Greek island of Santorini issues warning to British tourists as 'ban imminent'

Island of Santorini in Greece
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


UK tourists planning a trip to the idyllic Greek island of Santorini could soon face new restrictions aimed at combating over-tourism.

In response to local concerns about the island nearing overcapacity due to massive numbers of visitors, the Greek government has introduced draft legislation which could see strict building restrictions on hotels and holiday lets within the island's iconic caldera zone. The legislation, currently undergoing public consultation, intends to put a stop to the development of new hotels, expansions, and even swimming pools - anything that might alter the unique natural charm of the island.

This comes as part of a campaign by locals who are eager to maintain and conserve the distinctive traditional landscape. Santorini's mayor, Nikos Zorzos, who has advocated against excessive tourist-centric development, has confirmed to the press that he has implored the national government to "halt the construction of all types of hotel units, short-term rentals, and especially strategic investments, not only for the caldera but for the entire island of Santorini."

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Amid the stunning vistas of Santorini, local officials and experts are expressing unease as tourism rates continue to soar. The island, home to 25,000 permanent residents, was visited by an extraordinary 3.2 million tourists in 2023, reports the Mirror.

Mr Zorzos argued the island could only support a certain amount of construction. He said "when the needs keep increasing, new consecutive problems will build up which we won't be able to resolve," including water and electricity, "which we have worked hard to get to their present level, and we keep working on".

There are also concerns over safety on Santorini, with a landslide in April raising concerns about the island's fragile landscape and the stability of the caldera's slopes. Efthymis Lekkas, president of the Anti-Seismic Planning and Protection Organization (OASP), said: "This year, after the landslide in April, meetings of the intergovernmental committee were held specifically for Santorini, and, next, the issue of the stability of the slopes of the caldera was examined."

The new measures are being aimed to target the mass tourism with locals claiming it has reached saturation point
The new measures are being aimed to target the mass tourism with locals claiming it has reached saturation point

Under the proposed legislation, businesses operating within the caldera will be required to conduct structural adequacy studies within a two-year deadline, reported the Express. Local planning authorities will also be expected to review all existing building permits in the zone by the end of this year.

The proposed law has not been met with unanimous approval, however. Some have raised concerns that the legislation would have a detrimental effect on the local economy, which relies heavily on tourism.

This new legislation comes after Santorini, along with another hugely popular hotspot, Mykonos, announced plans to cap the number of cruise ships able to dock in an attempt to get a hold of the influx of tourists which arrive during the day. According to the Greek National Tourism Organisation, seven million people travelled into Greece and its islands via cruise ship in 2023, compared to 4.38 million the previous year.

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