Cruise ship passengers visiting Greek Islands Santorini and Mykonos to be hit with new fee

Taylor Renouf
The Nightly
Cruise ship passengers visiting Greek Islands will cop a new tax fee.
Cruise ship passengers visiting Greek Islands will cop a new tax fee. Credit: Supplied

It’s one of the world’s most popular travel spots and if you have Instagram you’ve likely seen the famous white buildings and pristine waters that make Greece a bucket-list destination.

However, the picturesque Greek Islands are at risk of being destroyed due to mass tourism.

In a bid to combat damage and reduce crowd numbers, the country will introduce a $33 (€20) tourist tax fee for cruise ship passengers visiting Santorini and Mykonos.

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Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the changes on Sunday, saying intervention was needed.

“Greece does not have a structural overtourism problem. . . Some of its destinations have a significant issue during certain weeks or months of the year, which we need to deal with,” Mitsotakis said.

“Cruise shipping has burdened Santorini and Mykonos and this is why we are proceeding with interventions.”

The revenue from the new levy will be returned to local communities and used to fund infrastructure.

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