Greece to tax cruise ship arrivals to protect popular islands from overtourism

Tourists view Santorini’s famed sunset from the Castle of Oia, on Santorini, Greece, July 25, 2024. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/File Photo

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece plans to impose a 20-euro levy on cruise ship visitors to the islands of Santorini and Mykonos during the peak summer season, in a bid to avert overtourism, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday.

Greece relies heavily on tourism, the main driver of the country's economy which is still recovering from a decade-long crisis that wiped out a fourth of its output.