European travel spots crack down on overtourism with new fees proposed for peak season
The Greek Islands have long been a popular tourist destination - and looking at photos of the whitewashed homes and clear turquoise water, it's easy to see why.
But just like many places in Europe, islands like Santorini and Mykonos have fallen victim to overtourism.
In 2023, 800 cruise ships brought 1.3 million passengers to Santorini, which has just a few thousand residents.
This week, authorities in Greece, Portugal, and Italy have all announced plans for new measures to combat these crowds - and it'll cost you.
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Greece is a popular cruise ship stop. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Cruise passenger tax in Greece
Greek officials have announced a plan to introduce a €20 ($33) tourist tax for cruise ship passengers visiting the islands of Santorini and Mykonos during the peak summer season.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: "Cruise shipping has burdened Santorini and Mykonos and this is why we are proceeding with interventions."
"Greece does not have a structural overtourism problem. Some of its destinations have a significant issue during certain weeks or months of the year, which we need to deal with."
Some of the revenue from this tax collection will be returned to the local communities and be invested in infrastructure.
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Porto is one of the cheapest places to visit in Western Europe. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Porto to increase tourist tax
A similar measure has been announced in Porto, Portugal, this week.
Known for being a low-cost holiday spot, the city council has announced will raise the tourist tax to €3 ($5) per night for anyone visiting and staying in Porto.
It was previously €2.
The city's mayor Rui Moreira believes authorities should do more to maintain the city as a "sustainable tourist spot".
"[It is] imperative to maintain Porto as a sustainable tourist destination preventing degradation and excessive occupation, which implies adjustments in tourism management policies."
Tickets for Trevi Fountain on the cards
Over in Italy, Rome is looking at ways to curb overtourism to one of their most famous attractions - the Trevi fountain.
The 18th century fountain is a popular bucket list spot for visitors to the Eternal City, but locals worry that the crowds who flock there do so with a "lack of respect".
Officials have proposed a ticketing system for anyone who wants to visit the fountain.
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The Trevi fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in the Rome and one of the most famous fountains in the world. Getty
"Personally I would be in favour of looking at a new form of access, limited and timed, to the Trevi Fountain," Alessandro Onorato, Rome's city councillor responsible for tourism, told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
She proposes "a [ticket] reservation system – free for Romans and costing a symbolic one euro for tourists."
The fee is low as the goal isn't to raise money, but to lessen and control crowds while stopping them from "eating ice cream or pizza on a monument that deserves the proper respect."
Rome sees on average 35 million visitors each year - it's likely that number will rise in 2025 thanks to the Jubilee, a year-long religious event held in the city and the Vatican.
