Authorities on the island of Santorini released more details of cruise passenger restrictions after a particularly busy day on the island infuriated locals.
President of the Thira municipal community, Panagiotis Kavallaris, released a social media post urging residents to limit their movements and stay indoors due to an influx of tourists. The island experienced over 11 000 cruise passenger arrivals in a single day.
The post attracted widespread attention and criticism from the local community, some of whom suggested that residents were being restricted for the benefit of tourism, according to local publication Kathimerini. The post was later deleted.
In response to the chaos, the Mayor of Santorini, Nikos Zorzos, announced that a meeting had been held to discuss the imposition of a cruise passenger cap. The island will limit arrivals to 8 000 per day starting in 2025.
The Mayor explained that it was not possible to impose the restriction earlier, because these cruise trips had been planned far in advance. He added that regulated cruise tourism should not pose problems for the island, and with the construction of a new port, improvements in energy infrastructure and urban planning as well as the regulation of hotels, the island would be able to handle the flood of cruise passengers.
