Greece considers limiting cruise ship visits to combat over-tourism

Greece is considering imposing a cap on the number of cruise ships visiting the country’s most popular islands to mitigate the damage from over-tourism, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview with Bloomberg released Friday.

“I think we’ll do it next year,” Mitsotakis said, adding that new regulations could either restrict the total number of island berths or introduce a bidding process for slots.

According to the report, cruises generated 847.4 million euros in revenue in 2023, more than double the 2022 figure. However, the Greek premier questioned whether the economic benefits from mega cruise vessels outweigh their environmental impact.

Mitsotakis highlighted the Cycladic islands of Santorini and Mykonos, which have become focal points in the debate over the perils of over-tourism, saying they are the ones “that are clearly suffering.”

Santorini saw 800 cruise ship visits in 2023, followed by Mykonos with 749.

“Santorini is the most sensitive, Mykonos will be the second,” Mitsotakis noted.