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The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Mykonos and Santorini cruise tax starts today – this is what it will cost passengers
Greece has introduced a new cruise passenger tax for holidaymakers setting sail to two of its most popular islands. Starting 1 July, a cruise tax will be levied on visitors to Mykonos and Santorini at €20 (£17.18) per passenger. The €20 charge will apply during peak summer season – 1 June to 30 September – in an effort to curb overtourism and protect struggling infrastructure in the Cyclades hotspots. After 30 September, the fee drops to €12 (£10.31). From 1 November to 31 March, the fee for each of the two islands will be just €4 (£3.44). Mykonos welcomed 768 cruise ships and an estimated 1.29 million tourists in 2024, according to the Hellenic Ports Association. As for all other Greek ports, cruise passengers will be asked to pay a maximum of €5 (£4.30) for less-visited islands such as Syros and Symi during peak travel months. A fee of just €1 (86p) per passenger will apply during low season, between 1 October and 31 May, with shoulder season charges for April, May and October at €3 (£2.58) per passenger. Holidaymakers travelling by cruise will pay the fee when they disembark the ship, with the funds raised redistributed to finance local port and tourism projects. Eleni Scarveli, UK director of the Greek National Tourism Office, said: 'This levy was introduced to help support the infrastructure of Greece's most visited islands and ensure that local communities benefit more directly from cruise tourism. 'It reflects the need for a more sustainable balance between visitor numbers and the capacity of popular destinations like Santorini and Mykonos, while also helping to safeguard the quality of the visitor experience.' Last August, former Santorini mayor Nikos Zorzos told the Greek Reporter that municipal authorities should be able to establish local tourist access fees 'like Venice did' at tourism hotspots on the island. Mr Zorzos said: 'It is our duty to protect this land from getting its identity altered, and any measures need to be in the direction of ensuring that Santorini will continue to be a great Greek destination.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Popular Greek holiday island to charge cruise passengers hefty tourist tax from today
Cruise holidaymakers will now face a hefty new tourist tax to visit two of Greece 's most popular islands. From Tuesday July 1 2025, cruise passengers will be charged €20/£17.14 to visit Santorini and Mykonos. The new tax will be charged during the peak holiday season, which runs until September 30. It has been introduced to tackle overtourism in some of the country's most popular destinations. Santorini and Mykonos both often become overcrowded during the summer and each receives thousands of cruise tourists a day. The fee was initially set to be introduced on June 1 but was delayed until July after Santorini saw a drop in tourism following the earthquakes earlier this year. Cruise holidaymakers will pay the fee when they disembark the ship and funds raised from the tax will be split between tourism and infrastructure projects. And the islands aren't the only Greek ports where tourists are set to be charged. Cruise passengers will be taxed €5/£4.28 to visit all of Greece's other ports during peak season. In shoulder season (between April 1-May 31 and October 1-31) cruise guests in Santorini and Mykonos will be charged €12/£10.28 and €3/£2.57 at all other ports. The fee for the rest of the year will be €4/£3.43 on the two most popular islands and €1/86p elsewhere. Greece's new tourist tax comes after a record-breaking year for the country's cruise sector. The Hellenic Ports Association (ELIME) recorded 5,490 cruise ships, carrying 7.93 million passengers in Greece in 2024. Piraeus, the port just outside of Athens, saw the highest number of arrivals, with Santorini second and Mykonos rounding off the top three. The tax hasn't been welcomed by the port authorities in Mykonos. Speaking to Greek Reporter, Athanasios Kousathanas-Megas, the president of the Mykonos Port Fund, said that the tax was a 'curse' for the island's economy. He said: 'I believe that the price difference will create problems in choosing a cruise ship from 2026.' Mykonos is expecting to host 900 cruise ships this season with tourist arrivals expected to reach 1.5 million. And cruise passengers are also set to face a tourist tax in another top European destination. Norway has announced that local governments will be able to charge a three per cent levy on overnight stays and cruise ship visitors. The tax is due to launch in the summer of 2026 and has been designed in response to overtourism in the Nordic country. Cecilie Myrseth, Norway's trade and industry minister, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK: 'It is not the case that we have year-round tourism throughout the country, but in some places, there are parts of the year that are particularly demanding, and the expenses that the residents have to pay for are particularly high.'
