Turkish tourists surge to Samos, driving demand for visa on arrival

The island of Samos, a popular destination among Turkish tourists, has seen a significant boost in its local economy thanks to the visa-on-arrival policy. Both business owners and tourism officials have praised the policy, which has helped drive tourism numbers, despite complaints from visitors about long waiting times at the island’s entry points.

The visa-on-arrival system, which allows Turkish visitors to obtain their visa upon reaching the island, has proven to be a major draw for tourists from Türkiye, contributing to a large portion of the island’s revenue.

Local businesses welcome Turkish tourists

Speaking about the surge in tourism, local business owner Cetin Varna, who runs the Agora Restaurant in Samos, emphasized the importance of Turkish visitors. “Almost half of the island’s income comes from Turkish tourists,” Varna explained.

“Thanks to the visa on arrival, the island has experienced incredible traffic, particularly during holiday periods. This rush continued until August.”

Varna noted that while Turkish tourists have shown significant interest in Samos, the local infrastructure has struggled to handle the demand.

“The only complaint has been the long wait times at the entry points due to the heavy influx,” he said, pointing out that the port facilities have been overwhelmed by the number of arrivals.

Long wait times for visa processing

The process for obtaining the visa requires visitors to submit their documents about 10 days before traveling. Upon arrival at the Samos port, however, multiple ferries docking at the same time can cause delays. The visa process itself can take from one to five hours, depending on the volume of tourists. Turkish visitors with green passports or Schengen visas, however, are processed in a separate, faster line.

Despite these challenges, Turkish tourists have continued to flock to the island. A tour guide on the island, Belma Sengul, observed, “After the introduction of the ‘visa on arrival,’ demand has skyrocketed. The inability to secure visa appointments and the more affordable prices on the islands have fueled this demand.”

Calls for continuation of visa policy

Istanbul Sea Buses (IDO) General Manager Murat Orhan also voiced his support for the continuation of the policy. Orhan highlighted that IDO transported over 130,000 passengers to Samos’ Vathy Port this year alone.

“We didn’t just transport passengers; we contributed to the island’s economy as well,” he said, adding that local businesses and residents have been very welcoming of Turkish tourists.

Orhan mentioned that the Samos government has requested additional ferry routes from new destinations in Türkiye, a request that IDO is considering for the coming seasons. He also revealed that the Samos administration has requested software assistance for streamlining visa documentation from IDO.

“The Greek side is open to cooperation,” Orhan stated, noting that the number of police officers at entry points had been tripled to handle the increased traffic.

Orhan concluded by announcing that IDO is planning to expand its ferry services to other Aegean islands by 2025.