New rules at Greek hotels and apartments for UK tourists despite 'backlash'

Greece is being forced to keep their hotel pools filled in new ways as droughts continue to impact the country. Pools on Greek islands could be filled with seawater this summer as politicians try to combat the country's two-year drought.

Proposed new laws debated in the European Union nation's parliament this week could pave the way for pipes to be installed connecting swimming pools at coastal hotels with the sea. The aim is to save shrinking water reserves on many Greek islands and use the water in other areas facing shortages.

Elena Rapti, a deputy minister of tourism, told a parliamentary committee on Monday the legislation "regulates the framework for carrying out seawater extraction and pumping it for swimming pools. She said: "The focus, of course, is to conserve water resources."

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The country has seen its annual rainfall decrease by around 12 per cent between 1971 and 2020 compared to 1901 to 1970, according to a recent study from the National Observatory of Athens. The Aegean Islands and Crete are some of the worst affected with a fifth of their rainfall having disappeared.

Last year, Greece attracted almost 33 million visitors, generating €28.5 billion in revenue. Under the proposed legislation, pipelines would be installed to pump seawater in and out of pools at coastal resorts. Deputy Minister of Tourism Elena said.

Greece is grappling with a 12% decrease in annual rainfall from 1971 to 2020 compared to earlier decades, the urgency to address water scarcity is growing. Severe droughts over the past two years have intensified the need for sustainable solutions, especially in a nation where tourism remains a key economic driver.

But critics of the planned new laws and rules have raised concerns about potential environmental harm, particularly from chemical-treated seawater, such as chlorine, being discharged back into the ocean.