“No, Greece does not have a problem of over-tourism, it faces issues of high concentration of tourists in specific, few destinations, few months a year – But it does not have such a problem and should not have one,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said from the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, in a discussion with the Director of Kathimerini newspaper Alexis Papachelas, as part of the event of the “Reimagine Tourism in Greece” initiative.
At a meeting at the conference “Reimagining Greece” in Greece, during which he spoke at the conference of the “Reimagination of Greece” initiative of the European Commission.
“In some Aegean islands some months of the year we start to have problems serving tourists due to infrastructure problems, where they are being tested. If we had better infrastructure we could have more tourists (…) The question is whether we want more visitors or whether we want visitors who spend more money,” the prime minister also said, referring to overtourism.
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The Prime Minister also said, among other things, about infrastructure: “Separate infrastructure into national infrastructure and that which depends on local government (…) Our country has very modern airports, a private, national airline, new motorways that offer development potential, and we have made significant privatisations in our ports.”
On sustainability, he stressed: “We had to make up for lost ground. We have moved forward, but we are not where we want to be (…) In recycling, the contribution of local authorities is also needed, as in the case of Tilos, for example, where it has almost completely become a reality.
He also spoke about water, which he called a “critical parameter,” noting that the answer must be the result of a region-by-region study. “At the moment we are in the logic of temporary solutions, but we are also planning for long-term solutions. For example, giving a solution to the desalination of the islands could be done more comprehensively, with the help of the EADAP,” he said.
On the problem with reconstruction on some islands of the Cyclades, he noted among other things: “We know that Mykonos and Santorini are two islands with very important added value. At the same time these pressures are counterproductive for the tourism product itself and we do not believe in self-regulation there, that is, we do not want damage to be done there in order for the market to adapt.
In this direction we are intervening, as in the cruise issue for example. Putting a ticket on cruise and controlling the way cruise ships approach these destinations are reasonable steps (…) Santorini urgently needs a new port and we are already working on this.”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis made it clear that restrictions on building will be introduced gradually, always based on the decisions of the Council of State. “Particularly for off-plan building, which creates a big problem, restrictions will be introduced and I believe that they will be good (…) We also have issues with the new building regulation, we had an important trial recently and I want to note that it is important there to have a holistic intervention on the issue of building… not just the height.” He added that the CoE itself will judge its constitutionality.
