Greece Simply Added New Charges for Vacationers Visiting Its Most Standard Islands

Exploring widespread Greek islands simply bought dearer for cruise passengers.

That is as a result of the Greek authorities is now charging a disembarkation payment for vacationers heading to the nation’s islands. Cruise passengers to the Greek islands of Santorini and Mykonos are actually liable for a €20 ($23.41) payment, whereas cruise vacationers to all remaining islands—together with Crete and Rhodes—will incur a €5 ($5.85) payment, in accordance with EuroNews.

These charges are in impact by Sept. 30. After that, the payment will drop to €12 ($14.07) for Mykonos and Santorini and €3 ($3.52) for all different ports in October and from April 1 by Could 31.

A number of cruise strains both didn’t reply to requests for remark from Journey + Leisure on how the payment can be paid or directed this reporter to the Cruise Strains Worldwide Affiliation (CLIA). A consultant for CLIA additionally didn’t instantly reply to a number of requests for remark.

The Greek islands are among the many hottest on the planet for cruise passengers with a number of main cruise strains providing journeys there, together with Carnival, Movie star Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Virgin Voyages. 

On Royal Caribbean, for instance, vacationers can guide packages just like the “Final Santorini Day” or a kayaking journey to discover the great thing about the island from the water. 

“Santorini is among the world’s hottest islands, recognized finest for its dramatic surroundings, whitewashed villages and fiery volcanic exercise,” Royal Caribbean wrote concerning the Greek island. “Right here journey bubbles above the Aegean Sea in essentially the most daring and breathtaking methods.”

The brand new charges are being applied with the hope it could assist handle overcrowding, which is particularly prevalent on the islands. Final yr, greater than 7.9 million cruise ship passengers arrived in Greece, in accordance with information from the Hellenic Ports Affiliation, a greater than 13% improve in comparison with 2023.

Greece just isn’t alone in imposing charges on cruise ship passengers, a apply that has turn out to be considerably of a brand new pattern. Mexico, for instance, applied a brand new $5 payment on cruise ship passengers earlier this month. That payment will improve to as a lot as $21 per passenger by August 2028.

Past cruises, a number of European locations have additionally applied tourism charges as a solution to handle crowds and drive ancillary income. The Italian metropolis of Venice, for example, began charging as a lot as €10 ($11.73) per individual for day trippers who don’t have an in a single day reservation.