Greece to impose tax for cruise visitors on popular islands to combat overtourism
Visiting Santorini or Mykonos in Greece could start costing you a little extra as government officials devise a strategy to curb overtourism on the islands.
Greek officials are planning to impose a tax for cruise ship visitors during the peak summer season, according to Reuters.
The tax would be 20 euros ($22) for visitors cruising to Santorini or Mykonos.
ROME COULD CHARGE ENTRY TO HISTORIC LANDMARK IN LATEST ATTEMPT TO TACKLE OVERTOURISM
From January to June, more than 11 million travelers visited Greece, bringing in about $7 million in travel receipts, according to the Bank of Greece.
"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," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said during a press conference, according to Reuters.
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Last year, 209,300 Americans visited Greece, according to the Bank of Greece.
"Cruise shipping has burdened Santorini and Mykonos and this is why we are proceeding with interventions," Mitsotakis added.
The government could also limit the number of cruise ships that arrive at certain destinations, Reuters reported.
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Greece is not the only European country that grapples with overtourism.
The European Parliament stated that "the effects of overtourism are potentially severe and both natural and cultural heritage sites are at risk of losing their appeal as desirable tourism destinations due to it," according to its report titled "Overtourism: impact and possible policy responses."
Venice initiated a pilot program to charge day-trippers an entry fee to reduce the influx on peak days and officials in Rome are drafting a plan to implement allocated time slots at the iconic Trevi Fountain to limit waves of guests while collecting a fee, Fox News Digital reported.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Greece Ministry of Tourism for comment.
Reuters contributed to this report.