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Greece, the birthplace of democracy, has always been known for its rich cultural heritage, breathtaking natural beauty, and delicious gastronomy. For centuries, invading armies of tourists have trekked to Greece to enjoy its unique attributes. In fact, the Greek tourism industry accounts for nearly 17% of the country’s GDP. Since the Greek leftist party Syriza came to power on January 25th of this year, economists have begun to wonder how the Greek government might change its relationship with this lucrative trade.

Amidst the country’s financial crisis, the relationship between the leftist party and the tourism industry has undergone some changes during Syriza’s short governance of the country. Prior to being elected in January, the country’s new leader Alexis Tsipras had announced plans to wage a battle against the “all-inclusive” hotels across the nation. He expressed a disdain for these hotel deals that keep tourists away from local businesses and attractions, and wants to limit the number of these “all-inclusive” hotels.

So far, this proposal has not seen many recent developments. On the other hand, Syriza has audaciously proposed a creative plan to deal with the common phenomenon of tax evasion among its citizens. This proposal, covered by a myriad of international media agencies, would hire foreign tourists (alongside housewives, students, and other unconventional tax inspectors) as undercover “tax spies” in Greece. Yanis Varoufakis, the Greek finance minister, who has been characterized as a charismatic leader by the foreign press, stated that these jobs would be on a “strictly short-term” and “casual” basis.

Although Greece has yet to experience the potential impacts of this radical proposal, one can certainly admire Syriza’s creativity. Its plan aims to utilize a positive feature of its economy to contain an undesirable one: using the large number of tourists and domestic tax evaders to its advantage. Or, so it seems. Further questions can be posed in terms of the practicality of this plan and its impacts on the Greek tourism industry. How can foreigners spy on the Greeks if they do not speak the language? Would this proposal reduce the level of hospitality among its people, which is valued by foreign tourists? If so, would the currently profitable tourism sector shrink, ironically? Perhaps, only time can answer these questions.

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哈佛法學院2021屆 Juris Doctor、哈佛亞洲法律協會主席。美國聯邦法院 judicial law clerk。2018年以最高榮譽畢業於美國頂尖文理學院Pomona College,大三時入選美国大学优等生协会Phi Beta Kappa並擔任西班牙語榮譽協會主席。多家國際刊物撰稿人及專欄記者、《克萊蒙特法律及公共政策期刊》總編及《北美聯合法律期刊》創始人。劍橋大學唐寧學者。羅德獎學金最終候選人。

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