20-Euro Fee Imposed on Cruise Ship Passengers During Peak Season
Variable Charges by Visit Period Aim to Disperse Tourists
Starting in July, cruise ship passengers visiting Santorini and Mykonos, two of Greece's most popular tourist destinations, will be required to pay a tourist tax of 20 euros (approximately 32,000 won) per person. This measure was introduced by the Greek government in response to the surge in tourist numbers in recent years, which has led to severe environmental degradation and overwhelming strain on local infrastructure.
According to Yonhap News, citing the Greek daily Kathimerini on June 23 (local time), a tourist tax will be imposed from next month on cruise ship passengers visiting Santorini and Mykonos. The report stated that during the peak summer season (June 1 to September 30), cruise ship passengers visiting these islands will be required to pay 20 euros per person. The new tax is expected to have a significant impact on both the cruise industry and tourists.
This policy applies only during the summer peak season, and the fee will be reduced to 1 euro during the off-season. Even during the peak season, passengers visiting islands other than Santorini and Mykonos will only need to pay 5 euros.
Santorini and Mykonos are islands in the Aegean Sea famous for their blue-domed churches and sunset views over the ocean. They are known as some of the most popular Mediterranean cruise destinations in the world. In 2023 alone, approximately 1.3 million tourists visited Santorini by cruise ship.
In recent years, the explosive increase in cruise ship tourists has led to serious social and environmental problems in the region, including overcrowding, environmental destruction, and water shortages. In response, the Greek government plans to introduce the tourist tax to encourage the dispersal of tourists and promote sustainable tourism. Part of the revenue from the tourist tax will be used to expand essential infrastructure in local communities.
In 2023, Greece attracted about 32.7 million tourists, generating 20 billion euros (approximately 31.894 trillion won) in tourism revenue. This accounts for roughly 13% of Greece's gross domestic product (GDP), making tourism a core industry of the Greek economy.
Meanwhile, world-famous tourist destinations have also begun introducing tourist taxes as they struggle with overtourism caused by surging visitor numbers. Since last year, Venice, Italy has started charging a 5-euro entry fee to day-trippers, while cities such as Barcelona in Spain and Amsterdam in the Netherlands also collect tourist taxes as part of accommodation fees.
The provincial government of Bali, Indonesia, has also been imposing a tourist tax of 150,000 rupiah (about 13,000 won) on foreign visitors since February last year. In Japan, authorities are reportedly considering raising the current "International Tourist Tax" from 1,000 yen (about 9,660 won) to between 3,000 and 5,000 yen (about 29,000 to 48,000 won).
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