- Emmy ratings pick up with historic 'Shogun' wins
- Washington, Madrid, Prague seek information on nationals held in Venezuela
- Pakistani pleads not guilty in alleged Iran plot to kill US official
- Drug-resistant superbugs projected to kill 39 million by 2050
- London Fashion Week: Burberry gives the trench coat a streetwear edge
- US woman died after abortion ban delayed her medical care: report
- Chiles' attorneys file Swiss appeal to overturn Olympic medal agony
- Intel delays Germany, Poland chip factories for two years
- Brady's Birmingham beat Reynolds' Wrexham in 'Hollywood derby'
- UN chief condemns 'collective punishment' of Palestinians
- Chiefs running back Pacheco suffers leg fracture: team
- Ronaldo misses Al Nassr draw in Asian Champions League opener
- Murdoch media empire succession drama plays out in US tribunal
- Players ignored in loaded football season, says Liverpool's Alisson
- Philippines says disputed reef 'not lost' to China despite pullout
- England's Curry 'curled up and cried' after serious injury
- Glamorgan approach Hollywood's Reynolds and McElhenney over Hundred investment
- League Cup still 'significant' for Man Utd boss Ten Hag
- Brazil's farmers fret over fires and drought
- Top Biden aide says US economy at 'turning point'
- US military says withdrawal from Niger is complete
- Bayern set sights on dream home Champions League final
- Toll hits 17 as Storm Boris lashes central Europe
- Hamas chief says ready for 'long war' in Gaza
- Suspect in Trump assassination attempt charged with gun crimes
- Iran's new president vows to ensure morality police don't 'bother' women
- Australia put teenage quick Beardman on standby for England ODIs
- Americans, Swiss snatch lifeline in Louis Vuitton Cup
- Trump blames Biden and Harris 'rhetoric' for assassination bids
- Ex-BBC anchor avoids jail over 'repugnant' images of children
- Brentford forward Wissa out for 'a couple of months'
- Titanic shipbuilder sinks back into trouble
- Where in the world is closest to becoming a '15-minute city'?
- Russia evacuates border villages in Kursk region
- US election in newly volatile territory after Trump alleged assassination bid
- France probes online threats against Afghan taekwondo fighter
- Sinner hires Djokovic's ex-fitness coach after dope test row
- Swifties raise $40k in wake of Trump post hating on star
- Fear and tears as Storm Boris wrecks Czech town
- Penpix of candidates to succeed Bach as IOC President
- Azerbaijan Grand Prix - three things we learned
- AC Milan midfielder Bennacer out for four months
- British politics and fashion collide at London Fashion Week
- French YouTuber hits peak with Everest documentary
- Athletics legend Coe vies with six rivals for IOC presidency
- Bellingham, Tchouameni back for Madrid's Champions League opener
- Stock markets diverge before Fed as China woes weigh
- French jihadist linked to Charlie Hebdo attackers goes on trial
- Bombshell as France's Breton slams door on EU commission
- African players in Europe: Wissa 22-second goal in vain
Greece to hike fee for cruise passengers to Mykonos and Santorini
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Sunday announced that a fee of 20 euros will be imposed on cruise passengers visiting the popular islands of Mykonos and Santorini.
The tourist island of Santorini with its volcanic caldera is a favourite stopover for cruises, with its sea-blue church domes and world-famous sunsets.
But at peak times parts of the island are nearing saturation, and officials have been considering various restrictions.
Asked about overtourism at the Thessaloniki International Fair, Mitsotakis said Greece has a "a problem in certain destinations some weeks or some months of the year" in terms of tourism.
"The cruise industry has put a strain on Santorini and Mykonos, so the fee will be 20 euros," he added.
Last year some 800 cruise ships brought some 1.3 million passengers to the island of just 15,500 residents, according to the Hellenic Ports Association.
A record 32.7 million people visited Greece last year, and of those around 3.4 million, or one in 10, went to the island.
Mitsotakis said that the government would also be "bold" on intervening on the number of ships arriving at a specific destination at the same time.
"It is important to observe sustainability rules in everything that is built from now on," he told reporters.
"To put the brakes on islands where we believe that the situation has reached a point where the infrastructure limits are actually being tested."
In an AFP interview earlier this summer, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni also said there was a need to set quotas, with local officials already setting an overall limit of 8,000 cruise passengers per day from next year for Santorini.
"It's impossible for an island such as Santorini... to have five cruise ships arriving at the same time," she said.
However, the prime minister also cautioned Sunday that it was "dangerous to present Greece as a country that is hostile to tourism."
In 2023, 13 percent of Greece's GDP came from tourism.
Greece and its crystal-clear waters are firmly back on the global travel map after a 10-year debt crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last year, the highest number ever visited the Mediterranean country despite deadly fires and a long heatwave.
Kefalogianni told AFP that 2024 was set to be "another record year".
Nogueira--PC