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Greece has been warned it needs to make big changes if it wants to remain a popular tourist destination.
The country’s ombudsman released a report on Thursday calling for urgent reforms.
The ministry added that if the mountainous mainland and coastal islands want to maintain a healthy tourism industry, they need to reduce overexploitation and protect water resources and coastal areas.
Attracted by ancient ruins, the turquoise Mediterranean and consistently sunny weather, Greece is expected to attract around 33 million visitors in 2023, 5 million more than the previous year.
But in a report published on June 13, the Ombudsman warned of growing environmental risks and called for urgent reforms.
“The country’s economy is highly dependent on tourism, making it even more necessary to manage it in a sustainable way,” the report said. Greece “cannot allow its potential to be exhausted, wasted and its tourist destinations to lose their attractiveness over time.”
Earlier this week, the body of renowned doctor Michael Mosley was discovered on the Greek island of Symi. He was found to have died of natural causes after setting off for a walk from San Nicolas Beach in scorching 40 degree heat without his mobile phone.
Tourism accounts for more than a quarter of Greece’s economic output and provides the annual income of around two million Greeks, according to the report, which is the first such report published by the Greek Ombudsman on the sector since it was established more than 25 years ago.
Couple taking a selfie from high up in Santorini, Greece (Simon Calder)
Revenue is expected to rise to $21 billion in 2024 from $20.5 billion last year, a major boon for an economy emerging from a decade-long debt crisis.
Santorini, a social media favourite with a tiny population of 15,550, attracts more than 5.5 million tourists a year, double the number in 2012, the report said, and the island’s annual income is estimated at 1 billion euros.
“In Santorini, even tourists themselves complain about the large numbers of tourists,” the report said.
The report called for tougher regulations to reduce coastal construction and slow deforestation that creates conditions for flooding, and for greater protection of water resources in the face of “enormous” demand for drinking water, swimming pools and water parks.
“Tourism is an area where the lack of vision and strategy is particularly evident. There is a critical need for clear tourism governance measures to be put in place,” the report said.
The European Commission said last year’s wildfire season was one of the worst this century, with blazes scorching more than half a million hectares, causing mass evacuations and leaving at least 20 people dead in Greece.
While spending by EU countries on fire prevention (both firefighting and prevention) has remained fairly stable at 0.5% of total government expenditure since 2001, a study by WWF Greece has found that in 2022, more than 80% of Greece’s fire prevention budget will be devoted to firefighting.
