SHOCKING footage has captured hundreds of tourists clashing for sunset selfies in a popular holiday hotspot in Greece.
Hordes of people armed with selfie sticks and cameras were seen battling for a spot on the sun-soaked island of Santorini.
YouTubeHundreds of people were seen crammed up in narrow walkways for pictures[/caption]
AFPTourists waiting for the sunset in the village of Oia on the Greek island of Santorini[/caption]
YoutubeA tourist climbing on a restricted wall with a ‘do not sit’ sign[/caption]
AFPTourists queue as they wait to get the cable car for a tour[/caption]
Footage shows the tourists crammed up in a little space as they struggle to find decent spots for snapping pictures.
Hundreds were seen queuing up in narrow walkways to reach the clifftop of the village – a short walk that can now take more than 20 minutes because of overcrowding.
One picture even showed a tourist climbing on a restricted wall with a “do not sit” sign and posing for Instagram.
Greek islands are renowned for their beauty and Santorini, in particular, is a haven for social media clout.
Known for its summer party atmosphere, sandy beaches and luxury accommodations, the island is continuously swarmed by Brits and other nationalities each year.
But locals now complain about problems like overcrowding and “bad behaviour” that such tourists create.
Whitewashed terraces and balconies that overlook its incredible surroundings are often littered with selfie-taking Instagrammers desperate for the perfect sunset shot.
Local resident Onur Kilic, 28, told iNews: “Too many people come to Santorini and they leave rubbish behind.
“It’s hard for locals because we live here. The roads are too crowded and the traffic is much worse; it’s bad for the environment and the cost of everything is out of control, locals cannot pay as prices have gone up.”
Just days before, Santorini councillor Panos Kavallaris urged locals to stay at home and “avoid tourists” in a Facebook post that has now been deleted.
The post received severe backlash from residents of the island who asked the government to “limit tourist movements” instead.
One social media user said: “They ask locals to lock themselves at home so that tourists can wander around free. Marvellous.”
Tourism currently accounts for around a quarter of its economic output, while the country has smashed records for tourist visits and spending in the post-Covid era.
Greece welcomed 32.7 million tourists in 2023, 18% more than the year before, while the first quarter of 2024 has seen a nearly 25% rise in visitors.
But the impact of visitors is starting to have a negative effect.
The island’s officials have been calling for a cap on the number of tourists for more than a decade.
Just last month, Greece said it would scale back the number of cruise ships visiting its “over-saturated” islands as part of a major crackdown on tourists.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declared that popular destinations such as Santorini and Mykonos will be prioritised because they are “suffering” the most.
He said the plan is now in place to protect the islands, with measures to be introduced to reduce the number of visiting cruise liners.
“I think we’ll do it next year,” he told Bloomberg.
Why Santorini and Mykonos have become so popular
By Tom Malley, Foreign News Reporter
Santorini and Mykonos are two of Greece’s most popular islands thanks to their stunning scenery, sandy beaches and idyllic locations.
Party lovers from across the globe also love flocking to the islands to spend a vacation filled with memorable nightlife experiences.
Social media influencers also play a big part in the number of visitors to Santorini and Mykonos.
By showing off the islands best bits to their thousands of followers, they encourage others to visit themselves.
Cheap flights can also be found to bothb locations, providing more incentive for Brits and others to travel to the luxury locations.
Averaging daily temperatures of around 29 degrees during the summer, it’s the perfect location to escape the miserable weather back home.
He added that the number of berths or anchoring slots could also be reduced.
Meanwhile, tourists have been told to avoid visiting Santorini after overcrowding and water shortages were predicted.
Greek newspaper Kathimerini said that the shortages are caused in part by an “explosive growth of tourism, followed by an increase in consumption”.
The water shortages are one of several problems noted by The European Commission, which wrote a report in 2018 about the impact of tourists on the Greek Islands.
According to Hindustan Times, some of the negative impacts of those visitors “have permanent consequences on the island and its community”.
In June, anti-tourist graffiti appeared in Athens as the Greek capital called for an end to “over-tourism.”
The sunny mainland city, home to the iconic Parthenon, has seen an increase in bitter graffiti messages urging tourists to “go home” – similar to the ones that have appeared in Spain in recent months.
Protests have been rife across the Mediterranean nation in particular, with residents of Mallorca and Ibiza sending out strong messages of late.
Demonstrations have taken place on beaches across the island with locals protesting over excess tourism.
Locals have even threatened to block the island’s airports and protest outside hotels.
Campaigners claim mass tourism is causing housing shortages, major environmental damage, and driving down wages.
Tourists flock to Santorini in Greece to see its whitewashed walls
Overtourism is contributing to water shortages and damaging vineyard