Greece to impose cruise ship tax on popular islands to combat overtourism

admin 2024年9月14日

Beginner

Culture & Travel, Culture & Travel - Beginner

Pre-reading questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

講師がそれぞれの質問を読むので答えましょう。

Have you been to Greece?
What one word comes to mind when you think of Greece?

Vocabulary:

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

単語、意味、例文を読みます。講師に続いて音読しましょう。

tax /taks/

[noun] – a required payment to the government, often used to fund public services and infrastructure
The government introduced a new tax on luxury cars to increase revenue.

permanent /PUR-muh-nuhnt/

[adjective] – lasting or intended to last indefinitely without change
The permanent residents of the small town enjoy a quiet and peaceful lifestyle throughout the year.

peak season /peek SEE-zuhn/

[noun] – the time of year when a lot of people travel and prices are usually at their highest
The hotel prices are higher during peak seasons due to the large number of tourists.

raise /reyz/

[verb] – to increase or lift something to a higher level or amount
The company decided to raise the salary of all employees starting next month.

provide /pruh-VAHYD/

[verb] – to supply or make something available for use or to meet a need
The school will provide new textbooks for all students in the upcoming term.

Article reading:

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

記事を音読しましょう。講師はあなたの発音とイントネーションを確認します。

Greece will soon start charging a 20-euro tax for cruise ship visitors traveling to Santorini and Mykonos during the busy summer months. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced this decision on September 8, 2024. The goal is to manage the growing number of tourists and protect the islands from overtourism. Santorini, with only 20,000 permanent residents, gets too many visitors, especially from cruise ships. Mitsotakis explained that while most of Greece is not affected by overtourism, places like Santorini and Mykonos face big challenges during peak seasons. Tourism is very important for Greece’s economy, which has been improving after a financial crisis. The government will also create new rules to control cruise ship traffic and limit how many ships can dock at the same time. The money from the new tax will help improve local infrastructure. Greece will also enforce stricter environmental rules and manage water shortages on these islands. Additionally, the government may raise taxes on short-term rentals and restrict new rental licenses in central Athens to provide more housing for locals.

True or False:

Read the sentences and identify if they are true or false based on the article.

文章を読んで、記事に基づいて正誤を答えましょう。

Greece will soon charge a 20-euro tax for cruise ship visitors.
Santorini has 200,000 permanent residents.
The tax aims to protect Santorini and Mykonos from too many tourists.
The tax will be in effect only during the winter.
Taxes on short-term rentals in Athens will be reduced.

Fill in the blanks:

Choose the correct word from the table, then fill in the blanks.

適切な言葉を選んで空欄を埋めましょう。

taxes

permanent

peak season

raise

provide

The organization aims to __________ clean drinking water to communities in need.
The company plans to __________ employee salaries next year to reflect the increased cost of living.
Everyone must pay __________ on their income to support public services like education and healthcare.
After years of moving from place to place, they finally decided to settle in a __________ residence in the city.
During the __________ for tourism, hotels and flights are often fully booked and much more expensive.