A government watchdog has said in a report that Greece needs to bring rampant construction under control and protect water resources and coastal areas if the nation wants to keep its tourism industry from collapsing with the ever-increasing visitor numbers posing a severe environmental risk.
Without changing the way the country operates, Greece may become “unattractive” to visitors.
The report warned: “Our country’s economy relies heavily on tourism which makes the need to manage it in a sustainable way even more urgent.”
It warned Greece must not “exhaust its potential, wasting it and making our tourist destinations unattractive over time”.
In June the Greek ombudsman called for urgent reform warning the country needs to manage tourism in a more sustainable way and it must not “exhaust its potential”.
The report called for greater regulation to reduce coastal construction and slow the felling of forests which was creating the right conditions for flooding. It also called for greater care of water resources in the face of “huge” requirements for drinking water, swimming pools and water parks.
Some 33 million people visited Greece in 2023, around five million more than in 2022, according to the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO), which makes it the tenth most visited country in the world.
Over a quarter of Greece’s economic output comes from tourism, providing an income for nearly two million people in the country, the Independent reports.
Last year was also a landmark year for cruising in Greece, with seven million passengers visiting the country aboard 5,230 cruise ships, compared to 4.38 million passengers and 4,614 cruise ships in 2022.
But Greece is now seemingly becoming a victim of its own success with many now complaining of overcrowding, particularly during the peak summer months.
Santorini, the tiny 35-square-mile island, has a population of just 15,500 people, with locals demanding action against the wave of tourism, which has hit the cost of living and the quality of life for many residents.
The mayor of Santorini, Nikos Zorzos, has led the charge against the number of visitors.
He has called for a cap on the number of cruise ship visitors to 8,000 a day – down from the current figure of around 17,000 people.
Source link : https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1958620/panic-greece-islands-tourism-changes
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Publish date : 2024-10-07 18:51:00
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