Saturday, August 2, 2025
US, Italy, and Spain cruise travelers visiting Greece are now subject to new tourism charges as the country enforces a cruise tax at high-traffic destinations like Santorini and Mykonos. Royal Caribbean has begun applying the fee to itineraries that include Greek ports, though passengers who stay onboard during these stops will receive automatic refunds. The tax is part of Greece’s broader initiative to manage overtourism, preserve island resources, and regulate cruise traffic through a newly introduced digital port allocation system.
Greece Rolls Out New Cruise Tax and Port Management System to Combat Overtourism on Iconic Islands

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Greece officially introduced a new cruise tax on August 1, 2025, adding an extra charge for travelers visiting the country’s renowned islands by sea. The new measure is part of a growing national strategy to control overcrowding in popular coastal destinations like Santorini and Mykonos, which have struggled with the pressures of mass tourism.
This cruise tax, originally proposed in 2024, has now become a formal policy. Passengers booked on itineraries that include Greek ports began receiving notifications from Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines in July. As part of their updated policy, Royal Caribbean stated that any guest who chooses not to disembark in Greek ports will receive an automatic refund of the tax to their SeaPass account by the end of their sailing.

Santorini and Mykonos Take Center Stage in Greece’s New Cruise Tax Initiative

At the heart of this new tax policy are Greece’s two most visited cruise destinations: Santorini and Mykonos. These iconic islands are well-known for their postcard-worthy scenery, cliffside towns, and bustling summer crowds. However, their popularity has come at a cost.
In 2023, more than 800 cruise ships docked in Santorini, bringing over 1.3 million passengers to the island’s picturesque coastline. As a result, the island saw 63 days that year classified as “peak cruise days.” In response to growing concerns about capacity and environmental sustainability, this number was cut to 48 days in 2024, showing Greece’s attempt to ease the pressure.
Mykonos has also faced similar strains. Known for its whitewashed houses, azure waters, and glamorous nightlife, it has long been a magnet for cruise passengers. The influx of daily visitors, however, often overwhelms local infrastructure and resources during peak season.

Digital Port Scheduling to Spread Out Cruise Arrivals

To improve cruise ship scheduling and ease overcrowding at its ports, the Greek government is launching a new digital system to allocate berths more efficiently. This new platform will organize and spread out ship arrivals to ensure that multiple large vessels don’t dock at the same time in a single port.
The system will assign docking slots based on several criteria, including environmental performance, ship size, and length of stay. Longer stays will be favored over quick visits, with the goal of promoting slower, more meaningful tourism while reducing the logistical headaches caused by mass debarkations in short windows.
This digital system will help distribute visitor numbers more evenly and avoid the high-impact peaks that stress port cities and fragile island environments.

Balancing Tourism with Environmental Protection

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has consistently stressed the importance of maintaining a careful balance between fostering tourism and safeguarding the nation’s environmental integrity. Many Greek islands face water shortages, especially in summer, and increased tourism puts added strain on water, energy, and waste management systems.
Mitsotakis has called for policies that respect the carrying capacity of each island. “We cannot afford to destroy what we are trying to promote,” he noted earlier this year, referencing the long-term sustainability of Greece’s tourism economy.
The cruise tax, along with the digital port management system, forms a broader strategy to address these challenges while still supporting Greece’s vital tourism sector.

Hotel Guests Also Affected by New Lodging Tax Increase

The new cruise levy is not the only change travelers will face. Greece has also raised its lodging tax for hotel guests and short-term rental visitors. This higher fee is effective during the peak travel months of April through October, applying to accommodations across all categories.
From luxury resorts to budget apartments, properties will now charge a higher per-night tax, aimed at helping local governments manage the rising costs of tourism infrastructure, waste disposal, and public services during the high season.
The lodging tax hike mirrors steps taken by other countries in Europe where overtourism has become a pressing concern, especially in cities and islands that rely heavily on seasonal visitor spending.

Greece’s Economy Tied Closely to Tourism

Tourism remains one of Greece’s most important economic drivers. In 2023, the country welcomed over 31 million international visitors, generating an estimated €20 billion in tourism-related revenue. That makes the sector critical to national GDP, job creation, and regional development.
However, as the global cruise industry rebounds from pandemic-era lows and demand rises beyond 2019 levels, destinations like Greece are being forced to reconsider their long-term strategies. The aim is to avoid the consequences of uncontrolled tourism—such as degraded landscapes, traffic chaos, and local resident dissatisfaction.

Rising Global Awareness of Overtourism

Greece’s moves come at a time when overtourism is a hot-button issue across Europe. In recent months, large-scale protests have taken place in Santorini, Venice, and Barcelona, where residents are urging authorities to place limits on daily tourist numbers, cruise ship access, and short-term rentals.
These calls have grown louder as cruise traffic resumes at full speed. Many argue that while tourism brings economic benefits, it also erodes community life, strains public services, and contributes to environmental damage.
US, Italy, and Spain cruise passengers heading to Greece will now pay more as Royal Caribbean begins charging a new island tax on popular stops like Santorini and Mykonos. The move comes amid government efforts to fight overtourism and protect island infrastructure.
In this context, Greece’s new cruise tax and smart port scheduling may become a model for how other Mediterranean countries manage visitor flow while still preserving their cultural and natural heritage.

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Tags: cruise tax, Greece tourism, mediterranean cruises, Travel News

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