On Santorini they don’t want tourists

Santorini, an island considered the jewel of the Aegean Sea, is becoming a victim of its fame. Social media, cheap flights and ease of access have attracted crowds of tourists, changing the face of this charming destination. Resident dissatisfaction has prompted the Greek government to consider restrictions on cruise ships. Santorini is not the only place facing this problem – similar dilemmas are affecting Barcelona and Venice, among others, as they try to strike a balance between hospitality and protecting their uniqueness.

According to Bank of Greece data, in 2023. the country was visited by more than 32 million tourists, of which some 3.4 million came to Santorini. This year, forecasts predict an even higher number of visitors, posing an additional challenge for the small island.

Problems with getting around the island

Fueled by social media, the rise of tourists to Santorini is attracting worldwide attention. Influencers, enthusiastically showcasing the island’s spectacular sunsets and picturesque landscapes, are contributing to the trend. In addition, cheap flights and easy access from other Greek islands exacerbate the phenomenon, which results in overcrowded streets, long queues and a deterioration in the quality of life for the local community. Last week Santorini received a record 17,000. tourists in a single day. Faced with the excessive traffic, the island’s councilor has issued an unprecedented statement asking residents to limit their movement and stay indoors to remedy the situation.

Action at the government level

In response to the island’s growing popularity, the Greek government is considering measures to limit the number of cruise ships docking on the island. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis notes the need for sustainable tourism development to protect Santorini’s unique charm and ecological balance.

Despite numerous voices of discontent over excessive tourism in Greece, Santorini has not yet experienced organized protests. Residents, although tired of the constant influx of visitors, are trying to adapt to the new realities, realizing that tourism is their main source of income. Nevertheless, the growing number of tourists is becoming a serious challenge for the island’s infrastructure, including the water and sewage systems, which are often unable to meet the growing demand.

Tourists not welcome everywhere

Santorini is not facing tourist pressure alone. Other global enclaves of charm, such as Venice, Barcelona, Mykonos and the Canary Islands, are also grappling with the challenges posed by an excessive influx of visitors. Mykonos is considering introducing limits on the number of tourists arriving by cruise ship to ease the crowds. Meanwhile, Venice is planning from 2025. to introduce higher fees for tourists arriving for day visits, which should reduce the number of people who do not use accommodation reservations. The goal of all the measures is to protect the unique character of these places from excessive infrastructure and maintain the quality of life for residents and the visitor experience.

Protests in Barcelona

Meanwhile, in Barcelona, residents are demonstrating their discontent by staging protests against the constant influx of tourists. Protesters have even gone so far as to use water guns to draw attention to their problems. During Saturday’s march against excessive tourism, they barricaded tourists in hotels and restaurants along the famous La Rambla street.

The incidents were part of broader protests against mass tourism, which residents say contributes to many of the city’s problems, such as high property and rental prices, anti-social behavior on the streets, and congestion. The protests were attended by nearly 3,000. residents, who are demanding a change in the city’s current tourism model.

Under the leadership of Mayor Ada Colau, Barcelona authorities are taking decisive steps to ease tourist pressure and improve living conditions for residents. They are reducing the number of cruise ships and available hotel beds in the heart of the city. The “Superblocks” initiative is transforming selected parts of the city into zones with limited car traffic, creating more space for pedestrians and cyclists. A ban on short-term tourist rentals has also been introduced, to be fully implemented by 2028, with the aim of easing tensions in the housing market and relieving pressure on the real estate market.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Portugal, there is a growing push for a referendum in Lisbon on restricting the market for short-term vacation rentals, reflecting a growing awareness and need to regulate the impact of tourism on the lives of local communities.

Protests in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands also saw protests in which thousands of residents voiced their demands for changes in the current tourism model. The demonstration took place on April 20 in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and La Palma. The protesters stress that the prevailing approach to tourism is making life on the islands increasingly difficult for locals and poses a threat to the environment. They point out that the economic benefits of tourism are not evenly distributed among the local community. The demonstrations, held under the slogan The Canary Islands Have Limits, have won the support of environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and WWF, which also highlight the need for sustainable development.

How do Polish localities cope with an excess of tourists?

Although the Baltic cities do not suffer from such an influx of tourists as Santorini or Barcelona, they also enjoy growing popularity among vacationers. That is why the authorities of these localities are taking preventive measures. In Sopot, the campaigns Tourist respect Sopot and Stop naked in the street have been implemented for several years, promoting responsible behavior in public spaces.

A similar initiative has been taken by Gdansk, where an information campaign is underway Street culture after Gdansk. The aim of this campaign is to educate tourists about appropriate behavior in public space such as not littering, walking dressed in the streets, observing curfew, maintaining respect for monuments and parking only in designated areas. The campaign will continue in future years.

There are many interesting places to visit in Poland, sometimes going off the beaten path. Places in the Pieniny or Bieszczady Mountains offer unique experiences and landscapes that can be just as rewarding as those in popular, overcrowded destinations. Exploring lesser-known regions not only avoids the crowds, but also supports local communities and preserves the authenticity of travel.

Photo. main: Alejandro Gonzlaez/Unsplash