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Cruise tax of €20 announced for Greek islands
Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed it will impose a €20 fee on cruise ship visitors in Santorini and Mykonos during high season summer months.
The two islands are at the heart of Greece’s fight against overtourism, often almost doubling their population during busy days when multiple cruise ships call.
“Greece does not have a structural overtourism problem but some of its destinations have a significant issue during certain weeks or months of the year, which we need to deal with,” the PM said during a press conference.
“Cruise shipping has burdened Santorini and Mykonos and this is why we are proceeding with interventions,” he said.
“The cruise industry has put a strain on Santorini and Mykonos.”
A portion of the cruise passenger tax will be used to improve infrastructure on the islands.
Mitsotakis also said ‘bold’ cruise ship limits are being looked at for the two islands.
“It is important to observe sustainability rules in everything that is built from now on,” he told reporters.
“To put the brakes on islands where we believe that the situation has reached a point where the infrastructure limits are actually being tested.”
Recently, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni called for cruise ship quotas, and Santorini officials proposed a daily limit of 8,000 cruise passengers per day from next year.
“It’s impossible for an island such as Santorini to have five cruise ships arriving at the same time,” she said.
However, the Prime Minister said it is ‘dangerous to present Greece as a country that is hostile to tourism.’
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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