism professionals.
The Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism is the main administrative body that is competent to develop activities in the field of tourism. According to the Organization Statute of the Ministry of Tourism (Presidential Decree 112/2014), its main purpose is to work with other ministries for the harmonization of policies affecting tourism development. The specific objective is to support the development of tourism, create a favorable environment for undertaking investment initiatives in the sector and improve the quality and competitiveness of the country’s tourism.
Since tourism concerns directly or indirectly all social and economic activity of the country, almost all ministries develop actions related to tourism. According to the revision of the Organization Statutes of the Ministries that took place during 2014, the ministries with more linkages to the tourism activities are the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Island Policy, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and the Ministry of Health.
a) The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Island Policy. Under its new Organisation (Presidential Decree 103/2014, Government Gazette 170/A), the Ministry has core responsibilities as far as maritime tourism is concerned. In particular, the mission of the Ministry is to set up the national maritime policy in order to protect and promote the Greek shipping interests and connect them to the national economy, develop the maritime education and maritime work, protect the marine environment, plan and implement integrated insular policy and policy of maritime tourism and maritime transport, communications and traffic, take measures for the safety of navigation and the protection of human life and property at sea and the promotion of the national port system as a development factor of the economy, the islands and the shipping industry of the country.
More specifically, said Ministry undertakes the planning, supervision, coordination and administrative control of the application of legislation for marine recreational means and small crafts, bathing facilities, lifeguards, recreational diving, swimmers, recreational vessels, sailing races and tourism in the areas of responsibility of the Hellenic Coast Guard.
As far as the tourism policy is concerned, the General Secretariat of Ports, Port Policy and Maritime Investments is responsible for the formulation and implementation of integrated policy and strategy for the organization, operation, development and valorisation of the country’s ports. It provides for the planning and promotion of measures for the development of maritime tourism, the attraction of investments in shipping and relevant to shipping sectors as well as the promotion of the development potential of shipping in order to boost the national economy.
In particular, the Directorate of Maritime Investments and Maritime Tourism of the General Secretariat of Ports, Port Policy and Maritime Investments lays great emphasis on the development of maritime and coastal tourism. Said Directorate has the following two Departments: a) Dept. of Development of Maritime Tourism and Maritime Tourism Investments and b) Dept. of Professional Tourist Boats & Shipping Companies’ Recreation Ships.
b) Ministry of Rural Development and Food. Said Ministry has the main responsibilities in the field of rural tourism. Under its new Organisation (Presidential Decree 107/2014, Government Gazette 174/A), this Ministry has the mission to modernise and develop the agricultural sector of the country. To fulfill this purpose, the Ministry promotes, inter alia, the development and improvement of the production conditions and the business environment in the agricultural sector and the upgrading of infrastructure and quality of life in the countryside. It encourages economic diversification and development of rural tourism and agrotourism.
In particular, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food is the competent authority for i) policy development and evaluation of the proposed measures to develop alternative forms of tourism in the rural areas, taking into consideration environmental impact assessments, ii) determination of the terms, conditions and procedures related to fishing tourism, c) setting of the terms, conditions and procedures for fishing tourism in piscicultural and aquaculture farms.
c) Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health has the main competences in the field of medical and therapeutic tourism. According to the Presidential Decree 106/2014 (Government Gazette 173/2014), an administrative Unit for the Formulation of Health Policies and Policy of Health Tourism is created for the first time. The purpose of said Unit, which operates as an Independent Department, is to take measures and decisions on the development and promotion of the health sector, and the country’s health tourism. Furthermore, its main responsibilities consist in planning and applying measures for the implementation of health programmes, developing and promoting policies of medical and therapeutic tourism and coordinating and evaluating the actions that are taken to implement these policies.
The new institutional framework, as described above, aims at creating a favorable environment to attract investments in the field of tourism and to boost interest in order to undertake a multiplicity of tourism activities that will contribute to an economically sustainable, environmentally friendly and socially acceptable tourism development.