Tourism on popular Greek islands can be better managed with close collaboration with cruise industry bodies and modernising the local infrastructure, according to the secretary general for the Greek National Tourism Organisation.
Andreas Fiorentinos said it can be “an issue” when multiple cruise lines call at the same island simultaneously.
“The issue has to do with specific days and times,” said Fiorentinos. “When three, four or five cruise ships arrive at the destination it makes it really hard to handle the crowds, and cruise ships are getting bigger.
“When cruise ships come at the same time, berth allocation becomes an issue. It’s not like airlines, which have slots.”
Fiorentinos said island authorities must work with cruise lines and Clia to coordinate ships visiting “our fragile, small islands” to avoid them becoming overwhelmed with tourists.
Greece welcomed more than 5,320 cruise ship passengers in 2023, according to data from its Union of Cruise Ship Owners and Associated Members.
In September, Greece prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis proposed a €20 per passenger levy on cruise ships visiting busy islands like Santorini and Mykonos in the peak season, which could be introduced next year, to tackle overtourism.
On plans to modernise Greece’s infrastructure, Fiorentinos said a €300m boost from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience fund confirmed in June would be used to do this – including upgrading the port of Santorini.
“The Ministry of Maritime Affairs is trying to document the daily capacity of all the islands,” he added.
“The mayor of Santorini raised this issue four to five years ago, and [suggested] putting quotas of people who come on shore. He’s not saying, ‘Don’t visit my island’, but he is making a plea to the cruise lines to have a better berth allocation.”
Fiorentinos continued: “We are encouraging local governments to come up with proposals on how to handle the masses, because they are on the spot – they know better.
“The local government has a responsibility to modernise its infrastructure, if they want to continue to be appealing and user friendly to tourists.”