Popular Greek island ’empty’ in ‘worst season ever’ says tour guide over fears it was being overwhelmed

Popular Greek island ’empty’ in ‘worst season ever’ says tour guide over fears it was being overwhelmed

Santorini, often dubbed “Instagram island”, sees a staggering 3.4 million tourists outpace its roughly 20,000 locals yearly, with up to 17,000 cruise ship visitors flocking daily to hotspots like Fira and Oia during peak season for the famed sunsets.

During daylight, tourists throng the island’s quaint cobbled streets and cliffside balconies. Yet, by nightfall, the bustling scene transforms as dramatically as Times Square in New York City emptying out, leaving behind a ghostly quiet.

A local tour guide, Gianluca Chimenti, who has called Santorini home for 18 years, shared his insights with CNN Travel: “Over-tourism doesn’t exist. What I see is a lack of structures,” suggesting that social media exaggerates issues of overcrowding. Chimenti elaborated: “The truth is that the island is empty. Right now is like never before, it’s the worst season ever.” For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here

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By 9pm, town centres become deserted, restaurants and hotels fall quiet as most visitors are day-tripping cruise and ferry passengers present for mere hours, reports the Express. Despite this, the cruise traveller segment is still seen as vital for Santorini’s economy, benefiting businesses just as longer-staying vacationers do. Chimenti acknowledged, though, that there was a growing consensus among locals that change was necessary.

Santorini, the world-renowned Greek island, which was once a quiet place for wine lovers with its extensive vineyards, is now struggling to maintain its charm amidst the surge in popularity. According to sources, the island’s winemaking heritage is being squeezed as investors replace vineyards with holiday homes, driving up land prices due to over-tourism.

The antiquated facilities, such as Firas main port, are said to be buckling under increased footfall. Tourists currently face the choice of a taxing climb or waiting for the limited cable car service to reach the town centre. “It’s absolutely normal that you’re going to have a line if the cruise ships are coming all together,” stated Chimenti.

But he also pointed out the stark contrast after tourists departed, claiming, “the hotels right now are more or less under 30% of a normal season,” and revealed that local businesses were experiencing similar declines.

In an effort to combat these challenges, August 1 saw Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) confirm a meeting with Greece’s maritime affairs minister, Christos Stylianides, to discuss the urgent situation and potential enhancements for the ports infrastructure and services.

Maria Deligianni, CLIA’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, has highlighted the surge in tourism in Greece, particularly noting the “significant attention” on destinations like Santorini and Mykonos. She confirmed that cruise lines were committed to maintaining the 8,000-passenger cap in Santorini and expressed a keen interest in diversifying Greek itineraries to alleviate the pressure on these popular locales.

The CLIA reports that two-thirds of Greece’s cruise tourism is focused on Piraeus, Santorini, and Mykonos, despite the country boasting 6,000 islands and islets, with 227 inhabited ones available for exploration.

Chimenti challenged this concentration: “Why are cruise ships not organising tours to the archaeological sites? If you split the people in three parts of the island, so at different times they are doing multiple things,” he suggested, adding, “they have time to enjoy and you will never have crowds in any part of the island.”

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