A local council member in Santorini recently urged island residents to limit their movements because 17,000 visitors were expected to disembark from cruise ships!! As expected, this call provoked reactions.
Overtourism is a reality in many parts of the world. In Cyprus, we cannot speak of overtourism, but due to the island’s size, infrastructure, and services, there are areas where the negative effects of overtourism are evident.
For example, traveling on the Polis Chrysochous-Latsi road, a ten-minute journey can take an hour during July and August. And what happens if someone needs something urgently, like to see a doctor?
The same applies to Protaras. The beaches are occupied, hence the selfish practice of placing towels overnight as a reservation. And this doesn’t happen only in Protaras. At present, the locals are not complaining. They count their earnings, rub their hands, and pray for more visitors.
Meanwhile, the water is running low. Locals are asked to use it sparingly. Old guidelines are being pulled out, and the next step will be restrictions. Who will tell tourists not to leave the tap running when brushing their teeth, not to fill the bathtub, or not to stay long in the shower? Who will enforce that rented villas do not water the lawn with running water? How much water do golf courses need to look like English countryside meadows?
In Spain recently, the anti-overtourism movement has intensified, with frequent protests against the phenomenon that affects the quality of life of residents. The same is true in cities like Venice, Dubrovnik, Amsterdam, and Prague, where locals not only feel suffocated in streets flooded with people but also struggle to find housing to rent.
According to a report by The Guardian, tourism, driven by revenue-hungry municipal councils, cheap flights, and Airbnb, has grown monstrously. After the sharp decline during Covid, tourism numbers are soaring again and are expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels this summer. As a result, the most popular city destinations now host 20 or more visitors per local resident.
Many cities are introducing or increasing visit fees to popular sites, but this seems to be insufficient. In France, where 80% of visitors are concentrated in 20% of the country, a campaign has been launched urging tourists to venture off the beaten path. According to authorities, tourist influxes on the French Riviera also threaten the environment.
Here, we are still building tourist facilities.