The Commissioner of State Aid Control Stella Michaelidou on Monday approved a €3 million grant scheme to boost rural tourism.
Specifically, the scheme seeks to provide support for the renovation or enhancement of hotels and tourist accommodations in rural, mountainous, and remote areas.
The scheme, originally announced on December 6, will be implemented by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.
Titled ‘Grant Scheme for the Modernisation and Competitiveness of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations in Rural, Mountainous, and Remote Areas – 2nd Call’, the initiative aims to boost investments in the tourism sector.
Eligible expenses include digital upgrades, renovation and enhancement of premises, replacement of equipment, energy efficiency improvements, and the creation of new facilities and services.
The scheme is designed to improve the competitiveness of tourism businesses, with an additional focus on transforming tourist accommodations into hotels.
According to a statement from the commissioner’s office, the scheme “will operate in areas who experience disadvantages in terms of tourism, targeting rural, mountainous, and remote regions”.
The implementation period spans 2025–2026, with a completion deadline of April 30, 2026.
The decision, numbered 464, has been published on the commissioner’s office website. It was also included in the official gazette of the Republic on December 13, 2024.
