New £17 travel charge comes into force across popular Greek islands

Exploring the Greek islands by sea just got a little more expensive, after a new set of ‘sustainable tourism fees’ introduced by the country’s government came into effect this week.

Cruise passengers disembarking at Mykonos or Santorini between June 1 and September 30 will now face a fee of €20 (£17.35) each, while those who come ashore throughout the rest of the year will be charged between €4 (£3.47) and €12 (£10.41).

For other ports across Greece’s six island groups, the amount will be €5 (£4.34) in summer, €3 (£2.60) during shoulder season and €1 (87p) in the winter months.

Cruise companies or agents are responsible for declaring accrued fees via a dedicated digital platform, which they will then have to pay quarterly.

If firms don’t pay, port authorities can prohibit further calls of the cruise ship to the Greek islands — and even stop them allowing passengers to disembark.

The measure is designed to curb overtourism in the already crowded Greek islands, with a percentage of the money raised – potentially more than €50 million (£43 million) a year based on current visitor numbers – being funnelled into strained local infrastructure.

Despite only having around 20,000 permanent residents, Santorini sees an estimated 1.3 million cruise passengers arriving on 800 cruise ships annually — up to 17,000 a day during peak times.

Meanwhile, the Hellenic Ports Association reports 768 cruise ships and around 1.29 million tourists visited Mykonos last year.

In 2023, 57% of Greece’s cruise tourism was centered around these two Cyclades islands, and Piraeus, the port city just outside of Athens, according the CLIA. Not only has this influx led to environmental issues like water shortages, many locals claim they’ve been priced out of their homes as a result.

In a press conference announcing the policy back in September, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: ‘Cruise shipping has burdened Santorini and Mykonos and this is why we are proceeding with interventions.’

The move came after a series of warnings from local officials, including Nikos Zorzos, the mayor of Santorini, who said: ‘If you destroy the landscape, one as rich as ours, you destroy the very reason people come here in the first place.’

‘We must set quotas because it’s impossible for an island such as Santorini… to have five cruise ships arriving at the same time,’ added Greece’s tourism minister, Olga Kefalogianni.

Whether cruise firms will pass these new fees on to their customers directly, incorporate them into overall fares or absorb the costs themselves remains to be seen.

However, if you have a cruise booked and it’s stopping in Greece, Will Sarson, cruise expert at Riviera Travel, advises getting in touch with the operator.

‘Thoroughly review the cruise line’s terms and conditions to be aware of what costs are included,’ he says. ‘If you’re still uncertain, contact the cruise line for confirmation. Being aware of what fees have been paid will give you a clearer picture of your finances for the holiday.’

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