Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced plans last weekend to introduce a 20 Euros (AU$33) levy on cruise ship visitors to the popular tourist islands of Santorini and Mykonos over the peak summer season. The strategy aims to tackle the issue of over tourism facing those islands.

In 2023, Santorini welcomed 800 cruise ships carrying 1.3 million visitors onboard. During summer, the destination host more than 17,000 cruise ship visitors every day. That compares to the population of Santorini which sits at 15,500.

“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,” PM Mitsotakis said.

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

The Greek government also plans to limit the number of cruise ships that arrive simultaneously at certain docks. For Santorini, the number of ship passengers will be capped at 8,000 per day.

Mitsotakis said part of the revenues from the cruise shipping tax will be reinvested into the local communities and infrastructure.

The cruise levy will be introduced by the summer of 2025. Greece is also increasing fees on hotels and short-term rentals during the peak season, from April to October.