Greece has introduced a new cruise passenger tax for British holidaymakers travelling to two of its most popular islands.
Starting on July 1, the additional charge is levied on visitors to Santorini and Mykonos at €20—around £17.18—per passenger.
It will apply during the peak summer season, from June 1 to September 30.
After September 30, however, it will drop to €12 (£10.31), while the fee for each of the two popular Greek destinations will be just €4 (£3.44) between November 1 and March 31.
When it comes to other ports in the country, cruise passengers will be charged a maximum of €5 (£4.30) for the likes of Syros and Symi during peak travel months.
A charge of just €1 (86p) per passenger will then be applied during the low season, between October 1 and May 31, with shoulder season fees of €3 (£2.58) per passenger for April, May and October.
Tourists will be required to pay the fee once they disembark the ship, with the money expected to be redistributed to finance various local port and tourism projects.
The aim of the tax is to curb overtourism and protect struggling infrastructure in the Cyclades hotspots.
Mykonos welcomed 768 cruise ships and around 1.29 million tourists last year alone.
Eleni Scarveli, UK director of the Greek National Tourism Office, told The Independent: “This levy was introduced to help support the infrastructure of Greece’s most visited islands and ensure that local communities benefit more directly from cruise tourism.
“It reflects the need for a more sustainable balance between visitor numbers and the capacity of popular destinations like Santorini and Mykonos, while also helping to safeguard the quality of the visitor experience.”