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After cuts in salaries, pensions, insurance and allowances came the cut in programs for social tourism in Greece by two nights. The Mediterranean country, which is on the threshold of bankruptcy and was granted official financial aid of € 110 billion for three years by the rescue Triple, still maintains the “Tourism for All” program. Through it the state subsidizes the summer holidays of about 100,000 Greeks per year. The program covers costs for accommodation and food for six nights. According to the official edition of the organization "Tourism for All" at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 3500 tourist sites such as hotels, rooms, suites and villas are included in the program and expect “social” tourists during the summer.

However, it turns difficult to find vacancies. “I am searching vacancies since spring. But as soon as I say that we are of the “social tourism” program they tell me there are no vacancies,” explains the 32-year-old Alexandra. She and her husband are newlyweds. Alexandra lost her job about a year ago and now they depend entirely on her husband’s salary. The young woman said that because of staff cuts in her husband’s company the annual leave is reduced and may be used only in August. At the same time, all hotels and lodgings in the program work on free basis too. August is the busiest summer month and no one of the tourist entrepreneurs wants to give rooms under the state program, because the costs of the social holiday-makers are covered six months later. So, the young couple will not be able to benefit from the social program.

”Social tourism” turns out not so social especially for pensioners. Elderly people can enjoy all the benefits of the program, but must first pay the full amount of stay, food and transport. Then, the state will repay it after eight to ten months. If the pensioner does not have the necessary amount to pay the vacation, he can not benefit from the program. “Last year I paid my vacation with the thirteenth pension that I had been paid in early August 2009. This, probably, was my last going to the seaside,” says with a bitter smile the 79-year-old Mary from Athens.

Striving to reduce operating costs, this year the organization has not printed formal catalogues  of the hotels included in the program. The Ministry of Tourism announced in an official press release that it saved € 160,000 of the state budget in this way. Information about the hotels is available free on the website of the organization or in the regional service centers.

Citizens who have an annual income below € 18,000 or receive a total of € 1,500 per month are entitled to paid holidays. Here we must recall that the minimum wage in the country is still 740 euros tended to be reduced for the next year due to the deepening economic crisis. The financial threshold for families is increased to € 31,000 a year and there is no limit for the income of disabled persons and families with many children.