Cruise tourism disrupts the tranquility of Santorini. (Image: iStock)
One of the most prominent summer tourist destinations in Greece, Santorini The island is suffering from the impact of overflowing cruise tourism, which is disrupting its infrastructure and local life. For Santorini’s 20,000 permanent residents, the place has been ruined by mass tourism. According to Nikos Zorzos, a total of 3.4 million tourists visited the island in 2023. These huge numbers are putting pressure on its ancient but historic infrastructure. The crisis extends far beyond parking and overcrowded attractions.
The influx of cruise ship visitors has destroyed the tranquillity that once existed here. The once charming town is now suffering from overcrowding.
The rise in tourism has increased noise, litter and pollution, affecting the overall experience of the island. In Oia, the narrow streets are packed with tourists and competition for ideal photo spots makes the situation even worse.
The crisis extends far beyond crowded parking lots and attractions. It has also led to rising rents and the conversion of numerous properties into vacation rentals, making daily life difficult for residents.
This Greek island is not the only place suffering the impact overtourismProtests against overtourism have also broken out in other popular destinations, including Venice and Barcelona.
Switzerland has also come up with multiple ways to deal with overtourism. One of its most iconic landmarks, the Alpine lake, has limited tourist access. Switzerland’s tourism agency recently said that it has been trying to balance the flow of tourists throughout the year to protect the Alpine country from the risks of overtourism. While tourism happens to be a major economic driver for Switzerland, it has multiple downsides. With this measure, and many others, it seems that Switzerland is interested in controlling the influx of tourists.
What is overtourism?
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), before COVID-19, tourism accounted for 10.4% of global GDP. The figure has seen a slight decline since then. It now stands at 9.1% last year. According to a report by National Geographic, overtourism is best understood as “the skyrocketing number of visitors affecting cities, landmarks, and landscapes.”
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