Cruise passengers will need to pay 20 euros (AUD$33) Greek visitors charge to visit Santonrini and Mykonos.
The Greek visitors charge comes after the Greek Prime Minister took aim at the industry, saying cruise ships have contributed to overtourism in the region.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said of the charge: “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,” he said.
“Cruise shipping has burdened Santorini and Mykonos and this is why we are proceeding with interventions,” he added.
And he has a point.
It’s all about management. Something that is sorely missing in Santorini. Who hasn’t watched the poor donkeys’ carting overweight tourists up the hill to the town and asked: Why are there so many people being funelled into this small, but beautiful community.
We were on board on board an Azamara ship last year when the captain told us he had diverted from Santorini after seeing there were five ships already booked for the port.
“I’ve heard of people fainting after standing for two hours in 30+ degrees for the cable car,” he explained.
You can read the report here.
Mitsotakis outlined that the money from the new tariff would be put towards local infrastructure and communities.
“A significant part of this specific revenue will return to the local communities. It is important for them to be better organised, to support their infrastructure against the burden they receive every summer.”
Greece is an extremely popular tourism destination, with 11.6 million visitors touching down between January and June this year, and over 1.3 million cruise ship visitors getting off at Santorini last cruise season.
Santorini saw as many 17,000 passengers per day during the peak of the most recent cruise season, a figure higher than the islands 16,000 population. Reports were aplenty of tourists and locals stuck shoulder to shoulder just trying to navigate through the narrow streets of the island.
For this reason Santorini is planning to limit cruise ship visitors to 8000 per day, which is set to start next year. This cap has been previously imposed but was later dissolved.
Our own experience tells us this is a good move. Santorini is a town with narrow streets, steps and cobble stones. It’s not for everyone. But thanks to Instagram and Tik Tok, everyone wants to go.
Cruise lines and travel companies exist to give people what they want. So you can’t expect them to deny a paying customer.
That’s the job of governments voted into power to safeguard local people and balance the good that comes from tourism with the bad.
If you want to go to Santorini or Mykonos, go during the shoulder season. Local people will be glad to see you, and prices will be reasonable.
Read more here
