According to a report from Reuters, the Greek government is planning to charge a 20 euro per guest tax on cruise ships arriving at the islands of Santorini and Mykonos during the peak summer season.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, the country’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the initiative is aimed at combating overtourism.

Mitsotakis stated that only a few of its destinations are currently being affected by excessive tourism.

“Greece does not have a structural overtourism problem … Some of its destinations have a significant issue during certain weeks or months of the year, which we need to deal with,” he explained.

Mitsotakis noted that cruise ships have overburdened Santorini and Mykonos, leading to the government’s intervention.

A portion of the revenues from the planned cruise tax will be returned to the local communities to be invested in infrastructure, he added.

Additional details of the project are expected to be released soon, with the new tax reportedly being introduced in 2025.

As previously announced, the Greek government also plans to regulate the number of calls in certain destinations, limiting the number of passengers ashore at the same time.

The measure complements other rules to protect the environment and tackle water shortages on islands, Mitsotakis said.

In June, the government announced a plan to put a cap on cruise ship visits by limiting the availability of berths and anchoring slots on selected destinations.

Cruise lines would need to participate in new bidding processes slots for their vessels, he explained.