The Ionian islands of Paxos and Ithaki are exploring the introduction of a modest “landing fee” for day-trippers, as growing tourist numbers put increasing pressure on local infrastructure and services.

Each summer, thousands of visitors descend on Paxi for just a few hours, with total arrivals in July and August alone estimated at around 240,000. For an island of just a few thousand permanent residents, the imbalance is becoming unmanageable.

On Paxi, Mayor Spyridon Vlachopoulos told Kathimerini that he is prepared to bring the proposal before the municipal council, should the Ministry of the Interior authorize the introduction of such a fee.

On neighboring Ithaki, Mayor Dionysis Stanitsas said his island would evaluate the possibility once the peak season winds down at the end of August. Both mayors are watching developments on Symi, the Dodecanese island that recently became the first to officially request permission from the government to charge day-trippers a €3 entry fee.

Symi currently receives between 300,000 and 500,000 visitors annually; the vast majority of whom do not stay overnight and therefore don’t contribute to local revenues via accommodation taxes. Yet they still place a heavy burden on essential services, particularly at the port.

“Our goal is not to further burden residents and the local community,” Symi’s mayor, Eleftherios Papakalodoukas, told Kathimerini. “Right now, all municipal employees and the island’s entire fleet of garbage trucks are focused on managing the situation at the port. Residents in other parts of the island, who pay municipal taxes, are not receiving the services they’re entitled to.”

He added: “We welcome visitors, of course, but we can’t keep raising local taxes to accommodate them.”

Former Deputy Mayor of Tourism on Paxos, Giorgos Lychnos, said the idea is gaining momentum and is likely to secure the backing of the Ionian Islands Regional Authority in the near future.

Across Europe, similar charges are already in place in destinations such as Venice and the Balearic Islands, where they are often described as “sustainable tourism taxes.” In Greece, a climate levy applies to overnight stays in hotels, but no equivalent currently exists for short-term visitors.

As the summer season peaks, island authorities hope that a small, targeted fee could offer a fairer and more sustainable path forward – one that supports both residents and visitors alike.

The Ionian islands of Paxos and Ithaki are exploring the introduction of a modest “landing fee” for day-trippers, as growing tourist numbers put increasing pressure on local infrastructure and services.

Each summer, thousands of visitors descend on Paxos for just a few hours, with total arrivals in July and August alone estimated at around 240,000. For an island of just a few thousand permanent residents, the imbalance is becoming unmanageable.

On Paxos, Mayor Spyridon Vlachopoulos told Kathimerini that he is prepared to bring the proposal before the municipal council, should the Ministry of the Interior authorize the introduction of such a fee.

On neighboring Ithaki, Mayor Dionysis Stanitsas said his island would evaluate the possibility once the peak season winds down at the end of August. Both mayors are watching developments on Symi, the Dodecanese island that recently became the first to officially request permission from the government to charge day-trippers a €3 entry fee.

Symi currently receives between 300,000 and 500,000 visitors annually; the vast majority of whom do not stay overnight and therefore don’t contribute to local revenues via accommodation taxes. Yet they still place a heavy burden on essential services, particularly at the port.

“Our goal is not to further burden residents and the local community,” Symi’s mayor, Eleftherios Papakalodoukas, told Kathimerini. “Right now, all municipal employees and the island’s entire fleet of garbage trucks are focused on managing the situation at the port. Residents in other parts of the island, who pay municipal taxes, are not receiving the services they’re entitled to.”

He added: “We welcome visitors, of course, but we can’t keep raising local taxes to accommodate them.”

Former Deputy Mayor of Tourism on Paxos, Giorgos Lychnos, said the idea is gaining momentum and is likely to secure the backing of the Ionian Islands Regional Authority in the near future.

Across Europe, similar charges are already in place in destinations such as Venice and the Balearic Islands, where they are often described as “sustainable tourism taxes.” In Greece, a climate levy applies to overnight stays in hotels, but no equivalent currently exists for short-term visitors.

As the summer season peaks, island authorities hope that a small, targeted fee could offer a fairer and more sustainable path forward – one that supports both residents and visitors alike.

Source: kathimerini.gr