Greece introduces a new arrival fee for cruise tourists!

Greece introduces a new arrival fee for cruise tourists!

Santorini, Griechenland - Greece, one of the most popular destinations for cruise tourists, will introduce a new arrival fee for cruise passengers from July 1st. This is five euros per person for each country gang at a Greek port. On the well-known Kykladen Islands Mykonos and Santorini, tourists even have to pay 20 euros, in the low season the amount is reduced to three euros or 12 euros. The reason for this measure is the increasing burden of mass tourism, which mainly affects small coastal towns, islands and historical cities in the Mediterranean. Almost 3.8 million Germans undertook a cruise in 2024 compared to only 890,000 in 2004, which leads to overcrowding and garbage in the affected regions. In 2022, a total of 1.86 million cruise travelers from all over the world came to Greece, whereby locals are louder and louder that indicate that these tourists contribute little to the local economy, since most of them only stay briefly and eat on board.

The Greek government also plans stricter rules for cruises because overcrowding and environmental problems increase. Mayor Nikos Zorzos from Santorini has presented alarming data on the increasing water consumption figures: from 2012 to 2019, water consumption doubled, with a further increase of 18 percent in the past three years and even 22 percent within one year. According to Zorzos, the local desalination capacities, which were originally designed for 15 years, are only sufficient for five years. In addition, excessive development leads to irreparable damage to the unique landscape of the islands.

governments and companies reacted to the challenges

Prime Minister Kyriako's Mitsotakis has already announced that cruises could be limited in the future. Possible measures include limiting the base places or tender procedures for ships. This is particularly relevant because cruises generated sales of 847 million euros in 2023, which is more than twice as much as in the previous year. However, the challenge remains the exact determination of sales per island, since many ships create in Piraeus and on several islands.

The burden of cruise tourism can be felt particularly on the popular islands of Santorini, Mykonos and Corfu. Despite the economic potential that these tourists bring with them, many travelers often spend the night on board their ships and eat in local restaurants during their stay. This significantly reduces the economic benefit for the islands. Prime Minister Mitsotakis also warns that overcrowding from cruise tourists could deter other visitors.

The voices from the cruise industry are shared. Chris Theophilides, CEO of Celestyal, supports the plans of the Greek government and proposes an improved reservation system for berths. In contrast, Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival, describes the planned restrictions as "unfortunately of course". The trade association for cruise ships (Clia) also plans to extend the cruise season and revise existing berths to meet the challenges of tourism.

Due to the new regulations and developments, the future of cruise tourism in Greece could change decisively for both travelers and the locals. While the tourism industry continues to make a significant contribution to the local economy, the needs of the local population and the environment must also be taken into account in order to promote sustainable development.

For more information about the new fees and their effects on Greek tourism, please read the reports from Watson and Tagesschau .