Cruise industry warns of potential impact of fee
The cruise industry has voiced its opposition to the fee the government said it will impose as of 2025 on cruise ports of call, reaching up to 20 euros per person for Mykonos and Santorini.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said that while it understands the motives of the government and shares the need for diversification of destinations and decongestion of some islands, it calls on Athens to “consider the potential economic impact of the new passenger fee on cruise tourism.”
It stresses that next year Santorini and Mykonos will have the berth management systems introduced, so CLIA would at least recommend the new fee starts applying as of 2026 instead, “allowing the impact of these systems to be taken into consideration.”
It also notes that in any case there should be “meaningful consultation with cruise operators, impacted municipalities, ports and tourism stakeholders.”
