This, undeniably, creates a risk for the engine of the Greek economy, tourism.
It is common knowledge that hypertourism is today one of the most important challenges of the sector, as its consequences (overbuilding, overloading/lack of infrastructure, burden on the environment) can alter the quality of the services provided, with negative results both for this tourist product itself as well as for the country’s reputation.
Therefore, as players of the tourism market forcefully point out, the increase in tourist flows should no longer be a primary objective, but their distribution in more regions of the country, throughout the year.
Greek destinations such as Athens, Mykonos and Santorini (mainly due to cruises), but also Chania (July-August in the city due to lack of parking), flirt with overtourism, mainly during the period of high demand, causing problems affecting both travelers and permanent residents of saturated areas. Indicative of the situation is the fact that in 2023 the Greek capital was included in the cities that “sunk” from overtourism.
“Hypertourism and particularly increased flows in certain periods are one of the most important challenges, as the consequences, with overbuilding, overloading and lack of infrastructure, burdening the environment, etc., can alter the quality of the services provided , with the opposite of the desired results for the tourism product and the country’s reputation,” Alpha Bank had stated in an earlier report.
Study
In the same direction, according to an earlier study by the Institute of the Association of Hellenic Tourism Enterprises (INSETE) for July, although Greece’s general Internet reputation exceeded that of Spain and Portugal, “it declined slightly, due to the travel experience, following the downward trend recorded at global and European level – a phenomenon that is often observed at the peak of the tourist season, amid strong seasonality”.
The adequacy of the infrastructure and especially the water supply networks, resulting in pressure on natural resources, waste management and the overall burden of the destinations (carrying capacity) are some of the most basic problems of hypertourism. A few times, the waste infrastructure in the Cyclades has reached its limits during the high demand period, due to the huge volume of tourist flows. It is characteristic that several islands are confronted in the summer with particularly increased amounts of waste – with an average increase of over 100% – due to the excessive increase in tourist traffic during the peak months.
Among other things, the permanent residents of the destinations are inconvenienced by noise and traffic congestion, as a result of which they consider that their quality of life is being degraded. The negative effects of hypertourism also “touch” the real estate sector, as the sales and rental prices of the properties that are “available” for the permanent residents of the areas increase, with the result that finding housing emerges as a major issue.
In fact, even the tourists themselves most of the time do not feel satisfied with their trip and the services they have received in the destinations affected by hypertourism.
Indicative of the importance of curbing the phenomenon of hypertourism and the boundaries between sustainable and anarchic development is the fact that the carrying capacity of destinations, i.e. the maximum tolerable limits of burdens and changes of a place so as not to disturb the balance between the natural environment, the economy and the local community, the Ministry of Environment and Energy has also been concerned.
Cruise ships
The simultaneous approach of cruise ships to destinations that cannot support the arrival of thousands of tourists at a given time often turns into a “crush” for the locals, but also for the tourists. This is why industry bodies increasingly highlight the need to implement the berth allocation system, a control system for the arrivals and departures of cruise ships.
The goal is the most rational distribution of arrivals and departures both within the day and within the week, with timely planning and specific criteria, in order to avoid overcrowding, minimize any risks and overall improve the experience of tourists at the destinations.
“It is necessary to install the berth allocation system for the better reorganization of the ports. In this way, the spread of cruise ships throughout the season will be achieved and the organization of activities will be much better and will be carried out with the passenger’s experience in mind,” sources in the cruise industry say.
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