UK holidaymakers travelling to two popular Greek islands via cruise ship will soon face a tax, it has been revealed.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister of Greece, explained that the new measures were designed to tackle overtourism on the islands of Santorini and Mykonos.
The European nation’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, but certain areas are under threat, such as Santorini.
In 2023, Greece benefited from roughly €20 billion in tourist revenue following almost 31 million arrivals, but the new cruise ship tax will be set at €20 in the summer season, slightly less than £17.
Mr Mitsotakis said in a press conference: “Greece does not have a structural over-tourism problem… Some of its destinations have a significant issue during certain weeks or months of the year, which we need to deal with.”
As reported by the Telegraph, he went on to say: “Cruise shipping has burdened Santorini and Mykonos and this is why we are proceeding with interventions.”
It follows widespread protests against overtourism across Europe, particularly in Spain, where locals took to the streets in popular tourist destinations, including Barcelona, Tenerife, Majorca and the Balearic Islands.
Locals have been feeling frustrated that overtourism has made it difficult for people to continue living locally, with protesters blaming overtourism for housing and rental costs.
It was reported this month that protesters viewed the rise in prices as being the result of a surge in short-term holiday lets and apartments used by tourists.
Santorini has seen similar calls for restrictions on tourism, with Mr Mitsotakis revealing that part of the revenue from the tax would be funnelled back into communities in the form of infrastructure investment.
In addition, he said the government intends to address the number of ships arriving in specific areas at the same time and that measures must be introduced to safeguard the environment and combat water shortages.
The prime minister also said that Greece wishes to raise a tax on short-term rentals and scrap new licences in Athens to help permanent residents.
In April, it was reported local authorities in Venice had introduced a £4.29 (€5) tourist tax, but on the first day, protesters took to the streets with placards to voice their concerns over the measure.
Some argued that the new tax transformed the city into a “theme park”, with one banner reading “Veniceland”. Meanwhile, others read: “No to the ticket, yes to homes and services for everyone” and “Stop speculating on Venice”.