Greece’s Mykonos successfully managed a total of eight cruise ships and 20,000 visitors in a single day on Tuesday.
The stunning Greek island, which is one of the most popular destinations in Greece and known for its vibrant nightlife and beautiful corners, proved its ability to successfully handle large numbers of cruise ship visitors.
Tuesday became a crash test for the island. Would Mykonos, a tiny island with limited infrastructure, be able to cope with such high demands?
The answer was a resounding yes. Today, Mykonos proved it can serve large numbers of people without compromising the quality of the tourist experience.
On August 27th, the island welcomed an impressive total of eight cruise ships. This meant that approximately 20,000 visitors landed throughout the day at the main port of Mykonos.
Despite the significant influx of visitors, Mykonos proved its ability to manage the crowds effectively without scenes that would put visitors off. This also showed those who say that Greece has an overtourism problem that ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience for large numbers is actually achievable.
Mykonos efficiently manages cruise ship influx
The success of Mykonos in handling such a high volume of visitors was not a matter of luck, however.
Speaking exclusively with Greek Reporter, the mayor of Mykonos, Christos Veronis, said that his island has the ability to accommodate large numbers of tourists without any problems.
“Proof that Mykonos can handle very well a large number of cruise ships was today when a total of seven to eight cruise ships with approximately 20,000 visitors came to our island,” said the Mykonos mayor.
He also noted the absence of queues and the smooth flow of visitors throughout the island, highlighting the positive impact cruises have on Mykonos, Greece.
“There are no queues anywhere, everyone gets off the boats, walks in the city or goes to the beach,” he said, adding that: “Cruises have a positive impact on Mykonos. Every island is different and there are unique elements that affect each destination.”
Future plans for cruise ships
Athanasios Kousathanas Megas, the president of Mykonos’ Municipal Port Authority Fund, spoke to Greek Reporter about the extensive preparations and collaborative efforts that take place on a daily basis on Mykonos to ensure visitors have the best possible experience.
“Mykonos is expected to receive approximately 1,000 cruise ship visits this year with approximately 1.5 million visitors. As you can understand this requires a lot of preparation and work on the island,” he explained.
Despite the persistent claims of overtourism on Greece’s islands such as Mykonos and Santorini, Megas asserted that, at least for Mykonos, the island is well-equipped to provide top-notch services to all visitors who chose to disembark their cruise ships to visit the island.
“Despite the constant overtourism claims we hear [about], today is proof that there is no problem on Mykonos as we have approximately 20,000 cruise ship visitors without any issues whatsoever,” he confidently said to Greek Reporter.
Looking ahead, Mykonos has ambitious plans to make sure that its lucky visitors have a positive experience on the “island of the winds.”
A special platform has already been introduced for the cruise season of 2025. This allows cruise liners to book their slots for the upcoming season in advance and avoid days that could be overbooked.
“Approximately 700 visits by cruise ships have already been arranged and allocated accordingly for next year. If we continue like this, there will be no day with more than five cruise ships a day,” Kousathanas Megas revealed. The Greek official also highlighted the proactive approach that the island’s authorities have taken to ensure a smooth experience for cruise ship visitors on Mykonos, Greece.
Tuesday’s successful crash test of Mykonos is actually an important lesson for the whole of Greece.
When local authorities work together and adhere to forward-thinking strategies, the country will be able to thrive as a top destination for cruise ship passengers and avoid incidents of overtourism that not only disturb locals but also provide an unfavorable experience to those visiting Greece’s destinations.
