Two German lawmakers came up with a compensation scheme for German tourists visiting Greece, whose expenditure while in holidays will help boost the country’s economy. Axel Fischer and Ruediger Kruse, members of the conservative Christian Democratic Union have suggested a 500 euro incentive to Germans making their holidays in Greece on the condition that they should bring back equal hotel and restaurant receipts. According to Fischer and Kruse, the German state would reimburse holidaymakers to Greece on presentation of restaurant and hotel bills, proof the establishments in question are paying their taxes, this way German tourists will help Greece fight tax evasion.
In 2014, 2.5 million Germans spent their holidays in Greece, scoring an 8.5 percent increase over 2013, according to Bank of Greece figures. For package holidays alone, the increase was 17 percent, said Germany’s DRV federation of travel agents, which expects a bigger growth in 2015.