Greece plans to tax tourists from cruise ships

Travels might get more expensive

The Greek government is taking action to discourage cruise ship tourism on popular islands. A package of measures, including additional costs for tourists, is planned for next year.

Many complaints have been received, not only from the inhabitants of the islands and their mayors but also from the tourists themselves. Santorini, in particular, has suffered from the damaging environmental impact of mass tourism. 

Starting next year, all cruise passengers must pay an entrance fee of up to €20 to visit the Greek islands.

Taxes introduced for cruise ship customers

The price will depend on whether the visit takes place during the high season and on the purpose of the trip. For example, on the popular islands of Santorini and Mykonos, tourists must pay €20 per person for a day visit during the high season from 1 June to 30 September. 

A third of the revenue will go directly into the budgets of the affected municipalities, which will be free to decide how to spend the money. Another third will go to the Ministry of Shipping, which will use the money to modernize the island ports. Another third will go to the Ministry of Tourism to improve local infrastructure. 

Initial estimates suggest that these levies should generate around €50 million per year. In the future, boat trips and visits to the islands should be organized in advance so that several giant cruise ships do not arrive at the same time on the islands, some of which are very small. The government also wants to encourage the use of smaller ships.

Based on ELTA reports