On site, we will verify whether what was written this year on thd TVN24 portal under the title: "Instagram curse" is true:
"The crowds of tourists arriving in Santorini every day divide not only the residents of this picturesque island, but also representatives of the tourism industry. As it turns out, however, the problem is not only the crowds. - The truth is that the island is empty - says a local tour operator."
The famous Greek island is particularly loud this summer, among other things, due to the protests of residents who are fed up with the crowds of tourists. The mayor of Santorini, Nikos Zorzos, recently spoke in favor of reducing the number of people arriving by cruise ships to 8,000 per day. Currently, it is even about 17,000 people, with only 20,000 inhabitants on the island.
The small Santorini was visited by a total of 3.4 million tourists last year alone, and the Internet is full of reports of the unmerciful crowds on the island.
However, experts point out that the problem is not only the excess of visitors, but above all the poor organization of tourism in Santorini.
The tour operator, who has lived on Santorini for 18 years, also pointed out that tourists come to the island for a short time. And when the cruise ships leave, Santorini suddenly becomes completely empty. "The truth is that the island is empty," he said. "Right now it's empty like never before, it's the worst season in history," Chimenti added, pointing out that "currently hotels are recording about 30 percent of their turnover compared to a normal season."
"The problem is that social media shows something completely different from reality," he assessed, explaining that many people no longer plan to not only spend the night on the island, but also come there at all because of its reputation as a crowded place.
Huge crowds during the day and emptiness at dusk mean that not only the comfort of tourists is deteriorating, but also the standard of living of local residents. "Santorini is a miracle of nature that can turn into a monster," warned Georgios Damigos, the owner of a local hotel, quoted by Reuters."
