Greece's new spatial plan for tourism has been in force since 7 August. This week the sector worked out what it actually does.
For short-term rentals, it names 4 measures:
Conditions on making a property available, particularly where it relates to main-residence use
Limits on how many days a year the activity can run
Geographic zones where it can be restricted or prohibited
Controls on new supply, including new-build homes
The ministry's own guidance describes these as measures that can be applied. Each needs separate legislation or a local plan first. None of them apply today.
Every municipal unit in Greece is now sorted into one of 5 categories by tourism intensity, based on tourist beds against land area and permanent population. The AADE short-stay registry is one of the data inputs that decides which category a place lands in.
What is in force right now is aimed at developers:
New construction within 25 metres of the shoreline, prohibited
Minimum plot for a new out-of-plan hotel in the most developed areas, up from 8,000 to 16,000 sq m
Island bed caps by category, 100 beds on the smaller islands
Three more rule changes landed this week.
Highland Council: it is the licence renewal, not the control area designation, that triggers the planning compliance check.
Canary Islands: a residential let of 31 days or less is now presumed to be tourist activity, and showing otherwise is on you.
Wales: the Welsh Revenue Authority register is open, with penalties up to 1,400 pounds.
Four rule changes in five days. None of them closed an operator whose paperwork was in order.
On the demand side, Croatia is worth watching. On Krk this month, Hungarian arrivals are up 21.4% and overnight stays up 18.6%, while German stays are down year to date. Private accommodation took 2.8% more arrivals but 1.5% fewer nights.
Same broad volume, different guest, booking later and staying fewer nights.
Which of this week's four affects you most?
