Santorini grapples with tourist surge and looming water crisis

Only in one day, 11,000 guests arrived on the Greek island inhabited by around 15,000 people. This is not comfortable for either the residents or the tourists, so special appeals have been made to both groups.

Many Greeks, regardless of their political views, are concerned about excessive tourism in many regions, including the famous island of Santorini.

According to the eKathimerini portal, Panagiotis Kavallaris, an official on Santorini, appealed to the residents of the Greek island to limit their movements due to the increased tourist traffic.

The appeal was spread through social media. The post has already been removed, but it caught the attention of the Greek public and resulted in many negative comments. "For the sake of tourists, a lockdown was imposed on the residents," some were irritated.

Nikos Zorzos, the mayor of Santorini, said that the number of guests arriving on the island daily should not exceed 9,000. He announced the reinstatement of the limit on the number of people coming to Santorini starting next year. He noted that a new port should be built, and the energy infrastructure and urban planning should be improved. He also advocated for regulating hotel and Airbnb operations.

As "The Sun" pointed out, another severe problem in Santorini might be water shortages shortly. This is not the only Greek island that could face such a crisis. Last month, an emergency situation was declared on the island of Leros. Due to the water deficit, local authorities appealed to residents to minimize washing cars, watering plants, or cooling down yards and streets with water.

The Greek Reporter portal has warned that in the summer, due to heatwaves and the mass influx of guests, not only the mentioned islands of Santorini and Leros but also Mykonos, Rhodes, and Corfu might face water shortages.