Applications for participation in the 2026-2027 Public Employment Service (PES) social tourism programme for workers and unemployed persons will open tomorrow, Tuesday, 21 April 2026 at 08:00.

The application period for the 2026-2027 social tourism programme for workers and unemployed persons of the Public Employment Service (PES) will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, 21 April 2026 at 08:00.

For beneficiaries, the submission of applications will take place, according to the last digit of their VAT number, as follows:

Last digit of the VAT number: 0 – Tuesday, 21.04.2026

Last digit of VAT number: 1, 2 – Wednesday, 22.04.2026

Last digit of VAT number: 3, 4 – Thursday, 23.04.2026

Last digit of VAT: 5, 6 – Friday, 24.04.2026

Friday, 24.04.2026

Last digit of VAT: 7, 8, 9 – Saturday, 25.04.2026

Last digit of VAT: 7, 8, 9 – Saturday, 25.04.2026

All TINs – Sunday, 26.04.2026

As stated in an announcement, the programme will start on 18 May 2026, earlier than ever before, will run for 13 months and will involve 300,000 vouchers, with a budget of €50 million.

With the voucher, which is a unique number for each beneficiary and beneficiary individually, beneficiaries can spend up to 6 nights in accommodation they choose from the “Provider Register” of the DYPA, upon request, with a small private contribution.

On the islands of Leros, Lesvos, Chios, Kos, Samos and Rhodes, beneficiaries can stay up to 10 nights free of charge with zero private contribution, while in the municipalities of Northern Evia and Evros, as well as in Thessaly, except Sporades, they can stay up to 12 nights free of charge.

Subsidy rates are increased by 20% for the peak month of August, as well as for the Christmas (15.12.2026 to 14.01.2027) and Easter (23.04.2027 to 09.05.2027) periods.

The increased subsidy is valid throughout the year for accommodation in North Evia, Evros and Thessaly, except for the Sporades.

In addition to accommodation in tourist accommodations, ferry tickets are also subsidised. The participation rate is 25%, while for people with disabilities the tickets are free of charge.

The beneficiaries are:

– employees with a dependent private employment relationship,

– insured in the e-EFKA, due to a dependent employment relationship with contributions to the unemployment branch of the DYPA, at any time during the 12 months preceding the deadline for submission of applications; or

– insured in the e-EFKA, due to a dependent employment relationship with contributions to the unemployment branch of the DYPA, at any time during the 12 months preceding the deadline for submission of applications; or

– unemployed persons registered in the Digital Register of Jobseekers of the DYPA, with a continuous period of unemployment of at least three months on the closing date of the application deadline, who have an income of up to 16,000 euros if single, up to 24,000 euros if married, increased by 5,000 euros for each child or up to 29,000 euros if single, increased by 5,000 euros for each child after the first.

Applications are submitted, via gov.gr, at:

https://www.gov.gr/ipiresies/ergasia-kai-asphalise/apozemioseis-kai-parokhes/koinonikos-tourismos

Specifically: Home – Employment and Insurance – Compensation and Benefits – Social Tourism Programs (STPs).

The selection of beneficiaries is based on the weighting of specific criteria (disabled, single parent, number of children, income, first participation in the programme or non-participation in the two previous programmes due to weighting), in an objective and transparent manner, through the Integrated Information System (IIS) of the DYPA.

The selection of beneficiaries is based on the weighting of specific criteria (disabled, single parent, number of children, income, first participation in the programme or non-participation in the two previous programmes due to weighting), in an objective and transparent manner, through the Integrated Information System (IIS) of the DYPA.

For the first time this year, parents of large families are exempted from the moderation process and participate in the programme if they meet the eligibility requirements.

As noted in the announcement, employees and unemployed persons who are subsidized in another agency’s social tourism program for the same period, as well as those who, except for disabled persons and parents with large families, received a check in the 2025-2026 program, cannot participate in the program.

Providers of the programme are tourist accommodation and ferry companies.

Providers’ applications are to be submitted from 21.04.2026 to 10.05.2026, via gov.gr, at:https://www.gov.gr/ipiresies/ergasia-kai-asphalise/apozemioseis-kai-parokhes/parohoi-tourismou

The route is: Home – Employment and Insurance – Compensation and Benefits – Social Tourism Providers.

Providers from the previous year are automatically included in the Register of Providers, provided they update their participation documents.

For more information: https://www.dypa.gov.gr/koinonikos-toyrismos