'SANTORINI RESIDENTS UPSET AFTER CALL FOR TOURIST LOCKDOWN'
Vacation is in full swing. Many tourists are travelling to the most popular locations in Europe. One of these locations is the Greek island of Santorini. The crowds of visitors are so large that residents cannot live normally. A Greek councilman had a surprising proposal for them: he recommended a lockdown.
Summer is ongoing, and so are vacations. This means one thing: many people from around the world are travelling, sightseeing, and checking out the most popular places. Undoubtedly, one such spot is the Greek island of Santorini, known for its stunning location and famous blue-roofed houses, often featured on social media. Residents are not pleased. The number of tourists simply overwhelms and exhausts them. They emphasize that they are unable to function normally.
The 2024 holidays are notable for locals regularly complaining about tourists. Problems in Barcelona have been widely reported. The number of visitors is so high that everyday life has become practically impossible for residents. Visitors occupy most hotels, driving housing and rental prices to skyrocket. For many, this means moving out because they can't afford the rent. As a result, protests are ongoing in Barcelona. Residents want the authorities to solve the problem with tourists.
The huge number of tourists in Santorini and the surprising recommendations from a councilman
Santorini has the same problems as Barcelona. On Tuesday, July 23rd, a record number of tourists was expected to arrive on the Greek island. Authorities reported that as many as 17,000 visitors could have reached. It can be assumed this was not the most comfortable situation for residents, but they would have managed somehow. What sparked the most significant controversy was a post by one of the island's councilmen that quickly disappeared from social media.
The authorities of Santorini decided it would be a great idea to recommend that residents, on Tuesday, July 23rd, limit movement and, preferably stay indoors. All this so that tourists could move around easily and later settle into their hotels before starting their vacations. Local residents were very upset, and councilman Panos Kavalaris's post disappeared.
"Urgent announcement. Another difficult day for our city and island, following the arrival of 17,000 guests from cruise ships! Please pay attention and limit movement as much as possible," wrote Panos Kavalaris on social media.
Ultimately, 11,000 tourists arrived on the island. This is fewer than the controversial councilman expected, but local authorities and residents still believe it's too many. This unusual situation has sparked a public debate about whether restrictions should be imposed on visitors who want to see the island. Such measures could be implemented in 2025.
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2024-07-26T16:13:06Z dg43tfdfdgfd