INTERPLAZA S.A.’s mammoth investment in Rhodes, which envisages the development of a tourist accommodation complex in the area of ??Profitis Ilias, is facing new obstacles. On August 20, the Rhodes Municipal Council gave a negative opinion – by majority vote – on the Environmental Impact Study (EIS), adding another “no” to a case that is causing strong reactions and discussions about the balance between development and environmental protection.
The investment plan
INTERPLAZA has submitted a proposal for the construction and operation of a Tourist Accommodation Complex (TAC) on an area of ??263.5 acres in the area of ??Profitis Ilias, in the Municipal Community of Koskinou of the Municipality of Rhodes. Kallithea. The project includes:
- 5-star hotel complex with 394 rooms – 1,050 beds, in a central building and bungalows.
- 158 residences (632 beds).
- Conference center with a capacity of 2,500 delegates.
- Revitalization center.
The location of the area is only 300 meters from the sea, which increases the strategic importance of the project for the tourist development of the area.
Reasons for the negative opinion
The negative attitude of the Municipal Council was based on a series of arguments:
Oversaturation in Kallithea
The area is already characterized by intense tourist development. The addition of 1,682 new beds implies an increase of approximately 5.5% in the available tourist beds in Kallithea, which is considered contrary to the guidelines of the Regional Spatial Planning Framework, which provides for a limitation of excessive concentration of tourist infrastructure.
Protection Zone of the Kallithea Thermal Springs
A large part of the disputed area is located within the protection zone (one kilometer radius) around the Kallithea Thermal Springs. Although the EIA refers to measures to ensure the balance of the thermal waters, local bodies believe that the impacts on the maintenance of the quantity and quality of the waters, as well as on the morphology and natural landscape associated with the Springs, are not sufficiently examined.
Water resource adequacy issues
In recent years, Rhodes has been facing intense pressure on its water reserves, due to the continuous increase in tourist demand and the climate crisis. The Municipal Council considered it necessary to provide a new, updated certificate from DEYAR regarding the possibility of supplying water to the project – something that has not been ensured to date.
Previous objections
The decision of the Municipal Council comes in addition to the previous negative opinion of the Koskinou Municipal Community Council, which had rejected the project mainly due to insufficient water resources.
A project at an impasse?
INTERPLAZA’s investment is one of the largest that has been proposed in Rhodes in recent years, however, the mass of negative opinions makes its future extremely uncertain. Local authorities and institutions are focusing on the need to protect the environment and natural resources, while at the same time highlighting the perennial dilemma of Rhodes: tourism development without limits or sustainable management with balance?
In any case, the case shows that local communities are now much stricter towards large tourism investments, especially when these are linked to sensitive areas and problems that already pressure the island, such as the overload of tourist infrastructure and the insufficiency of water resources.
