Santorini Hoteliers Worry New Measures May Affect Tourism Season

The Santorini Hoteliers Association recently expressed deep concerns about the new measures for the tourism sector presented by the Greek government.

In a statement, the association highlights “serious risks” to the island’s tourism industry, noting that the measures fail to support the local economy or enhance the competitiveness of Santorini’s tourism market. The hoteliers argue that without immediate revisions, the measures could potentially lead to “one of the worst tourism seasons” in recent years.

It is reminded that the newly announced measures include a new levy for cruise passengers and an increase in the climate resilience fee for hotels.

Specifically, a charge of 20 euros per passenger will be applied to cruises arriving at the ports of Santorini and Mykonos during the peak season. For cruises to other Greek ports, a 5-euro charge will apply per passenger from June 1 to September 30. This levy is projected to generate up to 50 million euros annually for the country. The Greek government has stated that these funds will be reinvested into local communities to support infrastructure improvements aimed at enhancing the sustainability and quality of tourist destinations.

Regarding the increase of the climate resilience fee, the charge will rise significantly for April to October, with increases ranging from 0.50 to 5.00 euros.

According to the association, the measures could ultimately harm local businesses and make Santorini less competitive compared to other international tourist destinations in Spain, Turkey, or Italy.

The island’s hoteliers point out that such destinations “regularly upgrade their tourist infrastructure, fostering a more favorable business environment”.

The association urges the Greek government to address the needs of local businesses and revise its plans to ensure that Santorini remains a “leading global tourism destination”, thereby securing the island’s economic sustainability and the survival of those working in the tourism sector.