A growing number of Greek island municipalities are calling on the government to allow the introduction of a small entry fee for day-trippers, aiming to better manage the rising cost of mass tourism on destinations that attract thousands of visitors who do not stay overnight.

The proposal, first raised this summer by the mayor of Symi, Lefteris Papakalodoukas, has now gathered momentum across the South Aegean Region, where 34 islands – 19 in the Cyclades and 15 in the Dodecanese – have joined forces under the Regional Union of Municipalities of the South Aegean (ΠΕΔ Ν. Αιγαίου) to seek legislative approval for a compensatory “day-visitor fee.”

The Union has commissioned Dr. Michail Papageorgiou, Assistant Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law at the University of Athens, to prepare a detailed legal framework supporting the proposal. Once complete, the plan will be submitted to the central government for consideration.

Increasing Strain on Small Islands

On the small but popular island of Symi, between 1,000 and 5,000 visitors arrive daily during the summer months, many on short excursions from Rhodes, nearby islands, or Turkey. Mayor Papakalodoukas has suggested a fee of €3 per person, noting that the island welcomes over 300,000 day visitors annually but receives no revenue from them, as they do not pay the overnight accommodation tax that funds local services.

“Our aim is not to burden residents further with the costs of supporting over 300,000 day visitors a year,” he told Kathimerini. “At the moment, all our municipal staff and fleet of garbage trucks are focused on clearing waste at the port, leaving neighborhoods underserved. We need new refuse trucks and fuel – all due to the extra burden of day-trippers. We welcome these visitors, of course, but we cannot keep raising local taxes.”

The idea has found support beyond the Aegean. The municipalities of Paxos and Ithaca in the Ionian Sea are considering similar measures, while Naxos has already increased water and municipal fees to cope with comparable pressures.

Not everyone is convinced. Local businesses worry that an entry fee might deter tourists, while the South Aegean Regional Governor, Giorgos Hatzimarkos, argues that municipalities must first strengthen accountability in managing existing revenues.

Meanwhile, the central government has allocated €5.6 billion for island infrastructure and sustainability projects under EU funding programs for 2026–2032. However, local officials stress that these long-term investments do little to ease the immediate strain of day tourism on waste, water, and energy systems.

Following Europe’s Example

Similar measures have already been implemented abroad. Venice now charges €5 per day visitor during peak periods, and Spain’s Balearic Islands apply a “Sustainable Tourism Tax.” Greece has introduced a climate resilience fee for hotel stays and short-term rentals but not for day visitors – who continue to arrive in their thousands at hotspots such as Santorini, Symi, Mykonos, and Paxos.

In Santorini, where cruise passengers already pay around €20 to disembark, mayor Nikos Zorzos has urged the government to extend such rules to all day-trippers, capping daily arrivals at 8,000. For now, though, the proposal for a broader “day-visitor fee” remains under discussion – and may soon test how Greece balances tourism growth with the sustainability of its beloved islands.

Source: moneyreview.gr