Tourism Today, Aiming for Tomorrow

 

photo: Alexandros Beltes

It’s understandable with all going on in the world today that you might have missed the rebellion-mentality taking hold in many of the world’s most popular –and upscale–tourist destinations.  In Barcelona, that meant water pistols leveled at tourists.

 

Tassoula Eptakili

As reported in July 2024 by Tassoula Eptakili in Ekathimerini (Greece’s newspaper of record), “thousands of residents in Barcelona protested against the effects of overtourism, which are making their lives unbearable. Spain is the second most popular destination in the world after France, receiving 85 million visitors last year and expecting even more in 2024. The streets in downtown Barcelona are constantly congested, rental rates have skyrocketed by nearly 70% in the past few years, water is being rationed (every resident is entitled to 200 liters a day) and small neighborhood businesses are shutting down and turning into bicycle rental shops, cafes and souvenir stores.”

 

photo: Tricafaldetes

In an earlier Ekathimerini article, Eptakili reported “about 200 activists gathered on a popular beach in Mallorca, Spain, to protest the effects of overtourism on the environment, on rent and prices in general, and on their daily lives. On this small beach, a cove with emerald waters, 4,000 visitors and 1,200 cars arrive every day to take a photo and post it on Instagram. In videos posted online, locals can be seen shouting at foreign visitors to ‘go away, go away’….

 

“In Greece, we may not have similar incidents, with locals shouting at tourists to ‘go away,’ but dissatisfaction has been expressed on several occasions.”

 

Photo: Petros Giannakouris

Alex Papachelas, Ekathimerini’s Executive Editor has written, “Let’s say a large hotel unit is being built on an island… it is an investment that initially many people will see positively. It is aimed at high-income tourists and the expectation is created that it will raise the overall level of the island. Few people are concerned about the fact that the island in question lacks basic infrastructure and that the incomplete network that does exist was not designed for such high numbers of tourists… Understaffing is a major issue of our time and obviously a large unit makes it worse for everyone else who is struggling to find personnel and compete in terms of wages.

 

“But another problem also emerges: The new hotel rents out every room and apartment on the island for its staff. The room owners are happy because they have a stable income, but people who work in state-run services on the island can no longer find affordable accommodation. At the same time, the average Greek who stayed in these rooms because their prices were reasonable can no longer visit the island. The cheaper tavernas also feel the impact and the domino effect continues.”

 

Alex Papachelas

So, what is there to be done?  It is a matter front and center in the minds of the current government, shared by forward thinkers concerned for the future of Greece’s most valuable commodity, TOURISM.

 

An example of that thinking is the following article published a couple of days ago by Tom Ellis of Ekathimerini describing his paper’s commitment to focusing on how best to address the needs of Greece’s critical tourism dynamic:

 

Tom Ellis

“Most Greeks, of all ideological persuasions, agree that tourism is our national industry. Hence it is only natural that we should do everything we can to protect and improve it.

 

“As the steadily increasing tourist volume of the last few years has not only brought obvious benefits but also caused distractions, legitimate questions are being raised about how local economies can or should deal with them.

 

“Is tourism in Greece – the result of the country’s natural beauty – a blessing or a curse? It’s obviously a blessing. but we should do everything we can to protect it so it stays a blessing.

 

“The issue has leapt to the forefront, demanding a public dialogue about where we are, how we got here and, most importantly, where we go from here, and how.

 

“It is in that context that Kathimerini has taken the initiative to try to forge a roadmap for the future.

 

“Greek tourism is doing well and it is without doubt a very important success story for this country.

 

“That doesn’t mean that some aspects of the way the country’s tourism industry has developed in the past cannot change. Improving the Greek paradigm, making it more solid through responsible practices, should be a national goal.

 

“It is with that in mind that this week Kathimerini hosted another Reimagine Tourism in Greece summit, in coordination with our partners who have shown a long-term positive impact on the industry, share our hopes and aspirations, but at the same time are similarly concerned about deficiencies and obstacles that have to be overcome.

 

“The aim is to have a modern tourism industry that benefits Greek society as a whole, while safeguarding our traditions and cultural treasures, and at the same time protecting the environment and the country’s natural beauty.

 

“In that effort we aim to be the intellectual cornerstone of a healthy debate and exchange of ideas.

 

“If we do it right, it will benefit everyone: private businesses, local economies, and, at the end of the day, the country as a whole.

 

“Our aim is none other than to contribute to the creation of an ecosystem that facilitates innovation and encourages the implementation of best practices, and, in doing so, helps to reshape Greek tourism with an eye to a sustainable future.”

 

Let’s hope these goals come to pass. Better yet, let’s all work toward making them happen.

 

––Jeff