Travelling on a budget is easy enough when you book in advance and do some decent planning, but an extra cost you might want to keep in mind is the tourist tax.
Thanks to overtourism, they’re more common than ever in Europe, and a new one has just been announced for cruise passengers who arrive in Mykonos and Santorini.
It came into force on July 1 and means that from now on, anyone arriving at either of those two islands on a cruise ship between June 1 and September 30 will need to pay a €20 visitor levy. However, that’s the peak season price – in October that drops to €12, and then from November 1 to March 31, it’s a mere €4.
Travellers will be asked to pay the fee once they’ve disembarked the ship, and the cash raised will be put towards financing local port and tourism-related projects.
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Mykonos welcomed a whopping 768 cruise ships and 1.29 million tourists in 2024, according to the Hellenic Ports Association. Both islands, which are among Greece’s most popular, are keen to curb the impacts of overtourism and ensure local infrastructure can cope with the ever-growing numbers.
For context, Mykonos has roughly 12,000 permanent residents, and Santorini has 15,000 – figures which pale in comparison to their visitor numbers.
‘This levy was introduced to help support the infrastructure of Greece’s most visited islands and ensure that local communities benefit more directly from cruise tourism,’ said Eleni Scarveli, UK director of the Greek National Tourism Office, to the Independent. ‘It reflects the need for a more sustainable balance between visitor numbers and the capacity of popular destinations like Santorini and Mykonos, while also helping to safeguard the quality of the visitor experience.’
More on travelling to Greece this summer
We love Greece at Time Out, so if you’re planning a trip over the next couple of months, have a look at our guides on the best islands, beaches, hotels and places to visit.
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