Vacation in Greece more expensive: holiday taxes now up to 15 euros!

Vacation in Greece more expensive: holiday taxes now up to 15 euros!

Greece has increased its residence tax for tourists, which causes resentment for many travelers. From May 30, 2025, vacationers will have to pay significantly more for their stay in various types of accommodation, which increases the taxes for apartments from EUR 0.50 to EUR 2.50 per night. These changes are also reflected in the fees for hotels, which can increase by 2 to 10 euros per night, depending on the category. In popular regions such as Santorini and Mykonos, the fees were also raised to regulate mass tourism and to mitigate the stress caused by them. This reports Kosmo .

The new tax model stipulates that the fees per accommodation and not per person are calculated. In the high season, travelers can expect a fee of 2 euros per night in simple hotels (1-2 stars), while guests in 5-star hotels have to pay up to 15 euros. It becomes particularly expensive for bookings via platforms such as Airbnb, which are of 8 euros per night. For villas and houses with an area of over 80 square meters, the new delivery is 10 euros per night. In the low season, which lasts from November to March, the taxes decrease to 0.50 euros for simple accommodations and a maximum of 4 euros for the upscale hotel industry.

additional fees and measures

However, increasing the residence tax is not the only measure that will affect tourists. A new visit to cruise guests was introduced. Travelers who visit Santorin or Mykonos have to pay 20 euros per person. When visiting other destinations, such as Athens or Crete, the fee is only 5 euros per person per day, explains Trippz .

Another point are the increased admission prices for archaeological sites that have already increased in recent years and are still under observation. In order to protect the country's natural landscapes, the wild camping on beaches is strictly prohibited and violations are punished with high punishments.

In addition, there will be increased controls in road traffic. These are carried out in particular in the north of Greece to ensure that regulations such as speed limits, vehicle equipment and belt obligation are observed. Travelers who want to travel to Chalkidiki or Thasos will advise to take the path over Bulgaria, which is now part of the Schengen area.

The introduction of the tourist tax in Greece began on January 1, 2018 and was replaced by a new climate tax in 2024, which is also intended to finance measures against environmental disasters and the consequences of climate change, such as Check24 reported. These developments aim to adapt the country's tourist income to the environmental conditions and to promote sustainable practices.