There is no overtourism in Santorini but we need limits,” said Santorini Hoteliers’ Union President Antonis Pagonis. Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mr Pagonis noted that “this overcrowding that is happening in specific places, specific and limited periods on our island, we believe it is due to the lack of infrastructure, which is something that the authorities and the services need to see and improve immediately.”
“We also believe that the use of the word “hypertourism” in our case is completely wrong and above all misleading and dangerous, because it creates the false impression that Santorini is constantly and everywhere overwhelmed by crowds, which is not the case and is completely false and incorrect.”
Mr. Pagonis said the Santorini Hotel Association agrees with the organization and limiting the number of cruise ships arriving at Santorini, among other islands. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said he plans to implement a plan, likely next year, that would limit cruise ships and reduce the number of thousands of passengers visiting the islands. Speaking to Bloomberg, Mr. Mitsotakis said, “Santorini is the most sensitive, Mykonos the second.”
Santorini, which has a population of around 15,000, welcomed around 800 cruise ships carrying 1.3 million passengers in 2023 alone.
Mr. Pagonis commented when asked about the cruise cap: “Our Prime Minister said what we have been saying for years, that Santorini needs new and modern infrastructure as well as an organization on the part of local authorities and the implementation of a system for allocating mooring places to avoid simultaneous arrival. large cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers simultaneously. We, hoteliers of a hospitable island, say yes to any form of tourist activity, but obviously with limits.”
The president of the Santorini Hoteliers Association continued by stating that “the lack of infrastructure and organization leads to temporary and uneven overcrowding, while pointing out that one day thousands of guests disembark from the cruise and the next day none.” He added: “We therefore ask for the organization of the cruise and the minimum stay of cruise ships of 10 hours, so that visitors have time to explore our beautiful island.”
British media commentary on Santorini
Referring to Santorini’s tourist traffic and the island’s characteristics, the Express.co.uk article notes that Santorini welcomes around two million tourists each year, attracted by the blue-green waters, the beautiful sunsets, the white houses with their blue vaulted roofs and its volcanic beaches.
Its enormous and ever-growing popularity has, however, sparked concern among locals and authorities, with a European Commission TRAN study on hypertourism published in late 2018 using the island as one of its case studies, adds- he.
Overpopulation on the island, which according to the report is mainly concentrated during the summer season between May and October, has a negative impact on the Greek paradise, the environment and the community.
In the years since this report, Santorini has remained extremely popular, as evidenced by photographs showing huge crowds gathering to watch the sunset or bustling beaches.
However, local hoteliers reject the label “hypertourism”, arguing that the island instead suffers from overcrowding and that this only ends in “very limited” periods and parts of the island.