The mayor of one of Greece ’s most visited islands has revealed plans to crack down on overtourism as tourist numbers surpass the number of residents daily during peak season. Santorini is one of several holiday hotspots facing overcrowding this summer due to increased tourist numbers from cruise ships. In July, a social media post from a councillor urging residents to stay indoors to facilitate 17,000 cruise ship passengers caused conflict with locals.
Last week, government officials proposed increasing the debarkation fee for cruise passengers visiting the Greek port from 35 cents to over €10 (£8). Santorini Mayor Nikos Zorzos told the Greek Reporter that municipal authorities should be able to establish local tourist access fees “like Venice did” at tourism hotspots on the island. Like many European hotspots battling overtourism, the problems plaguing locals include overdevelopment, congested traffic and a lack of parking spaces due to “inefficient management” of tourist flows.
Plans for small bypass roads and new parking spaces to decongest areas are in the works according to Mr Zorzos. Mr Zorzos said: “It is our duty to protect this land from getting its identity altered, and any measures need to be in the direction of ensuring that Santorini will continue to be a great Greek destination.” It’s not the first effort by the Greek island to control tourist “oversaturation”.
A study by the University of the Aegean in 2018 previously estimated that Sant.