Locals want to see a cap on tourists entering Santorini

It’s a dreamy holiday destination for millions, including Aussies, but locals and authorities from this Greek island want to see a cap on tourists.

Santorini is easily one of the dreamiest destinations in the world with Aussies eager to explore the island’s famed whitewashed streets and buildings that overlook the Aegean Sea.

And while it attracts visitors from all over the globe it’s sadly become a victim of its own success.

Locals are saying the Greek island is overrun by tourists with almost 3.5 million travellers expected to visit this year alone.

Tourists wait for the sunset in the village of Oia on the Greek island of Santorini on July 20, 2024. Picture: Aris Oikonomou / AFP

Authorities have been asking fortourist cap limits since 2012 as Santorini’s mayor Nikos Zorzos warns this year is “going to be a very bad year for Santorini”.

He claimed the island can’t afford to add a single bed more for accommodation if it wants to avoid major consequences of tourism, according to The Sun.

3.5 million people are expected to visit the popular Greek island this year. Picture: Aris Oikonomou / AFP

He reportedly said that even if the infrastructure were to improve, it still wouldn’t be able to handle the rising number of visitors.

According to the Irish Independent, the municipality is unable to impose a construction ban, so he wants the Athens government to act.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has acknowledged “over-tourism” is a problem in the area and in June announced plans to restrict cruise ships for the country’s most popular islands.

“I think we’ll do it next year,” Mr Mitsotakis told Bloomberg earlier this year.

“Santorini is the most sensitive, Mykonos will be the second.

Locals and authorities have complained about over-tourism for more than a decade claiming the island’s infrastructure and water supply can’t cope with more people. Picture: Aris Oikonomou / AFP

“There are people spending a lot of money to be on Santorini and they don’t want the island to be swamped. Plus the island can’t afford it, even in terms of security.”

There’s also water shortage concerns as a result of an increase in visitors on the island, Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported.

The water shortages are one of several problems noted by The European Commission, who wrote a report in 2018 about the impact of tourists on the Greek Islands.

There’s plans to restrict cruise ships for the country’s most popular islands. Picture: Aris Oikonomou / AFP

It comes as wine producer Matthew Argyros said “tourism destroys the vineyards,” with only “small patches” remaining as a result of Santorini trying to accommodate too many people.

“I raise a red flag for the island,” he told the Irish independent.

He warned that agricultural land prices have rocketed in the area as developers clamour for space to build more holiday lets.

The mayor of Serifos, Konstantinos Revinthis added that “tourists are set for a bad surprise this year due to water shortages”.

Back in 2017, the mayor said Santorini has reached ‘saturation point’. Picture: Aris Oikonomou /AFP

“They must know that they will not be able to shower, if there’s no immediate solution.”

Back in 2017, Mr Zorzos said the island has reached “saturation point”.

“The pressure is too much,” he said at the time. “Santorini has developed the problems of a city. We need desperately to increase supplies but that requires studies, which in turn require technicians and that we cannot afford.”

Santorini isn't the only popular Euro destination that’s become a focal point of anger over tourism – so too has Spain.

Activists from the Spanish island of Mallorca wielded banners that read “SOS Residents” and handed out leaflets in English and German to target holiday-makers at Caló des Moro cove last month.

Protesters physically obstructed pathways and demanded tourists to leave with one woman yelling “go, go, go”.

The protests come as part of a larger movement across the Balearic Islands including Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza – organised by the Mallorca Platja Tour social media group.

Locals want more stringent tourism policies and management of the influx of visitors, allegedly calling for limits on new tourist accommodations and stricter controls on holiday rentals which have reportedly driven up housing prices.

Meanwhile, a movement against “overtourism” has been ongoing in Barcelona since 2018, and just this March riot police and protesters – chanting “Barcelona is not for sale”.

– with The Sun