Residents on one of Greece’s most popular holiday islands have complained that they are being forced to “hide in their homes” to make room for tourists.
The beautiful island of Santorini is a magnet for visitors from all around the world.
The island attracts some 3.4 million tourists a year, all eager to experience the unique atmosphere and stunning views it has to offer.
But for the 20,000 local inhabitants living year-round on the island, this influx of visitors is starting to take its toll.
The massive number of tourists is putting huge strains on infrastructure and communal services, as well as leaving no physical space for residents.
Locals were infuriated when Panos Kavalaris, a Santorini politician, told residents in July to stay indoors to allow more room for the visitors.
“Not only do we have to put up with them, now we have to hide in our houses to make way for them,” a resident of Oia told iNews.
Oia is a caldera-edge village flooded by tourists eager to watch the spectacular sunsets each evening.
The huge surge in tourist numbers is affecting almost every aspect of island life.
Narrow roads that were never built to accommodate so much traffic are often jammed with cars.
And during peak seasons, waste management services are unable to cope, with garbage lying around everywhere.
Nikos Zorzos, the island’s mayor, admitted local infrastructure and communal services were creaking under the strain.
“We face all the problems of a big city, even though we are not designed to be a big city or to deal with these problems,” he told iNews.
Cruise ships bring in around 17,000 people a day and are seen as being one of the major contributors to overcrowding in Santorini.
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriacos Mitsotakis has recently introduced a €20 (£16) levy on cruise ship passengers.
According to the Greek Ministry of Tourism, the new taxes will bring in another €50 million (£42m), on top of the €42.7 billion (£35.7bn) the country earned this year from the industry.
