Greece plans measures that will impact tourists

Spread the love


Now, Athens is signaling to foreign tourists that they may need to pay extra on certain islands.

Greece is planning to introduce a 20$ tax for tourists visiting popular islands like Santorini & Mykonos. This was announced by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who explained that the tax is aimed at curbing the excessive tourism that has been straining these destinations.

“Greece doesn’t have a structural problem with over-tourism. However, certain destinations face significant challenges during specific weeks or months that need to be addressed. The cruise ship traffic is overwhelming Santorini and Mykonos, which is why we’ve decided to take action,” Mitsotakis stated.

Santorini, known for its picturesque villages and beaches, has around 20,000 permanent residents. However, they are increasingly complaining about the overwhelming number of visitors, which they say is affecting their quality of life.

The number of foreign tourists on the island continues to grow. Last year, according to the mayor, Nikos Zorzos, approximately 3.4 million people visited Santorini, placing heavy pressure on the island’s aging infrastructure and driving locals out of the housing market.

Zorzos has been urging authorities for years not to approve any more tourist accommodations and suggested limiting the number of cruise ship visitors to 8,000 per day, down from the current daily average of 17,000.

Additional Measures

The Greek Prime Minister also announced other measures to regulate tourism, such as setting a limit on the number of cruise ships that can dock at certain ports and introducing stricter protections for water resources.

The government is also looking to clamp down on the short-term rental sector. Taxes on these rentals are expected to increase, and in Athens, the state will halt issuing new licenses for tourist accommodations.

Tourism is a critical driver of Greece’s economy. Last year, 33 million tourists visited the country, generating 20 billion euros in revenue.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

WORLD

Major Wildfires: Montenegro Requests International Assistance

Spread the love

Spread the loveThe Montenegrin government is under fire for how it’s managing the ongoing wildfires, but it’s turning its attention to international collaboration, seeking help from NATO and the EU. On Monday, Montenegro officially reached out for international assistance to tackle the relentless wildfires through NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre, the EU Civil Protection […]

Read More
WORLD

Lithuania Launches New Program to Teach Citizens How to Build and Operate Drones

Spread the love

Spread the loveLithuania’s Ministry of Defense is kicking off an exciting new training program aimed at teaching everyone, including schoolchildren, how to build and fly drones. The initiative is designed to bolster the country’s defense capabilities, with a goal of training over 22,000 participants by 2028, according to DPA. This September, the program will launch […]

Read More
WORLD

Helicopter Strikes Power Lines Over Mississippi River, Killing Two

Spread the love

Spread the loveA helicopter flying over the Mississippi River in Illinois tragically crashed into power lines on Thursday, hitting a barge and bursting into flames. Sadly, officials confirmed that two people on board lost their lives. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the incident took place around 11:00 a.m. local time (6:00 p.m. CET), […]

Read More