The idyllic island of Mykonos grapples with a surge in tourist arrivals as Titanic cruise ships dock daily at its port. Thousands of visitors disembark within a few hours, leading to overcrowding in the bustling town of Chora.
On Tuesday 27 June, the port resembled a parking lot for cruise ships as five vessels anchored side by side as captured in the photo above by Georgios Hatzimanolis.
Official data from the Union of Greek Ports reveals that Mykonos and Delos are expected to receive a staggering 895 cruise ships this year, compared to 608 in the previous year. In June alone, 131 ships are scheduled to dock. The neighboring island of Santorini is also experiencing a similar trend, with cruise ship arrivals projected to reach 753 by year-end, compared to 686 in 2022. In June, 112 ships are set to visit Santorini.
The situation is expected to worsen during the peak tourist season in August. According to the cruise schedule provided by Mykonos’ Port Fund for 2023, eight ships are anticipated to arrive on August 22. Approximately 3,500 passengers will disembark at 8am, with a total of 15,000 new tourists flooding the island by the end of the day—an equivalent number to the population of the municipality of Thira.
Minas Lyristis, regional councilor of the South Aegean and a resident of Mykonos told Greek newspaper Kathimerini that the issue lies not only in the sheer number of tourists but also in the lack of adequate infrastructure. “Public toilets and various other facilities at the port cannot cater to the passengers of nine cruise ships,” emphasizes Lyristis, drawing from personal experience of the consequences of overtourism in Mykonos.
With thousands of people disembarking simultaneously, scenes of chaos ensue. “Imagine tens of thousands of people rushing to Chora at the same time, whether in organized groups or independently, to grab a coffee or explore the area,” explains Lyristis. He stresses that overcrowding prevents tourists from enjoying their stay on the island while overwhelming the capacity of the island’s workers to serve all visitors.
However, Thanos Pallis, Associate Professor of Economic and Port Policy at the University of the Aegean and Secretary-General of MedCruise, acknowledges the positive aspects of the cruise industry, including its economic support for local communities during the summer. Yet, he highlights that some islands follow the flawed logic of “we opened, and we are waiting for you.”
Pallis notes that the cruise ship schedule predicament witnessed this year in certain islands, like Mykonos, can be attributed to planning that took place two years ago as the world emerged from the pandemic. “In islands like Mykonos, the planning was flawed,” Pallis remarks.
The impact of such flawed planning is evident as Mykonos experiences days with three cruise ships while other days see a lesser influx.
