Santorini planning to ration cruise tourists
<p>It’s one of the most beautiful locations in the world and a real favourite for cruise-goers, but opportunities to visit Santorini in the future may be limited in peak periods, with island authorities introducing a system to manage the flow of cruise traffic.</p>
<p>According to the Hellenic Port Association, in 2015 Santorini received 636 cruise vessels, which is more than any other destination in Greece. These cruise ships, mooring at the Athinios and Fyra ports brought a whopping 790,000 tourists to the island.</p>
<p>But this is becoming a bit of a problem for the local community.</p>
<p>A study from the University of the Aegean found locals are concerned about the social, economic and environmental pressures caused by the overcrowding of cruise passengers, particularly during peak tourist periods.</p>
<p>To put it in perspective, on average Santorini will have 4,000 passengers from cruise ships.</p>
<p>But in the peak period, between May and October, this will increase to a whopping 10,000 passengers. In this season Santorini receives about 90 per cent of its arrivals.</p>
<p>This tourist traffic puts a huge amount of pressure on the local businesses and facilities.</p>
<p>The Santorini Port Authority is now looking to limit the amount of passengers to 8,000 a day.</p>
<p>The Santorini Port Authority will also be looking to ensure a more even distribution of traffic across periods, to ensure there are less days where there are too many people and cut down on the less popular days that don’t have too many passengers.</p>
<p>Port Fund president Ilias Pelekis told the local newspaper Kathimerini that for this year only there will be more flexibility in the system, given that cruise operators have drafted their schedules many months in advance.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the research from the University of the Aegean also found that 10 per cent of the cruise passengers visiting Santorini didn’t embark at all. Also, 40 per cent of the passengers chose to visit the island exclusively as part of the tour packages offered by the cruise companies.</p>
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