The problem of congestion faced by the main Greek island destinations is referred to in an extensive report by AFP, on the occasion of the problems observed in Santorini.
The publication states specifically: “One of the most powerful images of the Greek summer is the world-famous sunset of Santorini, against the background of the picturesque churches on a steep cliff above the caldera.
This particular scene has inspired millions of magnets, posters and souvenirs, while now the queue to get to the point from where one can enjoy the sunset from Oia has a waiting time of more than 20 minutes.
Santorini is a key stop for the Greek cruise. But with parts of the island reaching the brink of suffocation, officials are considering some restrictions. Of the 32.7 million tourists who arrived in Greece last year, 3.4 million, or about one in ten, were on an island of 15,500 inhabitants. “We need to set limits if we don’t want to be drowned by hyper-tourism,” says the Mayor of Santorini, Nikos Zorzos to AFP.
As the sun disappears into the horizon of Oia, thousands raise their mobile phones to the sky to capture the moment, while a round of… applause ensues. For savvy entrepreneurs, the Cycladic island known for its famous sunset is the hen that lays the golden eggs.
A company is advertising a photo shoot in the picturesque buildings of Santorini in dresses with huge colorful tails for 370 euros for anyone who wants to feel like a “Greek goddess” or take their own selfies. But elsewhere in Oia’s narrow streets, residents have put up signs calling on tourists to respect their homes. “Respect. For you it’s vacation but for us it’s home too” reads a purple sign in Oia.
Formed by a volcanic eruption 3,600 years ago, the landscape of Santorini is unique, says the Mayor, who appeals saying that “new infrastructure” should not damage the island. About 1/5 of the island is now occupied by buildings. At the edge of the cliff, myriad pools and jacuzzis demonstrate that Santorini is quite an expensive destination.
In 2023, 800 cruise ships disembarked 1.3 million passengers, according to the Greek Ports Association. Cruise ships “do significant damage to the island,” says Sandal Mitakidis, a Belgian resident of Santorini for 26 years. “When there’s smoke from 8 or 9 ships, you can see the layer of contamination in the caldera.” In June, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke about the possibility of restricting cruise ship arrivals to the popular Greek islands. “I think we will do it next year,” he told Bloomberg, noting that both Santorini and the tourist magnet Mykonos are “obviously suffering.”
In an interview with AFP, the Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, expressed the concerns of the residents saying “we have to set some limits. It is impossible for an island like Santorini to have five cruise ships arriving at the same time.”
However, not all the island’s professionals agree with such a proposal. Antonis Pagonis, head of the island’s Hoteliers’ Union, believes that the solution lies in better management of visitors. It is not possible to have on Monday, for example, 20 to 25 thousand visitors from the cruise ships and the next day no one,” he explains.
He notes that the congestion is observed only in some parts of the island, such as the capital, Fira. In the south of the island, the volcanic sandy beaches of the island are less crowded, even in the most touristic season in July.
At the same time, modern tourism has completely changed the behavior of visitors. “I heard people FaceTime with their family saying ‘I’m in Turkey,'” says travel agent Kostas Sakavaras. “They think the church is a mosque because the day before they were in Turkey,” he adds.
Mr. Sakavaras notes that the average tourist who arrives on the island has changed a lot. “Instagram has changed the way tourists choose which places to visit” highlighting how tourists are looking for the perfect Instagram photo.
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