Tourism|According to the Greek Prime Minister, the tourist flows burden the infrastructure of the islands of Santorini and Mykonos and cause environmental problems.
Greece plans to impose a fee of 20 euros on cruise passengers visiting the islands of Santorini and Mykonos, said the country’s prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Sunday.
Last year, about 800 ships brought about 1.3 million passengers to the island of Santorini, which has a population of only about 15,500. In total, about 3.4 million people visited the island, or about one in ten people who visited Greece last year.
According to the Prime Minister, tourist flows burden the islands’ infrastructure. In addition, emissions from ships cause environmental problems.
“It is important to take sustainability regulations into account in everything we build from now on,” Mitsotákis said, according to AFP.
Already before was decidedthat a maximum of 8,000 cruise passengers per day will be allowed to visit Santorini next year.
Last In 2018, a record 32.7 million people visited Greece, even though the country suffered from devastating wildfires and long heat waves in the summer.
Greek Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogiánni has predicted to AFP that the current tourism year will break the country’s record again.
Tourism generated 13 percent of Greece’s GDP last year. Prime Minister Mitsotákis warned on Sunday that it is dangerous to present Greece as “a country hostile to tourism”.
Tourists it has been decided to limit the number this year in other popular European travel destinations as well.
For example in Venice has been decided limit the size of tourist groups arriving in the city to a maximum of 25 people. In addition, a large part of day visitors to the city’s historic center will be charged a fee of five euros during the tourist season.
In Barcelona, on the other hand going to ban renting out Airbnb apartments popular with tourists to free up apartments for locals.
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