After Venice and Barcelona, the local government of the Greek island of Santorini also wants measures to be taken against overtourism.
The island is flooded with tourists who go through the narrow cobblestone and steep streets armed with selfie sticks and phones.
Some brave the heat of the afternoon to find a good spot among the whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches, where they then wait for hours to admire and, above all, to capture the famous sunset of the Greek island.
The number of foreign tourists is still increasing.
According to Mayor Nikos Zorzos, about 3.4 million people visited the island last year.
According to him, that is a bit much compared to the 20,000 permanent residents of Santorini, he says to news agency Reuters.
According to him, the once idyllic island with its quaint villages and pristine beaches is being ruined by mass tourism.
The large number of visitors puts pressure on the outdated infrastructure and drives the islanders out of the housing market.
Mayor Zorzos says he has been urging the authorities for years not to allow any extra beds on the island.
He also calls for a limit of 8,000 cruise ship passengers per day who are allowed to visit the island, instead of the current 17,000.
Even entrepreneurs who profit from tourism are worried.
They complain that their standard of living has fallen.
Not only Santorini but the whole of Greece is recording more tourists this year.
In the first five months of this year, tourism revenues were 16 percent higher.
It is expected to surpass last year’s record of 33 million arrivals by 2024.
Alexandros Pelekanos, the vice-president of the local business association, prefers to see investments in infrastructure.
“Do we want to make money or not? Do we want work and income or not? You can’t have peace and quiet as well as have an income.” (Photo: Shutterstock).
