Greece does not have a problem with overtourism, but only faces an issue of excessive concentration of tourists in some areas, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a Tuesday tourism-related event at the Athens International Airport, Mitsotakis said: “Greece does not have a problem of overtourism. It faces issues of high concentration of tourists in a few specific destinations, some months of the year. But Greece does not have and should not acquire overtourism, as a systemic problem.”
Increase revenues not just number of tourists
He stressed that Greece’s aim should be to increase tourism revenues, not just the number of tourists visiting the country, but conceded that infrastructures at some islands in the Aegean are severely stressed during the summer months.
During the summer, islands such as Santorini and Mykonos are overstretched. This forced the Greek government to take measures to cap the number of cruise ships arriving daily in Greece’s most popular travel destinations. Greece also introduced a fee for cruise ship visitors.
Mitsotakis said that a third of cruise ship fees will be allocated to investments for protection from the climate crisis.
The introduction of every new tax “always troubles us a lot, and we want to be sure that the cost we transfer to the business owner is a cost that must not undermine the competitiveness of Greek tourism,” the premier stressed.
Mitsotakis stresses need for better infrastructure to avoid overtourism
Mitsotakis noted that with better infrastructure Greece could receive more visitors and highlighted as priorities the management of household waste, water reserves, and traffic on the streets.
He differentiated between infrastructures of national importance, a responsibility of the government, and those that depend on local government.
Issues such as household waste management and recycling should be supported by local governments as well, and he cited the remote island of Tilos as a successful example.
The island has the greatest recycling rate globally due to a program introduced in December 2021 by a private company.
Speaking about Santorini and Mykonos Mitsotakis said that new building permits are banned until repercussions are reviewed and local plans are completed. The two globally known islands have great added value in the tourism product of Greece, but the pressure on the islands may be detrimental to the product, he warned.
“The question is whether we want visitors who want to spend more money,” the PM said, while cautioning against raising of prices for tourists, because it could lead to Greek tourism’s loss of competitive ability.
The PM also asserted there would be no more extraordinary fees on tourism, while he also called for the protection of the natural beauty of islands.
“We must put the brakes on,” he said, “to avoid looking back ten years from now and say, ‘What on earth did we do?’ in the name of a short-term development.”
What about Greek tourists?
In terms of the high cost of vacations for Greeks, the premier referred to the social tourism programs that allowed areas affected by storms such as Evros and Evia to see an infux of tourists, while he pointed out there are also locations in Greece that are cheaper for vacationers.
“Inaccessible destinations are few, but this happens throughout the world,” Mitsotakis said.
Related: Santorini Mayor Sets Out Strategy to Tackle Overtourism