Greece has tripled its tourist taxes this year! Yes, you read that right — instead of the previous 50 cents per night in an apartment, you now have to pay between 1.5 and 2 euros daily. Hotels charge from 4 to 10 euros per room per day depending on the category, and on the luxury islands of Mykonos and Santorini, there is a one-time entry tax of 20 euros per person. All this is due to overtourism that is suffocating local residents and driving up living costs to outrageous levels.
Aleksandar Seničić, director of the National Association of Tourist Agencies YUTA, explains that these measures are necessary because municipal services on these islands cannot cope with the huge number of tourists, and locals suffer from rising housing and basic service costs. Similar taxes exist in Venice and Barcelona, where property and service prices have skyrocketed, and locals are on the verge of revolt.
Although the taxes have increased, Seničić believes they will not significantly affect tourists’ decisions since the amounts are relatively small compared to the total vacation costs. However, interest in travel packages has dropped by about 10-12% compared to last year, attributed to inflation, rising airfare prices, and internal social circumstances in Serbia.
For those planning to travel individually, caution is advised, and agencies should be checked carefully, as over a thousand fraud cases were reported earlier this year. Greece remains the most popular destination for Serbian tourists, with about one million visitors last year, and similar numbers are expected this year despite the increased taxes.
So, if you thought summer in Greece would be cheaper, think again! Get ready to pay more for every day of your vacation because Greece wants to “thin out” tourists — and it’s doing it on your dime. What do you think about these taxes? Fair or just another way to squeeze your wallet? Drop a comment, let’s see who’s for and who’s against!
