Ithaki, Paxi Islands Considering Day Tax for Tourists

Authorities on two more Greek islands – Paxi and Ithaki – are mulling the introduction of a day tax on day visitors as part of efforts to manage the growing pressures of overtourism.

The proposed daily fee would apply to tourists who come for the day and aims to support essential public services such as waste management, water supply, and monument preservation, without increasing municipal taxes for local residents.

The move comes days after the mayor of the Greek island of Symi, Lefteris Papakalodoukas, requested approval from the Interior Ministry to impose a 3-euro fee on visitors who do not stay overnight.

Paxi, Ithaki, and Symi are very small islands finding it hard to handle the influx of tourists, mainly in the months of July and August.

Antipaxos island

Paxi is located in the Ionian Sea, 15km south of Corfu. The 25.3km2 (9.8 sq mi) island with a permanent population of about 2,500 welcomes some 240,000 visitors during the peak summer season.

Ithaki, also an Ionian Sea island off the northeast coast of Kefalonia, measures 96km2 (37 sq mi) with a population of roughly 2,862 people. It is a very popular yachting and boat charter destination.

Both islands, like many other small destinations in Greece, struggle to accommodate the seasonal influx of tourists, placing strain on limited infrastructure and resources.

Elsewhere in Europe, similar steps are being taken to manage tourism numbers. Venice recently began charging day visitors an entry fee, and just last week, farmers in the Dolomites installed turnstiles and introduced a 5-euro charge for hikers entering the Puez-Odle Nature Park in Val Gardena, South Tyrol.

Last month, Greece also implemented a fee for cruise passengers disembarking at the popular island destinations like Mykonos and Santorini.