21 September 2026
Greece is cracking down on cruise ship tourism to its most popular islands by imposing a €20 levy on visitors to Santorini and Mykonos during peak summer season. The new tax, announced this month, is aimed at reining in overtourism and protecting islands' infrastructure and environment under pressure from ever-rising visitor numbers.
The tiered levy will be collected as passengers disembark, with the highest charge of €20 applying to arrivals between June 1 and September 30. The fee drops to €12 for April to May and October, and €4 for the remaining months. Other Greek ports will face lower, unspecified charges.
"We're introducing this targeted measure because cruise tourism is a major driver of overtourism in these islands," said a spokesperson for the Greek tourism agency. "The revenue will help local communities invest in infrastructure and address issues like coastline erosion, water shortages and waste from cruise passengers."
Alongside the passenger levy, Santorini's cruise arrivals will be capped at 8,000 per day. A Berth Allocation System will distribute docking slots to limit concurrent arrivals. Scheduled cruise ship arrivals for 2026 are projected to drop 18% year-over-year to 595 ships.
These restrictions come as Greece grapples with rising anti-tourist sentiment and mounting pressure on its tourism sector. Cruise ship passenger arrivals have surged 400% since 2010, contributing to overcrowding that's strained islands' infrastructure and caused pollution problems. Other steps taken to manage cruise tourism include environmental impact assessments for cruise arrivals and requirements for cruise companies to share revenue with local governments.
"With this comprehensive approach, we're focused on prioritizing the islands' sustainability while managing a tourism sector that has more than doubled in a decade," said the agency spokesperson. "But the levy may impact cruise operators who rely on steady passenger volumes throughout the year."
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