A new report says a ‘lack of vision and strategy’ threatens a sector that accounts for 30% of Greek GDP. The government’s response is worrying
Crowds gather for the sunset in Mykonos, a tourist hotspot where abuses of Greece 's planning laws are rampant. Photograph: Maria Mavropoulou/The New York Timestourism industry, Sustainable Tourism Development, has spelt out in unequivocal terms that, unless fundamental changes are made to both the character of the tourism product and its infrastructure, the industry, which contributes approximately 30 per cent of Greek GDP, will collapse within 10 years, taking the national economy with it.
The ombudsman’s principal recommendations refer to the impact of tourism on infrastructure such as the water supply, coastal areas, waste management and over-building, especially the uncontrolled and illegal type. The main thrust of the report is that ordinary citizens and local communities must be consulted in order to draw a sustainable model for the future of this absolutely vital industry. The needs of “civil society” must be balanced against “the real economic benefit” of tourism.
The ombudsman notes that such a policy has been on the starting grid for the past seven years, and remains there. It is part of the lip service paid to the philosophy and ethics of tourism development, which I have observed since coming to live here more than 20 years ago. It’s always promised, never implemented.
Whether by accident or design, within three days of the ombudsman’s report, the government announced a new plan to answer many of these warnings. The document was open for discussion for no more than a week. That in itself suggests disregard at government level for the ombudsman’s findings and recommendations.
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