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Social Tourism for Pensioners e EFKA (former OAEE)

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  • Information about the Program

    It is a subsidy program for the accommodation of beneficiaries and their subsidying members in tourist accommodations in Greece that participate in the program and have been included in the "Register of Providers" of the Greek Public Employment Service and for their ferry transfer to them. Beneficiaries and their subsidying members must be holders of a Social Tourism Voucher.

    The program is established by a relevant Joint Ministerial Decree issued every year, based on which, subsequently, a Public Invitation of the Organization is published with its detailed terms and conditions.

    The program lasts twelve (12) months. The specific start and end dates of this are defined in the Public Call.

    Beneficiaries can spend from one (1) to six (6) nights.

    On the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Leros, Kos, as well as in the prefecture of Evros, they can spend up to ten ( 10) overnight stays, on the Island of Samos and in the Municipalities of Istiaia - Edipsos and Mantoudi - Limni - Ag. Annas of the province of Evia can spend up to twelve (12) nights.

    Beneficiaries choose the period of stay during the implementation of the program and the tourist accommodation from the "Register of Providers" of the Greek Public Employment Service after their consultation with the provider of the accommodation. The only restriction that has been set regarding the choice of the tourist accommodation is that it is not located in the same Regional Unit as their place of residence or if it is located in the same Regional Unit, it is included in the exceptions mentioned in the Public Invitation.

    The beneficiaries and the providers of tourist of accommodation submit an online application for participation on specific dates specified in the Public Call. Beneficiaries also declare their beneficiary members in their applications.

    • Beneficiaries - Applications - Participation in the Program

      "Beneficiaries of the program are pensioners of the e-EFKA (formerly OAEE) who fall under the scope of application of par. 5 of article 69 of Law 3863/2010".

      Beneficial Members

      The subsidying Members/ Beneficiaries of the program are:

      • children of beneficiaries aged 5 – 18 years
      • children of beneficiaries aged 18 – 24 years, when insured by the beneficiaries or the other parent
      • children of beneficiaries aged 24 years and over, as long as they are disabled at a rate of 67% or more for life , directly or indirectly insured without days of insurance
      • the spouses of the beneficiaries, when the accompanying disabled persons are insured by them
      • the disabled companions

      The subsidying members are declared by the beneficiary citizens in their application

      Method of selection of the Beneficiaries - Register of Beneficiaries and Beneficiaries - Table of Excluded

      For the selection of the beneficiaries in the program the following:

      • applies an electronic application for participation is submitted by the parties concerned on the dates specified in the Public Invitation
      • it is then verified whether the interested parties meet the conditions for participation, i.e. whether they are actual beneficiaries and the conditions for participation of the subsidying members who declared in their application
      • are allocated specific criteria for the selection of beneficiaries
      • a Register is drawn up, which includes the beneficiaries and their subsidying members who fulfil the criteria or participation (Register of Beneficiaries - Beneficiaries). The Register shows the order of ranking of beneficiaries based on the number of points they have collected
      • from the beneficiaries of the Register, those with the highest points are selected, until the number of beneficiaries - beneficiary members provided for in the Public Invitation
      • for the selected beneficiaries and beneficiaries is completed members who meet the conditions for participation are issued an electronic Social Tourism Voucher, the number of which is recorded in the Register of subsidying members - Beneficiaries
      • for the parties concerned who submit an application without meeting the conditions for participation, a separate table is drawn up, the Table of Excluded Persons.

       

    • Tourist Accommodation Providers

        • TOURIST ACCOMMODATION PROVIDERS

          The program is aimed at the following tourist accommodations:

          • hotels of all functional forms and classes (classic type hotels, furnished apartment type, traditional accommodations)
          • rooms for rent / apartments five (5), four (4), three (3), two (2) keys and unclassified
          • tourist furnished houses-villas (self-catering accommodation)
          • organized tourist camps (camping)

          which

          • meet all the technical and functional specifications provided by the current legislation, depending on their category and
          • have a separate bathroom inside the rooms , individual or central cooling - heating system depending on their operating periods, refrigerator and television (not required for organized camps)
          • and have direct access to a computer and electronic scanner as well as the Internet

           

          HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM

          • an online application for participation is submitted every year on the dates defined in the Public Invitation
          • the providers who meet the conditions and have submitted the necessary supporting documents defined in the Public Invitation are recorded in a table, the "Register of Providers"
          • after the inclusion of the providers in the Registry, on-site checks are followed by the competent Services of the Greek Publiv Employment Service on the basis of which the process of their inclusion in the program is completed
    • Ferry Tickets Providers

        • FERRY TICKET PROVIDERS

          These are the natural or legal persons or legal entities that, in accordance with the current legislation, carry out maritime cabotage with scheduled passenger ships and use an electronic system for reserving seats and issuing passenger tickets. A necessary condition for participation in the Program is the issuance of a special category Social Tourism ticket. Providers participate in the program by offering all their itineraries.

          HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM

          • an online application for participation is submitted each year on the dates specified in the Public Call.
          • providers who meet the conditions and have submitted the necessary supporting documents set out in the Public Call are recorded in a table, the "Register of Ferry Ticket Providers"

    • TERMS OF APPLICATION OF THE PROGRAM

      The terms of application of the program are described below in terms of the obligations of the providers of tourist accommodation and ferry tickets.

    • Tourist Accommodation Providers

        • Tourist Accommodation Providers

          The tourist accommodation providers are obliged to:

          • observe the health protocols of the National Health Division
          • accept beneficiaries - subsidyed members, holders of Social Tourism Vouchers from the beginning of the program and until its end
          • accept beneficiaries of the Program in all departments of their unit throughout the period of their operation, without excluding any intermediate period, and up to the capacity limit
          • have at least 30% of the total capacity of their beds during the summer and holidays, as long as it has been previously booked by the beneficiaries
          • have - depending on the technical specifications provided for the accommodation category - free of charge for both the beneficiaries and the Greek Public Employment Service's rooms with an individual or central cooling/heating system (depending on their period of operation), with a private bathroom, refrigerator and television
          • not to have any defective rooms (underground, indoor, without sufficient lighting or ventilation, etc.)
          • not to rent the living room area of the apartment to beneficiaries - subsidyed members, as well as to rent hotel apartments, of the furnished apartments and the rented furnished apartments by room
          • offer without compensation or remuneration to the beneficiaries all the services that they are obliged to provide to third parties according to the relevant provisions
          • clean the rooms and change their clothes (towels, sheets, etc.) in accordance with the provisions of the Tourism Legislation
          • provide the beneficiaries - subsidyed members, if they have a relevant permit, the same breakfast as they offer to the other customers of the accommodation, with a composition in accordance with the applicable market regulations. The provision of breakfast or not is agreed between the beneficiary and the provider in the contract according to thebeneficiary's preference.
    • Ferry Tickets Providers

        • Terms concerning the ferry tickets

          • providers must observe the health protocols of the National Health Division when transporting passengers
          • social Tourism vouchers can be issued for dates of use from the start of the program and until its end
          • the Greek Public Employment Service is not involved in issues of reservations or compensation of the beneficiaries or providers for any reason (e.g. compensation of the beneficiary for cancellation of a ticket due to the cancellation of a route)
          • it is not possible to use the Ferry Travel Voucher to go to a destination that is not related to the accommodation in a place of the Register of Providers and for the same period of arrival in it. Any violation of this condition does not bring any financial consequence to the provider, but to the beneficiary, who must return to the Greek Public Employment Service the amount of the subsidy. Compliance with this obligation of the beneficiaries is controlled exclusively by the competent Services of the Greek Public Employment Service and not by the providers
          • the providers must issue Social Tourism vouchers for all the domestic routes they operate, as long as there are seats available, without discriminatory treatment to the detriment of the beneficiaries / subsidying members of the program.
      • e-check

          • The "Social Tourism Voucher"

            is a unique electronic number for each beneficiary citizen and for each beneficiary member thereof, which is automatically generated by the Integrated Information System (ISIS) of the Greek Public Employment Service

            • incorporates a specific economic value that constitutes the subsidy of the beneficiary and the of its beneficiary members for their stay in a tourist accommodation and their ferry transfer to it (when required)
            • does not exist in a printed form from the Greek Public Employment Service for tourist accommodation. Its existence is verified by the providers by logging into the electronic services of the Greek Public Employment Service and the entry of the beneficiary's VAT number or social security number
            • is available in paper form and must be printed for the ferry tickets to be shown for issuing the tivket. It cannot be used to travel to a destination other than the one where the tourist accommodation is located.
            • applies only from start date to the end date of the specific program under which it was issued.
      • Subsidy Amount-Private Contribution of Beneficiaries

          • The subsidy paid by the Greek Public Employment Service is included in the Social Tourism Voucher

            The Public Invitation defines the subsidy prices per beneficiary - beneficiary member and per overnight stay depending on the area, type and category of accommodation.

            Beneficiaries must pay the providers an amount of private participation which is agreed with the provider. The amount of private participation must not exceed specific ceilings set in the Public Challenge. Beneficiaries who choose for their holidays accommodation on the islands of Lesvos, Leros, Samos, Chios and Kos, the Prefecture of Evros, the Municipalities of Istiaia - Edipsos and Mantoudi - Limni - Ag. Annas of the prefecture of Evia are not required to pay a private participation amount.

      • Tourist Accommodation Providers

          • A necessary condition for the payment of the subsidy is the conclusion of a private agreement in accordance with the terms of the Public Invitation and the activation of the checks of the beneficiaries and their beneficiaries, which is done through the electronic services by entering the dates of arrival and departure, attaching the private agreement and every required document receipts, invoices).

            For the repayment of the program, the providers submit electronic applications and supporting documents at specific time intervals, as defined in the Public Invitation, to the competent service based on the headquarters of the companies.

      • Ferry Tickets Providers

          • In order to be reimbursed, the providers of ferry tickets who issued Social Tourism tickets in accordance with the terms of the relevant Public Invitation, submit an electronic application with attached supporting documentation to the KPA2 responsible for their business headquarters.

      • Accommodation Checks - Use of of Accommodation Checks

          • Beneficiaries - subsidying members who hold Social Tourism Vouchers contact the providers directly for room reservations.

            The providers cannot accept under the program beneficiaries whose place of residence is in the same Regional Unit as their accommodation, except for specific exceptions.

            Providers may accept beneficiary members in the accommodation, unaccompanied by the beneficiary citizen, provided that they:

            • are children aged 18 - 24 years old,
            • are spouses of beneficiaries,
            • are children aged 5 - 18 years old accompanied by the spouse of the beneficiary citizen (beneficiary member or not)

            the contract is signed by the beneficiaries or by the beneficiary children aged 18-24 or the spouses of the beneficiaries (beneficiary members or not) with the legal authorization of the beneficiaries

            They cannot take a separate holiday:

            • the disabled companions without the accompanying disabled person,
            • children aged 5 to 18 without the beneficiaries or their spouses (beneficiary members or not).

            Upon the arrival of the beneficiaries - beneficiary members at the accommodation, their identity details are checked by the provider and then a private agreement is signed between them.

            Finally, the provider through the electronic services of the Greek Public Employment Service activates the Checks of the beneficiaries - subsidyed members, entering the dates of arrival and departure and attaching the signed private agreement

            Early departure

            In the event that, after signing the contract, the beneficiary wishes for any reason to leave the accommodation before the date provided for in the contract, i.e. before spending the number of nights agreed with the provider:

            The beneficiary completes a Responsible Declaration considered for the genuineness of the signature or issued by the digital portal of the Government www.gov.gr with the date of his early departure from the accommodation and submits one to the provider and the other electronically to the Service (KPA2) of the Greek Public Employment Service, where it belongs.

            The provider through the online services and before the departure of the beneficiary (checkout) or at the same time, informs about the date of early departure, transmitting electronically a copy of the Solemn Statement submitted by the beneficiary.

            In case of beneficiaries who take holidays without the beneficiary, the Solemn Statement is signed by the same persons who were authorized to sign the contract.

             

             

      • Ferry Transportation Vouchers - Use of of Ferry Tickets

          • For the ferry movement of beneficiaries and subsidying members of the program, special vouchers the Social Tourism Vouchers are issued by the providers, on which, in addition to the usual information, the indication of the program and the voucher number are printed. The Social Tourism Vouchers are exclusively economic seat and their price varies based on the broader category of tickets they belong to and the itinerary period they are used in.

            The following categories of Social Tourism Vouchers are distinguished into:

            • Adults (and children of the age included in the provider's pricing policy in the adult category)
            • Multiple children and children of an age for which a 50% discount is provided according to the provider's pricing policy
            • PWDs with a disability of 50% or more

             

            In the price of Social Tourism tickets, the following participate financially:

            • The providers, offering a specific discount rate.
            • DYPA.,with a specific percentage of subsidy
            • Beneficiaries/beneficiaries, with a specific percentage of private participation, except for beneficiaries/beneficiaries with disabilities (50% and above) whose participation percentage is zero.

             

            Social Tourism Vouchers are issued round trip by the same provider. Return vouchers may be issued by another provider for reasons attributable to the provider (e.g. itinerary cancellation).

            Social Tourism Vouchers are not cancelled, but may be converted to an open date, which cannot be later than the expiration date of the program (in conjunction with the closing date for the last night - e.g. last night 31.07.2023 - return ferry ticket on 01.08.2023).

            Activation of the shipping voucher

            Beneficiaries/subsidying members, after publication of the final results, can print from the online services of the Greek Public Employment Service the Social Tourism Voucher issued in their name for the specific program. They come to the Travel / Ticketing Agencies or the providers' ticket offices, show the printed Social Tourism Voucher and request the issuance of a Social Tourism Voucher of the category they belong to, for the proof of which they must bring with them the necessary supporting documents that prove it (e.g. multi-child ID card).

            The ticket is issued through a web service and the Social Tourism Voucher for Ferry Travel is activated for an aller-retour journey.