A new disembarkation fee for all cruise ship passengers comes into effect today across all Greek islands, with Mykonos and Santorini hit the hardest. The measure is part of a Greek government initiative to combat overtourism, raise funds for ports and municipalities, and improve local infrastructure.
The disembarkation fee is structured according to seasonal demand. During the high season, from 1 June to 30 September, each passenger is charged €20 ($23.55) for Mykonos and Santorini, and €5 ($5.89) at all other ports.
In the shoulder seasons, defined as 1 April to 31 May and 1 October to 31 October, the fee is reduced to €12 ($14.13) for Mykonos and Santorini, and €3 ($3.53) for other ports.
For the low (winter) season, spanning from 1 November to 31 March, the charge is set at €4 ($4.71) and for all other Greek ports €1 ($1.18).
The funds raised, estimated at between €50 to €100 million (approximately $59 -$118 million) annually, will be allocated to port municipalities, to the ports themselves and towards general infrastructure improvements.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had initially announced the policy in September 2024 at the Thessaloniki International Fair.
“Greece does not have a structural overtourism problem,” he had stated then. “It has a localized problem in certain destinations during some weeks or months of the year. Cruise tourism has burdened Santorini and Mykonos, which is why the fee will be 20 euros.”
In his reasoning for the disembarkation fee, Mitsotakis cited the disproportionate strain cruise ship tourism places on Greece’s local infrastructure, compared to the economic benefit that it provides, at least under the current model followed by most operators.
The new measure is not without criticism from local authorities who voiced their concerns, pointing out the huge disparity in disembarkation fees of Mykonos, Santorini compared to other Greek islands during the high season.
Municipalities and port authorities are reportedly receiving only a third of the collected fees, while there is reportedly no clear plan yet for how these funds will be distributed by the government.
