Islands beloved by Poles introduce high fees for tourists. Check before you visit
Popular holiday destinations? Poles are very keen to choose the Greek islands of Santorini and Mykonos. This year, it will involve higher costs. A new tourist tax has just been introduced.
We already have holidays , which means that the time for trips, vacations and sightseeing of wonderful places around the world has begun. It is well known that Poles are happy to choose the Greek islands of Santorini and Mykonos. Where does this choice come from? Many connections , beautiful views and... of course Greek cuisine .
However, many popular destinations are facing the problem of so-called overtourism and are trying to combat it in various ways. Among others, by introducing various tourist taxes. A new one has just been announced, which applies to all passengers of cruise ships arriving at the famous islands.
Mykonos / photo: Unsplash, Johnny AfricaAccording to TimeOut , the new regulations came into force on July 1. According to them, every person arriving in Santorini and Mykonos by cruise ship between June 1 and September 30 is required to pay a tourist fee of 20 euros , or about PLN 85.
After the season, it will be lowered. In October, it will be 12 euros, while between November 1 and March 31, only 4 euros. The money that will be collected in this way is to support local projects related to tourism, among others.
Santorini / photo: Unsplash, Dawid TkoczOkay, but where did the idea for introducing such a fee come from? According to the Greek Ports Association , Mykonos received 768 cruise ships and… 1.29 million tourists last year. That’s quite a lot, considering that the island is permanently inhabited by around 12 thousand people, and Santorini, which is equally popular, has around 15 thousand people.
Tourist Taxes: Visit and PayGreek politicians are aware of the popularity of both islands , and the fees introduced are intended to help limit the effects of overtourism and ensure that local infrastructure can cope with the increasing number of visitors.
- This fee was introduced to support the infrastructure of the most visited Greek islands and ensure that local communities benefit more directly from cruise tourism, Eleni Scarveli , director of the Greek National Tourist Office in the UK , told The Independent.
According to her, the new tax is intended to help maintain the highest quality of tourist experiences , which should satisfy all travellers, even if it involves additional costs.
