EU support for Thessaly’s tourism sector, which is suffering the effects of the climate crisis

Question for written answer  E-002006/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi (PPE), Georgios Aftias (PPE), Vangelis Meimarakis (PPE), Fredis Beleris (PPE), Eleonora Meleti (PPE), Emmanouil Kefalogiannis (PPE), Dimitris Tsiodras (PPE)

Tourism businesses in Magnesia – and in Thessaly as a whole – find themselves in a critical situation due to the natural disasters that have ravaged the region over the last two years, namely the flooding in 2023 and the inundation of the Pagasetic Gulf with masses of dead fish in the summer of 2024. These events had direct economic effects on the tourism sector. Thessaly – and Magnesia in particular – is a major tourism destination with many comparative advantages. However, the climate crisis has highlighted the need for a strategic overhaul and adaptation of the tourism sector to ensure that the area remains attractive and to regain visitors’ trust.

Given that tourism businesses are a key part of the European economy since they account for 10 % of the EU’s GDP and 13 % of Greek GDP and play a critical role in economic and social growth by creating new jobs, can the Commission answer the following:

• 1.Which financial instruments could be drawn on to provide compensation for the damage caused and to relieve the tourism businesses in Magnesia that have been affected by natural disasters?
• 2.Does the Commission intend to proceed with the creation of a new financial instrument to provide direct support to the tourism sector, which is experiencing revenue losses due to the climate crisis?

Submitted: 9.10.2024