Santorini has been experiencing an unprecedented explosion in tourism since a lull in 2011-12, the likes of which is comparable only perhaps to Myconos, Kathimerini newspaper notes in the following recent article:
It is not all good news, however, as the southeast Aegean island is struggling with problems usually associated with big cities, like traffic jams and water shortages.
Rising demand has resulted in constant construction, so that the once-idyllic landscape is becoming as congested as Attica. Much of this construction, meanwhile, is defined by violations both large and small, as Santorini’s woefully understaffed zoning authority is responsible for six islands.
Growing demand has also resulted in a proliferation of Airbnb-style short-term rentals, doubling the number of available beds on the island – together with water and power consumption, and waste volume.
The extension of the tourism season, an enviable achievement in some respects, added more than 15,000 permanent residents to the island’s population in five years, mostly people who work in tourism services.
All of these workers, along with the island’s civil servants, teachers, bank employees and other locals, have a dwindling pool of accommodation options, since the short-term rental sector swallows up property after property.
Add to this the annual several thousand visitors who visit the island for just a few hours, and you get a Santorini that has reached saturation point – if it hasn’t already passed it.
“In 2012 we had 3.3 million overnight stays and in 2017 5.5 million. We’ve had an explosion in tourism and this is creating problems,” notes Santorini Mayor Nikos Zorzos.
“The primary issue is that the private sector moves at a much faster pace than the state. The second issue is that 18 percent of Santorini has been built on – that percentage is higher than Attica’s. I believe that Santorini has peaked in terms of tourism activity and that we have to do everything in our power to stay on top.”
Santorini has been struggling with overcrowding for the last two years, yet arrivals just keep rising. Cruise visits are on the rise after a brief slump in 2011-12 and the season now stretches from early spring to early winter. Turnover is estimated at more than 1 billion euros a year, but this comes at a heavy cost and discussion regarding the island’s ability to cope has become essential.
“Our infrastructure is under incredible pressure. Water consumption has doubled and there has been a huge rise in demand for power. We had a blackout in 2013 when demand was at 32.5 MW for the peak period of around two months. Last year we needed to produce 47 MW for four months. But we also have urban problems like traffic jams,” stresses Zorzos.
“Santorini’s comparative advantage, the land itself, is being used up profligately. If the presidential decree of 2012 limiting construction had been strictly implemented, we would not be in the situation today. But we don’t have the supervisory mechanism for this to happen. There is one civil engineer in the zoning authority and just 29 officers in the local police force,” continues the mayor.
Zorzos explains that he was expecting 41 trainee officers to be dispatched to the island this summer, but only 10 or 15 will end up coming because of the accommodation shortage. The Defense Ministry has a number of houses near the airport that could have served this purpose, but has instead earmarked them as holiday homes for the air force.
The accommodation shortage is a serious problem for many professionals here.
“The island has become one huge hotel,” points out Karolina Rikaki, an English teacher at the Emborio Middle School.
Read more at ekathimerini.com
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
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