Santorini councillor suggests lockdown amid soaring tourist influx
26 July 2024 13:17
Vacation is in full swing. Many tourists are travelling to the most popular locations in Europe. One of them is the island of Santorini. The crowds of visitors are so large that residents cannot live normally. A Greek councillor had a strange proposal for them. He recommended a lockdown.
Summer is ongoing, and so are holidays. This means one thing: many people worldwide are travelling, sightseeing, and checking out the most popular places. Undoubtedly, one of these is the Greek island of Santorini, which is located in a beautiful place and famous for its blue houses, often featured on social media. Residents are not pleased. The number of tourists overwhelms and exhausts them. They emphasise that they are unable to function normally.
The 2024 holidays are notable for locals regularly complaining about tourists. Problems in Barcelona have been widely reported. The number of visitors is so high that normal life has become practically impossible for residents. Visitors occupy most hotels, causing housing and rental prices to skyrocket. For many, this means moving out because they can't afford the rent. As a result, protests are ongoing in Barcelona. Residents want the authorities to solve the problem with tourists.
The huge number of tourists in Santorini and the strange recommendations from a councillor
Santorini has exactly the same problems as Barcelona. On Tuesday, 23 July, a record number of tourists was expected to arrive on the Greek island. Authorities reported that there could be as many as 17,000 visitors. It can be assumed that this was not the most comfortable situation for residents, but undoubtedly they would have managed somehow. What sparked the biggest controversy was a post by one of the island's councillors that quickly disappeared from social media.
The authorities of Santorini decided it would be a great idea to recommend that residents, on Tuesday, 23 July, limit movement and, preferably, stay indoors. All this is so tourists can move around without any problems and settle into their hotels before starting their holidays. Residents were very upset, and councillor Panos Kavalaris's post disappeared.
"Emergency Announcement. Another difficult day for our city and island with the arrival of 17,000 visitors from cruise ships!!! We ask for your attention and we reduce our movements as much as we can!!!," wrote Panos Kavalaris on social media.
Ultimately, 11,000 tourists arrived on the island. This is fewer than the controversial councillor expected, but local authorities and residents still believe it's too many. This unusual situation has sparked a public debate about whether restrictions should be imposed on visitors who want to see the island. Such measures may be implemented in 2025.
