Greece crackdown over UK tourists because 'it doesn't want to be swamped'

Greece is mulling over a crackdown on UK tourists as it moves to clamp down on the number of holidaymakers visiting via cruise ships. Greece is a go-to for Brits who are heading to the European Union, with the hotspot welcoming UK tourists to its mainland, including capital city Athens, as well as holiday islands like Crete, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, Zante, Lesvos, Rhodes and more.

Santorini has become flooded with Instagrammers searching for the perfect selfie and Mykonos isn't much better off, with its streets becoming rammed with tourists. The tiny paradise islands have been over-saturated with tourists making life difficult for locals.

Greece's prime minister is now keen to reduce the number of cruises visiting Santorini and Mykonos. "I think we'll do it next year," he told Bloomberg during an exclusive interview with the publication on Friday (June 14).

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"Santorini is the most sensitive, " Mitsotakis told Bloomberg. "Mykonos will be second." In Mykonos, 749 cruise ship visits were recorded in 2023 - second only to Santorini and an increase of over 23 per cent from 2022.

"Santorini in itself is a problem," Greece's prime minister said, before adding that the huge number of visiting vessels may not bring commensurate economic benefit. He went on: “There are people spending a lot of money to be on Santorini and they don’t want the island to be swamped.

“Plus the island can’t afford it, even in terms of security.” The warnings come after anti-tourist graffiti appeared in Athens as the Greek capital called for an end to "over-tourism." New anti-tourism graffiti has been sprayed onto walls across the city with one reading: "Tourists Go Home! Greek State Kills".

And yet another disturbing graffiti shows two "Airbnb" towers in flames with the caption: "Tourists Enjoy Your Stay In The Cemetery Of Europe".