Everything that changes with the new spatial planning framework for hotels, Airbnb, and land uses in 19 questions and answers

The authorities is attempting to rewrite the rules of tourism improvement connected islands and successful heavy burdened destinations done the caller Special Spatial Framework for Tourism. The main structural alteration concerns off-plan construction, with the minimum suitability for caller hotels expanding up to 16 stremmata successful burdened areas, from 4 to 6 oregon 8 stremmata previously, arsenic good arsenic caller limits connected accommodation capacity, peculiar provisions for islands, and interventions successful short-term rentals. “THEMA” decodes the projected provisions done a usher of 19 questions and answers, presenting what changes for landowners, investors, hoteliers, and tourism destinations.

1/ What is the caller Special Spatial Framework for Tourism?
It is the caller representation connected which tourism improvement successful the state volition beryllium based successful the coming years. It determines wherever caller edifice units tin beryllium built, what the minimum onshore sizes volition be, however galore beds volition beryllium allowed successful definite areas, and what tourism exemplary the authorities aims to promote. Its value is important due to the fact that it straight affects: onshore value, spot utilization possibilities, large tourism investments, but besides the representation of galore islands successful the coming years.

2/ What is the main alteration it introduces?
The astir important alteration is the summation successful the minimum required country for caller off-plan hotels. Until contiguous galore tourism developments could beryllium designed connected 4, 6 oregon 8 stremmata. With the caller model however:
a) successful the astir burdened areas, called successful the Spatial Framework “controlled improvement areas,” 16 stremmata are required arsenic a minimum threshold, from 4 oregon 6 stremmata if they had a Presidential Decree,
b) successful developed areas 12 stremmata,
c) successful processing areas 8 stremmata.
This means that tiny properties of 4–6 stremmata are present much hard to usage for edifice development.

3/ What applies successful controlled improvement areas?
The minimum size of onshore plots for caller off-plan hotels increases significantly, reaching 16 stremmata. At the aforesaid time, connected islands successful this class a maximum bounds of 100 beds is set, i.e. astir 50 rooms. This means that adjacent connected precise ample properties, excessively ample edifice units cannot beryllium created.

4/ How does the caller model disagreement the country’s regions?
The caller Spatial Plan classifies 1,035 Municipal Units into 5 main categories, depending connected the grade of tourism improvement and imaginable for further exploitation.

A/ Controlled improvement areas (Category A): These are 18 Municipal Units considered saturated tourer destinations and the strictest restrictions are provided. Included successful this class are Mykonos, Santorini, Skiathos, arsenic good arsenic circumstantial Municipal Units successful Tinos, Corfu, Zakynthos, Rhodes, Kos, Heraklion, Chania and Katerini.

B/ Tourist-developed areas (Category B): These interest areas wherever tourism is already a cardinal pillar of the economy, with precocious visitant numbers and developed infrastructure, but not considered saturated. Indicatively included are Paros, Naxos, Patmos, Folegandros, Koufonisia, Agios Nikolaos Crete, Rethymno, Chios, etc.

C/ Developing tourer areas (Category C): These see areas with expanding tourism dynamics and important country for further improvement done caller investments. Among them Milos, Mytilene, Astypalaia, Leros, Kythnos, Serifos, confederate Rhodes, parts of Pelion, parts of Halkidiki, etc.

D/ Early-stage tourer improvement areas (Category D): These see areas wherever tourism is astatine an aboriginal signifier and mild strengthening of enactment is pursued. Included successful this class are, among others, the Lasithi Plateau, Kasos, Nisyros, Municipal Units of Tinos, Heraklion, Phocis, Evrytania and areas of Attica specified arsenic Nea Penteli and Psychiko.

E/ Special improvement enactment areas (Category E): These interest areas with peculiar geographic oregon developmental characteristics, wherever incentives are provided to fortify tourism activity. Indicatively mentioned are Fournoi, Irakleia, Municipal Units of Naxos, Karpathos, Messinia and others requiring improvement support.

5/ What changes successful presumption of furniture capableness betwixt categories?
In developed areas, wherever the minimum required crippled is 12 stremmata, up to 350 beds are allowed, and successful processing areas 8 stremmata without a furniture limit. In galore land areas a maximum bounds of 100 beds per caller portion is set, depending connected the class of the land and tourism pressure. The Spatial Plan divides islands into 3 categories:
a) 16 destinations which are ample islands, implicit 250 sq km (Andros, Zakynthos, Corfu, Kythira, etc.),
b) 46 islands from 20 to 250 sq km (Aegina, Milos, Gavdos, Ithaca, Ios, Alonissos, etc.),
c) islands nether 20 sq km.
It is notable that successful the ample land class determination is simply a premix of furniture limits, since Municipal Units of Zakynthos, Corfu, Rhodes and Kos—due to being classified arsenic saturated areas—have a 100-bed limit, portion successful different areas of the aforesaid class higher capableness limits whitethorn use (up to 350 beds). In categories b) and c), hotels beneath 3 stars are not permitted and the furniture fig is acceptable astatine 100.

6/ Do each these islands person the aforesaid gathering terms?
No. As mentioned above, the 100-bed bounds applies to each islands but exceptions, portion buildability besides changes. For example, successful Milos 8 stremmata are required, successful Paros 12, portion successful Mykonos and Santorini, based connected peculiar municipality readying regimes which are stricter and override the wide framework, 30 and 40 stremmata respectively. Thus, 2 islands whitethorn person the aforesaid furniture bounds but wholly antithetic onshore requirements for tourism development.

7/ What does the summation successful minimum crippled suitability mean for landowners successful practice?
The summation successful suitability changes substantially the worth and exploitation possibilities of galore off-plan properties. Until now, successful galore areas tiny tourism units could beryllium planned adjacent connected limited-size plots. With the caller framework, a spot of 4–6 stremmata successful galore islands whitethorn nary longer beryllium capable for edifice development, portion properties of 8, 12 oregon 16 stremmata intelligibly summation higher concern value. This is expected to importantly impact onshore markets successful tourer destinations, particularly successful the Cyclades and Dodecanese.

8/ If idiosyncratic owns a tiny plot, bash they suffer the close to make it?
Not necessarily. The caller model chiefly concerns caller off-plan tourism facilities and not each forms of construction. A smaller crippled whitethorn inactive beryllium utilized for residential use, clasp different readying rights, oregon summation higher worth done consolidation with neighboring properties. However, regarding purely caller edifice development, smaller properties look greater difficulty.

9/ Why is the caller model considered to favour ample investments?
Because arsenic minimum crippled requirements increase, ample unified onshore areas and organized tourism developments with important superior are strengthened. The caller Spatial Framework continues to let tourism projects specified arsenic Special Tourism Development Zones (ESCHASE, ESCHADA, POTAs, integrated tourism resorts). Thus, the absorption gradually shifts from tiny dispersed tourism units to larger and much organized projects.

10/ What does the 100-bed bounds connected islands mean?
The 100-bed bounds acts arsenic a ceiling for galore ample and medium-sized islands. In signifier it means that adjacent if an capitalist owns 30, 50 oregon 100 stremmata, they cannot make unlimited-capacity units, which has led to beardown reactions from the tourism sector, which considers that horizontal limits whitethorn impact the viability of ample investments. Thus, the caller model appears to beforehand “fewer but higher-value beds,” particularly successful galore Cycladic islands.

11/ Does the caller Spatial Framework restrict overtourism?
This is 1 of the biggest questions raised. On 1 manus it increases minimum crippled sizes, sets furniture limits and restricts density successful definite areas. On the different hand, however, it continues to let ample organized developments, designates comparatively fewer areas arsenic highly burdened, and does not look to afloat integrate short-term rentals (Airbnb) into calculations. Thus, galore see that the model much redistributes improvement alternatively than reduces it.

12/ Why is the mode areas are classified controversial?
The categorization is based connected analyzable indicators of tourism strength and carrying capacity. However, successful galore islands the detonation of short-term rentals and seasonal overcrowding are arsenic important. Therefore, galore judge that existent tourism unit is lone partially reflected.

13/ What changes for coastal areas?
One of the astir important biology provisions concerns the shoreline. According to the plan, operation volition not beryllium allowed wrong 25 meters of the shoreline for circumstantial tourism uses, but infrastructure for radical with disabilities. This is considered important arsenic antecedently determination were possibilities for installations precise adjacent to the sea.

14/ What does this mean for the existent property market?
The caller model is expected to impact onshore values. Large unified properties of 8, 12, 16 stremmata and supra are expected to summation value, particularly successful fashionable islands. Smaller off-plan properties whitethorn suffer portion of their concern attractiveness for tourism use.

15/ What changes for short-term rentals?
The caller Spatial Framework opens the mode for restrictions connected short-term rentals depending connected tourism unit successful each area. The absorption is to present limits connected caller Airbnb licenses, geographic regularisation zones oregon adjacent afloat bans, arsenic good arsenic freezing caller Airbnb units successful recently built houses. For the archetypal time, Airbnb beds volition beryllium included successful carrying capableness calculations.

16/ When volition the short-term rental measures beryllium implemented?
After the Spatial Framework is enacted, regulations for short-term rentals volition travel successful bid to found a caller model with strict presumption and rules for Airbnb-type properties. The caller model volition let the authorities to enforce aboriginal restrictions, particularly successful pressured areas.

17/ What applies to investors with already mature concern plans?
For mature concern plans, a transitional signifier is foreseen truthful that investments already substantially precocious are not cancelled. Investors who person purchased land, prepared studies, submitted files and obtained biology licensing completeness up to the announcement day volition beryllium capable to proceed nether the erstwhile regime.

18/ When does the caller authorities participate into force?
The caller Spatial Framework is nether consultation and volition get regulatory unit aft the issuance of the applicable Joint Ministerial Decision and work successful the Government Gazette.

19/ Is the presented program final?
The program is not final. The 2 liable ministries, Environment–Energy and Tourism, person acceptable a deadline until May 25 for submission of comments and observations by stakeholders, successful bid to beryllium taken into relationship successful the last Joint Ministerial Decision. The purpose is for the caller Special Spatial Framework to beryllium enacted by the extremity of June. At the aforesaid time, moving groups person been formed betwixt the ministry and representatives of the edifice assemblage to sermon feedback and requests and measure which could beryllium incorporated into the last text.

Photo: Getty Images / Ideal image