# Debate resurfaces on unemployment benefits for seasonal hotel workers

> An opinion piece examines whether extending unemployment benefits solves or merely sustains hotel staff shortages.

- **Section:** Policy
- **Published:** 2026-09-16
- **Publisher:** Voyage (https://thevoyage.gr)
- **Type:** our own summary of someone else’s reporting
- **Source:** Money Tourism — https://money-tourism.gr/pente-mines-douleia-pente-mines-tameio-mipos-syzitame-lathos-gia-to-prosopiko-ton-xenodocheion/
- **Keywords:** επίδομα ανεργίας, εποχική απασχόληση, ξενοδοχεία, προσωπικό, εργασιακά, ΔΥΠΑ

In 2025 Greek hotels needed 263,026 workers, according to ITEP, and filled 226,881 positions, leaving 36,145 vacancies (13.7% of needs) — the lowest rate in five years. Against this backdrop, the demand to extend unemployment benefits for seasonal workers so they remain in the profession until the next season has resurfaced, backed by the Santorini Hoteliers Association and the Pancretan Association of Hotel Managers.

The piece cites DYPA data: in March 2026, of 176,306 benefit-receiving unemployed, 54,778 (31.1%) were seasonal tourism workers, while in April the figure was 41,516 (25.6%). It raises the question of whether this support acts as a safety net or entrenches a model of "a few months of work, a few months of benefits."

As an alternative example, the article cites Cyprus's special employment support scheme for the hotel sector, where state aid is linked to actual employment and employer obligations. It also notes that the hotel sector recorded turnover of about €12.5 billion in 2025 and investments of around €1.5 billion.

The article suggests using part of the staff during winter for functions such as guest review analysis, revenue management, digital marketing and preparation for the next season, as a way to extend real employment beyond simple unemployment benefits.

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This summary was written by Voyage based on reporting by Money Tourism. The full article is at https://money-tourism.gr/pente-mines-douleia-pente-mines-tameio-mipos-syzitame-lathos-gia-to-prosopiko-ton-xenodocheion/. Canonical URL of this page: https://thevoyage.gr/en/a/debate-resurfaces-on-unemployment-benefits-for-seasonal-hotel-workers