Greek islands and tourists search for 'balance' amid summer crush

When Frenchwoman Nadia Romon picked the island of Hydra for her Greek holiday she was looking for authenticity far from the crowded summer circusThis ruled out bigname destinations such as Mykonos and SantoriniWe wouldnt enjoy it Too many people too much stress the 55yearold saidBut with Greece and its crystalclear waters firmly back on the global travel map after a 10year debt crisis and the Covid19 pandemic finding this elusive combination is easier said than doneLast year despite deadly fires and a long heatwave 327 million foreigners visited the Mediterranean country the highest number everAnd Greeces Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni told AFP in a recent interview that 2024 had begun with a significant increase in tourist numbers and was set to be another record yearA balance must be found between economic gains and the pressure visitors place on the environment and local populations she saidAs he watched bathers plunge into the Aegean Seas turquoise waters 52yearold Romanian holidaymaker Matei Paun observed that its not easy to get away from the crowds with so many touristsAn avid fan of Greece Paun has a tip opt for islands with no airport such as Hydra around 90 minutes by boat from Piraeus the major port close to Athens Out of control Like their customers many of the islands shopkeepers cite Mykonos and Santorini as examples of overcrowding best avoidedWe must maintain the elegance of Hydra said 52yearold restaurant owner Nikos DaglisThe island where cars are banned enjoys an image of chic burnished by the many artists who have fallen under its spell foremost among them the late legendary Canadian poet and singer Leonard CohenBut with chic and cachet comes higher prices and bigger crowds with Hilda Eksian manager of the Phaedra Hotel admitting that the situation is a little out of controlThe 68yearold was appalled to see rooms going for 1600 euros 1747 a night and complained that it was almost impossible to find a deckchair on the beach or a free table at a restaurant last summerHydra cant take any more people Eksian said She wished journalists would stop promoting the place arguing that Hydra is already more wellknown than it needs to beDespite high prices Hydra has been flooded with tourists since the end of pandemicera travel restrictions said Harriet Jarman a Briton who organises horseback ridesBut Jarman who has lived on the island for 10 years does not see much alternative to letting visitors flow inHere we dont have any other industry If it wasnt for tourism what would we do she said Other perils After decades of exposure many Greek islands face other tourismrelated perilsThose range from water shortages pollution and waste management problems to classic cases of badly behaved visitorsIn June fireworks believed to have been launched from a tourist yacht sparked a fire in one of the islands few forested areas prompting outrage in Greece and abroadGreek authorities are now seeking to diversify tourism from the classic beach and sun formula by encouraging other activities such as diving and hikingWere also trying to promote destinations that are less well known internationally especially in mainland Greece Kefalogianni saidAnother option is to further develop tourism in the offseason now more feasible because of milder winters caused by global warmingSpreading out the season would also help cover the loss of visitors who steer clear of Greece in the summer because of heatwaves and fires the research institute of prominent Greek tourism association SETE said in DecemberA year ago Hydra completed a network of walking trails built in collaboration with hiking cooperative Paths of GreeceHiking will enable Greece to showcase the quality of its landscapes and culture to tourists who appreciate them said the cooperatives director Fivos TsaravopoulosAlso read Why Uttan Mumbairsquos hidden village should be your weekend getaway