Santorini, with a population of around 15,500, received around 1.3 million cruise passengers out of 3.4 million total tourists in 2022.
Incidents of up to 11,000 cruise passengers arriving in a single day, with as many as seven cruise ships docking at once accommodating over 14,000 passengers, led to long waiting times at popular viewpoints.
Authorities in Santorini are considering restrictions to control large tourist flows, as the unique landscape should not be further developed, according to the mayor.
Some local entrepreneurs oppose the cruise passenger restriction, suggesting staggering ship arrivals instead.
Similar restrictions on mass tourism are being considered in other parts of Europe, with measures like limiting tour groups in Venice and potentially banning Airbnb rentals in Barcelona being discussed.
The Greek Prime Minister has mentioned the possibility of setting restrictions on cruise ship arrivals in Greece next year.
High-ranking Greek officials discussed limiting cruises to the island, as imposing limits on cruise arrivals is challenging this year, but efforts are being made to reduce peak days and regulate cruise tourism through measures like new port construction and better regulations.
Sources: NBC News, Dagbladet, DW, Hürriyet Daily News, Times of India, O Antagonista, Helsingin Sanomat, Daily Express, Ekathimerini.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
