Greek Island Imposes Surprise Fee of £8 on British Visitors

Saturday, August 31, 2024

As of August 2024, holidaymakers arriving by cruise ship at popular Greek tourist destinations will now face a new fee when they disembark. The Greek authorities have introduced a 10-euro charge (approximately £8) for cruise ship passengers visiting locations such as Santorini, in a bid to manage the overwhelming influx of tourists and the resulting strain on local infrastructure.

Greece, renowned for its breathtaking scenery, rich cultural heritage, and sunny climate, has long been a top destination for tourists. However, many locals believe that tourism has reached saturation levels, particularly in the most popular resorts, causing the infrastructure to struggle under the weight of visitor numbers. In response to these concerns, Councillor Panos Kavalaris recently took to Facebook to announce that Santorini alone expects to receive 17,000 cruise ship visitors in a single day, which he described as a “difficult day” for the island.

Authorities hope that implementing this disembarkation fee will help mitigate the impact that the large number of cruise ship arrivals have on Greece’s islands. Initially, the fee will be imposed only in Santorini, with plans to extend the policy to Mykonos by the end of the year, according to reports from the Greek government. Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Stefanos Gikas, emphasized that the government is committed to supporting both traditional tourism and cruise ship arrivals, but noted the necessity of increasing the disembarkation fee to better manage the influx of visitors.

In 2023, Greece welcomed approximately 33 million tourists, a significant increase from the 28 million who visited in 2022, making it the tenth most visited country in the world according to the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO). The year also marked a record for cruise tourism in Greece, with seven million passengers arriving on 5,230 cruise ships, compared to 4.38 million passengers and 4,614 cruise ships in 2022.

The introduction of this fee comes in the wake of a warning issued by the Greek Ombudsman in June 2024, urging the country to adopt more sustainable tourism practices to prevent the exhaustion of its resources and potential. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has acknowledged these concerns and indicated that Greece may consider imposing a cap on the number of cruise ships allowed to dock at popular tourist destinations as part of broader efforts to protect the country’s environment and heritage from the adverse effects of mass tourism.

This new policy reflects a growing trend across the Mediterranean, where countries are increasingly implementing measures to control the number of tourists in response to similar challenges posed by overtourism.