Latest news with #AthanasiosKousathanas-Megas
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Tourists visiting Greek islands need to pay £17 fee until September 30
Holidaymakers disembarking from ships at Mykonos and Santorini are required to pay €20 each, which is approximately £17.35 Holiday-makers jetting off to a Greek island this summer could face an unwelcome surprise charge. Greece 's fresh 'sustainable tourism fee' has been rolled out by the government to cruise passengers from July 21. In a bid to curb overtourism during peak time, from June 1 to September 30, tourists stepping off ships at Mykonos and Santorini must cough up €20 each - that's £17.35. The levy drops in October and during the shoulder season between April 1 and May 31 to €12 (£10.41). From November 1 to March 31, the cost falls further to €4. Additional charges hit other Greek island ports, with travellers stung for €5 (£4.34) throughout the summer months. During winter, cruise tourists face a €1 (87p) fee, rising to €3 (£2.60) in early spring. Cruise operators must declare and settle the charge every three months. The fresh levies aim to combat overcrowding triggered by tourism. The charge applies per passenger and hits each port where they disembark. Yet, the tax has sparked fury from Mykonos port authorities. Athanasios Kousathanas-Megas, president of the Mykonos Port Fund, branded the tax a 'curse' for the island's economy. Speaking to the Greek Reporter, he said: "I believe that the price difference will create problems in choosing a cruise ship from 2026." What happens if payments aren't made? Cruise companies or agents are responsible for covering the fee, which will be reported through a specific digital platform. Subsequently, they will settle the fees they have accumulated from passenger disembarkations quarterly. If the cruise company fails to make the payment, the port authorities have the right to deny the cruise ship's future visits to the Greek islands and to disembark tourists. Why has the Greek island cruise ship fee been put in place? The fee is part of a broader effort to manage overtourism and generate revenue for infrastructure improvements and environmental initiatives. The tax revenue is meant to support tourism management, finance infrastructure initiatives such as a second port in Santorini, and tackle environmental challenges like wildfires and floods. How many people visit Greece each year? More than 30 million tourists travel to Greece each year. According to Road Genius, Greece welcomed 32.7 million international arrivals in 2023 and continued to increase in 2024 to 35.9 million international visitors, a 14.7 % increase over 2019 and a 9.8% increase over 2023. Santorini reportedly attracts approximately two million visitors annually, while Mykonos is said to attract around 1.5 million tourists every year. In a recent Statista report, Greece was placed sixth on the list of favorite European destinations for upcoming trips among travelers from Europe in 2024. When examining the international tourist arrivals in the country, Germany and the United Kingdom topped the list of inbound travel markets in Greece that year, with Italy and France following closely behind. On July 23, 2024, a social media post by a Santorini city councillor announcing the arrival of 17,000 cruise passengers and advising residents to limit their movements reportedly caused fury. According to media outlets, the post was swiftly taken down, but the idea that locals should curtail their activities because of tourists was met with significant backlash.
Bangkok Post
01-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Greece starts charging tourist tax on cruises
ATHENS - Greece on Tuesday began charging a tax on island cruise ships, the latest European effort to tackle soaring visitor numbers to the continent's most popular destinations. Cruise ships docking at the popular islands of Santorini and Mykonos will pay 20 euros ($23.65 or 765 baht) per passenger. 'In accordance with the law, the tax will be applied in Santorini, Mykonos and other islands in lesser measures,' a finance ministry spokesman told AFP. Cruise ships to smaller islands will pay a tax of 5 euros per passenger, according to the new regulations. Greece hopes to bring in up to 50 million euros a year with the tax, which will apply during the high tourism season, from June 1 to Sept 30. Greece adopted the legislation last year in an effort to curb soaring tourist numbers to often-overcrowded destinations, the latest country in Europe to take such measures. Italian authorities in Venice, one of the world's top tourist destinations, last year introduced payments for day visitors, who must pay an access fee of 5 euros ($5.90) on certain days. In Spain, the government has cracked down on illegal short-term tourist rentals, with sites like Airbnb and ordered to take down thousands of ads amid local alarm about increasingly scarce and unaffordable housing. The hugely popular island of Ibiza in June began limiting the number of incoming tourist cars and caravans because of the increasing numbers of visitors. Locals in Barcelona and elsewhere in Spain, the world's second most-visited country, have held protests against over-tourism. Saturation point Greece plans to use the money raised to upgrade overstrained infrastructure on the islands, including their ports, which are often too small to receive multiple cruise ships at once. Tourism, and the cruise industry in particular, is booming in Greece. Cruise ship passenger numbers surged 13.2% last year to 7.9 million, according to the Hellenic Ports Association, which predicts the trend will continue. Mykonos, known as a party destination for international jet-setters, received nearly 1.3 million visitors last year, up 8.4% from the previous year. Perched on a volcano, Santorini received more than 1.3 million passengers last year, up 4%. The island last year limited cruise ship arrivals to 8,000 passengers per day, yet on the first day of the tax, four ships with around 8,400 passengers were scheduled to dock in Santorini, according to port authority figures. Famed for its sunsets, the island is saturated with tourists in some areas, causing traffic jams, water shortages, waste management headaches and other problems. Some residents also complain about the pollution generated by the ships, while local businesses say passengers often stay just a few hours and spend little. But not everyone is happy with the new tax. The head of the local port authority, Athanasios Kousathanas-Megas, demanded on Friday that the government delay the rollout, complaining the tax creates 'unfair competition' between highly taxed islands and the rest. The cruise industry has hit back at criticism, saying cruise passengers are a small minority of total tourists and generate $2 billion in revenues per year for Greece. Last year, 40.7 million tourists visited Greece, up 12.8% from 2023, according to official figures.
Int'l Business Times
01-07-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Greece Starts Charging Tourist Tax On Cruises
Greece on Tuesday began charging a tax on island cruise ships, the latest European effort to tackle soaring visitor numbers to the continent's most popular destinations. Cruise ships docking at the popular islands of Santorini and Mykonos will pay 20 euros ($23.62) per passenger. "In accordance with the law, the tax will be applied in Santorini, Mykonos and other islands in lesser measures," a finance ministry spokesman told AFP. Cruise ships to smaller islands will pay a tax of five euros per passenger, according to the new regulations. Greece hopes to bring in up to 50 million euros a year with the tax, which will apply during the high tourism season, from June 1 to September 30. Greece adopted the legislation last year in an effort to curb soaring tourist numbers to often-overcrowded destinations, the latest country in Europe to take such measures. Italian authorities in Venice, one of the world's top tourist destinations, last year introduced payments for day visitors, who must pay an access fee of five euros ($5.90) on certain days. In Spain, the government has cracked down on illegal short-term tourist rentals, with sites like Airbnb and ordered to take down thousands of ads amid local alarm about increasingly scarce and unaffordable housing. The hugely popular island of Ibiza in June began limiting the number of incoming tourist cars and caravans because of the increasing numbers of visitors. Locals in Barcelona and elsewhere in Spain, the world's second most-visited country, have held protests against over-tourism. Greece plans to use the money raised to upgrade over-strained infrastructure on the islands, including their ports, which are often too small to receive multiple cruise ships at once. Tourism, and the cruise industry in particular, is booming in Greece. Cruise ship passenger numbers surged 13.2 percent last year to 7.9 million, according to the Hellenic Ports Association, which predicts the trend will continue. Mykonos, known as a party destination for international jet-setters, received nearly 1.3 million visitors last year, up 8.4 percent from the previous year. Perched on a volcano, Santorini received more than 1.3 million passengers last year, up four percent. The island last year limited cruise ship arrivals to 8,000 passengers per day, yet on the first day of the tax, four ships with around 8,400 passengers were scheduled to dock in Santorini, according to port authority figures. Famed for its sunsets, the island is saturated with tourists in some areas, causing traffic jams, water shortages, waste management headaches and other problems. Some residents also complain about the pollution generated by the ships, while local businesses say passengers often stay just a few hours and spend little. But not everyone is happy with the new tax. The head of the local port authority, Athanasios Kousathanas-Megas, demanded on Friday that the government delay the rollout, complaining the tax creates "unfair competition" between highly taxed islands and the rest. The cruise industry has hit back at criticism, saying cruise passengers are a small minority of total tourists and generate $2 billion in revenues per year for Greece. Last year, 40.7 million tourists visited Greece, up 12.8 percent from 2023, according to official figures.
France 24
01-07-2025
- Business
- France 24
Greece starts charging tourist tax on cruises
Cruise ships docking at the popular islands of Santorini and Mykonos will pay 20 euros ($23.62) per passenger. "In accordance with the law, the tax will be applied in Santorini, Mykonos and other islands in lesser measures," a finance ministry spokesman told AFP. Cruise ships to smaller islands will pay a tax of five euros per passenger, according to the new regulations. Greece hopes to bring in up to 50 million euros a year with the tax, which will apply during the high tourism season, from June 1 to September 30. Greece adopted the legislation last year in an effort to curb soaring tourist numbers to often-overcrowded destinations, the latest country in Europe to take such measures. Italian authorities in Venice, one of the world's top tourist destinations, last year introduced payments for day visitors, who must pay an access fee of five euros ($5.90) on certain days. In Spain, the government has cracked down on illegal short-term tourist rentals, with sites like Airbnb and ordered to take down thousands of ads amid local alarm about increasingly scarce and unaffordable housing. The hugely popular island of Ibiza in June began limiting the number of incoming tourist cars and caravans because of the increasing numbers of visitors. Locals in Barcelona and elsewhere in Spain, the world's second most-visited country, have held protests against over-tourism. Saturation point Greece plans to use the money raised to upgrade over-strained infrastructure on the islands, including their ports, which are often too small to receive multiple cruise ships at once. Tourism, and the cruise industry in particular, is booming in Greece. Cruise ship passenger numbers surged 13.2 percent last year to 7.9 million, according to the Hellenic Ports Association, which predicts the trend will continue. Mykonos, known as a party destination for international jet-setters, received nearly 1.3 million visitors last year, up 8.4 percent from the previous year. Perched on a volcano, Santorini received more than 1.3 million passengers last year, up four percent. The island last year limited cruise ship arrivals to 8,000 passengers per day, yet on the first day of the tax, four ships with around 8,400 passengers were scheduled to dock in Santorini, according to port authority figures. Famed for its sunsets, the island is saturated with tourists in some areas, causing traffic jams, water shortages, waste management headaches and other problems. Some residents also complain about the pollution generated by the ships, while local businesses say passengers often stay just a few hours and spend little. But not everyone is happy with the new tax. The head of the local port authority, Athanasios Kousathanas-Megas, demanded on Friday that the government delay the rollout, complaining the tax creates "unfair competition" between highly taxed islands and the rest. The cruise industry has hit back at criticism, saying cruise passengers are a small minority of total tourists and generate $2 billion in revenues per year for Greece. Last year, 40.7 million tourists visited Greece, up 12.8 percent from 2023, according to official figures. © 2025 AFP
