From 1 July, Greece introduces a new fee for passengers of cruise ships performing in its ports. During the main season – from July 1 to September 30 – will be paid after 20 euros per person for particularly popular destinations on the islands of Santorini and Mykonos and five euros for other Greek ports, He writes TASR.
As the Greek Tourism Ministry announced on Thursday, Outside the main season, these fees will be reduced to 12 euros for Santorini and Mykonos and three euros for other ports. According to the DPA, the authorities expect them to withdraw around 50 million euros they want to use to support sustainable tourism and modernize the port infrastructure.
Greek authorities also want to favor the new fees for smaller cruise ships and prevent the accumulation of large ships in ports in popular holiday destinations. At the same time, the authorities do not expect a reduction in the number of visitors of the Greek islands – only the islands of Santorini and Mykonos welcome more than 1.3 million passengers of cruise ships every year.
“We hope that cruise ship passengers will perceive this moderate fee as a small contribution to preserving the beauty and accessibility of these iconic islands – not as an obstacle to their discovery,” Eleni Skarveliová from the Greek National Tourist Organization. So -called. Tax for cruise ships is part of Greece’s efforts to protect the fragile ecosystems and cultural heritage.
