At Risk

---

Santorini is famous for its dome-churches

Every morning Michael Ermogenis leaves his house in Oia, Santorini, walking with His Dog . The picturesque island of the famous domed churches and views of the sunset helped attract More Than Two million overnight guests Last Year .

For months, he was able to walk the marble paths, see the whole day, and no other person, as the Corona-Virus-pandemic stopped Tourism . But on Monday is all set to change, as Greece back to its borders, with the aim to kick-Start his season.

typically, the masses of people are and the traffic on Santorini so hectic that Michael up to an hour to his home village. Number of tourists increased, so much that the EU warned that you risk putting "The Future of the destination".

"It's just incredible," he says. "I feel like I ve been given the key to Disneyland. But at the same Time I know that this was not done for my performance. It is one of the great global catastrophe. "

Can model Greece, its Tourism to re-invent?

The Halt to global travel has proved to be devastating for a country in the Mediterranean, such as Greece, where Tourism accounts for up to 30% of the economic output and commands up to five jobs.

He welcomed a record 33 million visitors in the Last Year , and for Many Islands , Tourism is the Main Source of employment in the Private Sector .

tourist destinations in Europe

million nights in accommodation establishments

source: Eurostat

Some of The Islanders are now wondering if this could be an opportunity to have a more Sustainable Tourism model.

"now, about Tourism as a topic has come off the boil," says Michael Ermogenis. Prior to that, he was so worried about the visit that he began a Store of Oia campaign, the erection of the signage around The Village to ask tourists to treat their surroundings with respect.

"The question is, how fast it's going to be a Problem if The Authorities are trying to do the things thought in a strategic way?"

As Greece is the re-opening for Tourism on 15. June Thermal imaging cameras are also used in The Greek stations

Greece phase Two begins, so that international flights to the airport of Thessaloniki; up to Now Only in Athens was open. Flights resume from much of Europe, Israel, Japan, Australia and New Zealand :

1. July: International arrivals in all Greek airports and sea ports, the specimens with a stitch.

On the nearby island of Mykonos, famous for its parties and celebrity visitors, Stacey Harris-Papaioannou, admits she enjoys The Beaches mostly to yourself.

"But, beautiful as it is, we can. not our invoices, the laughs with sandy," and explains that she makes a income through the leasing of accommodation for seasonal Workers , pay

The Waters off Mykonos are quiet now

cruise ships one of The Islanders ' biggest complaints, she says.

"In a day we have to show maybe seven of them, until all at once, and The Island is flooded with an additional 20,000 people within an hour," she says. For the years that you and others call for boat arrivals Staggered by.

A sight from The Past : but when The Cruise ships Return to Mykonos?

The pandemic has paid for The Cruise industry to dock today, and this year none of the big ships in the Harbor.

Many Mykonians are happy, although some companies like cafes and mini-markets, a hit.

Another problem is the pressure on the infrastructure, since the capacity has not increased, with the number of visitors.

Mykonos often experiences blackouts due to the excessive use of energy. Waste Management is a large topic.

Santorini has no recycling facilities, but only to an illegal garbage dump, not to the EU standards.

contributed, such As Tourism , modern Greece

Tourism has already been acknowledged by the successive Greek governments as a means of revival of the country After the crises.

In the 1950s, the government established five-star to win the state-owned hotels in an attempt to up-market visitors After the second World War .

After the Military Dictatorship took power in a coup in 1967, and the focus on mass Tourism , and still, After 1974 and fell.

Tourism has helped Greece to recover from the financial crisis of 2008, although many claim it was not managed properly.

"There is still a lack of specific guidelines in relation to Tourism flows," says Prof Efthymios Sarantakou at the University of Western Attica.

"A fundamental weakness is that the structure of the government the regional authorities The Power to manage and regulate Tourism on the local Level . "

Could use Greece for you to change the pandemic?

a Further complaint in Greece is that over-reliance on Tourism has led to a flood of low-skilled, low-paid seasonal work.

"It is an industry that employs a lot of women, migrants and Young People worldwide," says Kristina Zampoukos, of The Department of Tourism studies at the Mid Sweden University.

"It's a sector that are not highly valued or paid for, because of its Association with feminized faculties, such as cleaning, and caring for others. "

Other destinations that suffered from previously concerning Tourism , such as Venice and Amsterdam, have already declared that you are to use the pandemic as an opportunity to more sustainable models.

So Far , The Greek government has not made moves similar.

For The Moment , many of The Island 's residents focuses on whether you can make a income and to avoid a second wave of The Virus . But you will be careful, will Return to The Old problems.

coronavirus lockdown measures, coronavirus pandemic, greece, tourism

Source of news: bbc.com