Greece is taking decisive steps to manage the overwhelming influx of tourists by introducing a €20 (approximately $22) fee for cruise ship passengers arriving in Santorini and Mykonos.
The announcement comes as the Greek government seeks to address the strain on local infrastructure and environmental resources caused by a surge in visitor numbers.
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the measure in response to concerns about overtourism and its impact on local communities and the environment. The fee, expected to be implemented by 2025, will be reinvested into the island communities to improve infrastructure and sustainability efforts.
“We have been very concerned [about] the image that exists on some of our islands regarding cruising during certain months of the year,” Mitsotakis said during his State of the Economy address in Thessaloniki on September 7, 2024.
“That is why a cruise fee is imposed per passenger disembarking at a Greek port, high in Santorini and Mykonos, lower in the rest, with escalation per period,” he said.
In addition to the new cruise fee, the government plans to limit the number of cruise ships allowed to dock at the most popular islands, particularly during peak seasons.
Santorini, for example, will cap the number of cruise passengers allowed to visit at 8,000 per day starting in 2025.
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Other island destinations like Rhodes, Corfu, and Crete’s port of Heraklion will be included in the fee structure and passengers visiting multiple ports can expect to pay a fee per call.
Additionally, a digital berth allocation system will be reintroduced to manage the arrival of cruise ships. The system will spread out ship arrivals throughout the day, avoiding overcrowding at popular times.
The allocation will consider criteria such as ship size, whether the ship operates as a “green” (environmentally friendly) ship, and the length of stay on the island. Ships staying longer will be prioritized to prevent passengers from rushing between tourist spots.
Greece to Introduce New Cruise Tourism Regulations
The islands of Santorini and Mykonos, in particular, have seen an overwhelming number of tourists arriving by cruise ship in recent years. In 2023, 800 ships brought 1.3 million visitors to Santorini alone.
Santorini remains the most popular cruise destination in Greece, with upwards of 17,000 cruise ship visitors arriving on the island of 15,500 residents in a single day during peak summer months.
The cruise industry in Greece is expected to see an increase in arrivals by 20 percent in 2024, bringing more than 8 million passengers to the nation that rests on the Ionian, Mediterranean, and Aegean Seas.
Santorini Mayor Nikos Zorzos supports the efforts to cap cruise visitors at 8,000 per day, although he recognizes cruise ships have planned itineraries years in advance and that the cap will require changes with cruise lines.
The mayor also suggested introducing a day-tripper fee similar to one trialed in Venice earlier this year.
The Venice Access Fee, implemented from April 24 through July 14, 2024, charged day visitors €5 to access the island of 50,000. The trial brought the city more than €2.4 million in less than 3 months, resulting in the Italian city’s proposal to double the fee in 2025.
As is the case in Venice, earnings from a day-tripper fee would directly benefit local authorities.
In addition to the new fee and cruise limitations, Greece is raising the lodging tax during peak tourist months, from April to October. While specific details about the exact rate have not been disclosed yet, it will apply to hotels, rental accommodations, and short-term rentals.
The prime minister said details about the upcoming fees and limitations will be revealed in the coming months.
