Greece is taking new measures to combat the problems caused by too much tourism.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced new regulations aimed at easing the density of visitors, especially in well-known tourist areas.
According to the news reported by NTV, these measures include steps such as additional fees to be collected from cruise passengers and increasing accommodation taxes.
‘Overtourism’ raises concerns
Record numbers of visitors continue to come to the country in the post-pandemic period.
While Greece will host 36.1 million visitors in 2023, the number of visitors increased by 16 percent to 11.6 million in the first half of 2024. Contributing approximately 20 percent to the economy, tourism is of vital importance for the country.
In his speech, Mitsotakis reiterated his concerns that some parts of Greece are suffering from “overtourism”.
More money will be taken from popular islands
In his annual speech at the Thessaloniki International Fair yesterday, Mitsotakis said the government was concerned about the influx of cruise passengers during the reasonable months of the year, You are very worried.” and said he would start taking prices.
In addition, according to the regulation, the accommodation tax will also be increased due to the climate crisis. On the other hand, all passengers arriving at Greek ports will pay an additional fee. This fee will be higher on the recognized tourist islands of Santorini and Mykonos. The accommodation tax collected between April and October will also be increased.
The country is also making changes to the program called the “Golden Visa.” Previously, foreigners had to buy property to obtain an unlimited residence visa. According to the new regulation, those who want to obtain this visa will have to invest at least 250 thousand euros in local enterprises.
An end to short-term rentals
Mitsotakis also said that they will ban short-term rentals in three main areas of Athens for at least a year.
He said property owners who convert their leases from short-term to long-term will not have to pay rental tax for three years, and property owners who decide to rent their properties rather than keep them off the market will also not pay rental tax.
Vacation rentals had increased by an average of 28 percent annually from 2019 to 2023. But short-term rentals are fueling the country’s housing crisis, which, along with high consumer prices, has been at the center of recent political debate.
