Effective in 2025, cruisers headed to the stunning Greek Isles will pay a fee to visit the islands of Santorini and Mykonos, and other destinations in the country, now that the Greek Parliament has officially approved a proposed tax measure.
The per-person tax to call at the two popular islands will be 20 euros ($21 USD) and 5 euros ($5.27 USD) at other destinations in Greece, such as Rhodes, Corfu, and Crete.
The funds, combined with a new short-term rental and hotel tax, will go toward addressing the country’s climate change and over-tourism issues.
Between the new cruise and land levies, Greece aims to raise about 400 million euros ($421 million USD), according to media reports.
In 2024, Greece predicted it would host more than 8 million cruise passengers, a spike of 20% versus the previous year. Santorini and Mykonos have welcomed record numbers of cruise vacationers — 1.3 million to Santorini in 2023.
On some days, close to 17,000 cruise guests descend on the tiny island, home to just 15,500 residents, snarling traffic and pedestrian areas, and overwhelming the local infrastructure.
On Mykonos, local media reports indicate that the island hosted eight cruise ships and 20,000 passengers on one day in August 2024. The island has a population of just 12,000, and limited tourism resources.
Greek officials first raised the idea of levying arrivals fees in September 2024. At the time, they indicated that funds raised from the taxes would be invested to improve infrastructure and sustainability efforts in the various destinations.
They also proposed a digital berth allocation system to manage the daily arrivals of cruise ships based on size, length of stay, and other factors. However, there is no indication that the parliament has taken up that measure yet.
Read Also: What Are Port Fees on a Cruise?
For land travelers, starting in 2025, the daily tax on short-term rentals during the April to October high season will rise to 8 euros ($8.41), while the daily hotel tax will be up to 15 euros ($16 USD), depending on the property.
Other Destinations Addressing Over-Tourism, Too
Greece is just one destination among several that are trying to boost local and national revenues by charging cruise arrival fees.
Mexico has proposed charging a $42 per person immigration fee on tourism arrivals, effective in 2025. The idea has prompted concern by cruise lines, which would almost certainly pass the fee on to guests, raising cruise fares.
Ports in Mexico are key destinations on Western Caribbean cruises. In Cozumel alone, more than 3 million cruise guests visited the port in 2023. The fee proposal prompted the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association to contact Mexican officials, asking that cruise guests be exempt from the levy.
The association reached out on behalf of major cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line, all of which visit multiple Mexican ports and already have many completed bookings for 2025 and 2026.
Small ports also have jumped on the cruise tax bandwagon.
In tiny Haines, Alaska, town government officials recently voted to implement a $9 fee on each cruise guest arrival. The tax took effect in October 2024, but since the Alaska season was virtually over, the charge will not impact cruisers until the 2025 summer season.
The fee will be charged to guests on ships that dock at the port or that anchor in the harbor. The Haines tax will go toward addressing the impacts that cruise ships and cruise passengers have on local services and infrastructure.
The tax also will increase over the years, rising to $12 in 2027 and $13 in 2029.
