Greece Rolls Out Cruise Passenger Levy with High Rates for Santorini and Mykonos

Photo © Greek Travel Pages

A new fee will be introduced for cruise passengers at Greek ports, with higher rates for those visiting Santorini and Mykonos.

The levy, announced recently at the Thessaloniki International Fair, was outlined in detail on Monday by Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni during a press conference.

According to the minister, the new levy is part of the Greek government’s efforts to ensure that the economic benefits of tourism are effectively reinvested into Greece’s destinations and local communities. Additionally, the measure aims to ease the pressure caused by high volumes of tourists in certain areas, particularly during peak seasons.

“The issue is not widespread across Greece but is limited to specific areas,” the tourism minister stated.

Santorini, Mykonos to face higher cruise passenger levy

The cruise passenger levy will vary depending on the destination a cruise ship visits. Greece’s popular cruise destinations – Santorini and Mykonos – will incur a higher charge than other destinations.

Specifically, a levy of 20 euros per passenger will apply to Santorini and Mykonos, while other Greek ports will see a 5-euro charge during the peak season, from June 1 to September 30.

In the months of April, May, and October, the levy will be reduced by 40 percent, lowering the charge to 12 euros for Santorini and Mykonos, and to 3 euros for other ports.

From November to March, the levy will be reduced further by 80 percent, bringing it down to 4 euros for Santorini and Mykonos, and to 1 euro for other ports.

New cruise levy to upgrade local port infrastructure

According to the Greek Tourism Ministry, total revenue from the levy is expected to reach 50 million euros. The funds will be allocated to the municipalities of cruise destinations, the Maritime Ministry for critical port infrastructure projects, and the Tourism Ministry for enhancing tourism infrastructure to improve the country’s overall tourism offering.

The funded projects will include:

– Expansion of homeporting facilities.
– Construction of infrastructure to efficiently manage berth allocation and passenger flow on land.
– Incentives to attract smaller, high-end vessels carrying affluent passengers.
– A comprehensive study to evaluate the economic contribution of the cruise industry and its impact on local communities.

When the levy was first announced, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) raised concerns, emphasizing that any new fees should be proportionate to specific port investment needs, apply uniformly to all visitors, and ensure that revenues are directly reinvested into port operations and local communities.

According to CLIA data, the cruise sector has been a success story for Greece, contributing 1.4 billion euros to the economy in 2022.