I returned from a family holiday to Kefalonia 2 days ago, with my husband and 2 x teenage daughters. It was gorgeous, hot (!), beautiful beaches (I’m also married to a beach person), plentiful cafes and restaurants, stunning views, and the people were warm and friendly. For 5 days it was blissful, but then on our penultimate day, everything changed. The beaches were rammed, cafes overcrowded, a sense of heated unrest in the air from locals and visitors alike. Tourists dismayed at the change from the previous day because…yep…the cruise ships had arrived. There was not one sun bed or spot of shade available, all beds and shady areas had been devoured. Like your description of Santorini, the ship docked elsewhere and hundreds of passengers were bussed round to an ‘idyllic’ beach, rendering it far from…
We left the area, and I made a mental note to research places cruise ships do not go to for all future holidays… it’s really tricky, I know people who love cruises, and each to their own, but it just doesn’t seem sustainable. The sheer numbers cramming into a small village doesn’t seem to work for anyone - I’ve no idea if it is enjoyable for the cruise passengers either? At 1pm they were shipped off, and there was a palpable sigh of relief…
It’s the intensity of the surge that makes it so hard…
Thank you for sharing your experience! Kefalonia looks beautiful. I'm glad most of your days there were peaceful.
I so agree with you about the intensity of the surge. One of the big problems with the cruise ships is that there are so many people going to just a few destinations, but in a place like Santorini that is so small, there really aren't a ton of other places they can go on that island without further development, which has its pluses and minuses. The biggest issue I see with the cruise ship tourists is they aren't significantly contributing to the local economy AND they are driving away those who would otherwise contribute to the local economy.
Back in the days when interrailing in Europe after graduating from high school, we went to Corfu and had a wonderful time. My one and only time in Greece exept for a stop over in Athens on my way to Cyprus.
My feeling is that tourism in these parts has gone seriously awry and the influencer-selfie culture makes it worse.
You are right, staying for a week or so is completely different from being one day.
I agree with you. We've seen a bit of the influencer-culture in our travels over the last few years, but it was nowhere near the level we experienced in Santorini.
Looks magical at night! That sucks about the cruise ship tourists, but I definitely get the difficulty in balancing tourist income with the historical and natural beauty of the place.
I will make it a point to do good research before visiting anywhere in Greece. I've looked forward to a trip for many years now, and one day we'll do just that. This helps!
I want to do more research myself! Overtourism has been a hot button issue in Europe this summer, with several places taking action. It's a really interesting topic that obviously has big impacts globally.
Can't wait to hear what you decide on your Greece trip. We were really just scratching the surface.
Thanks for sharing this stuff - please do keep doing it. I appreciate a "boots on the ground" perspective from someone I know and respect, and feel I can learn a lot through your lens here.
I have really happy memories of Santorini. My husband and I stayed there over 15 years ago at Kamari which is on the other side of the island. There were only two taxis on the whole island. Our hotel was at the end of the airport runway. But there were so few flights it didn’t bother us. It was peaceful and the people were so friendly. We went to Fira, but even then before the massive influx of cruise liners Oia was very busy, so we gave it a miss. It is so sad to know what has happened. But I don’t have any easy answers. Greece needs the tourist industry. Except for a limited wine trade Santorini has little industry and income. Small islands without tourism are not economically viable. This is replicated across Europe and I am sure elsewhere.
People go on cruise ships to see different places. But this does not necessarily convert into income for the local populations. The food is consumed on the boats etc. Hence the problems this year in Barcelona and Majorca. I have been very lucky to see these places before these problems were so bad. I also recognise I cannot be smug and blame the people on the ships. Tourism has changed beyond recognition in these places.
Jo, it sounds like you have some lovely memories of Santorini, and I'm glad you mentioned the wine, as it is one of the few crops that grows on the island and is one of the few exports. We had some of it while we were there.
You made some excellent points about the financial impact on the local population, and I think it—along with ecological impacts—get to the heart of the discussion around Santorini and many of these other destinations that have seen major explosions in tourism over the last few years.
It's a similar story in Venice and Dubrovnik, in my part of Europe.
Yes, that's what I've been hearing. I need to do more research and better educate myself.
I returned from a family holiday to Kefalonia 2 days ago, with my husband and 2 x teenage daughters. It was gorgeous, hot (!), beautiful beaches (I’m also married to a beach person), plentiful cafes and restaurants, stunning views, and the people were warm and friendly. For 5 days it was blissful, but then on our penultimate day, everything changed. The beaches were rammed, cafes overcrowded, a sense of heated unrest in the air from locals and visitors alike. Tourists dismayed at the change from the previous day because…yep…the cruise ships had arrived. There was not one sun bed or spot of shade available, all beds and shady areas had been devoured. Like your description of Santorini, the ship docked elsewhere and hundreds of passengers were bussed round to an ‘idyllic’ beach, rendering it far from…
We left the area, and I made a mental note to research places cruise ships do not go to for all future holidays… it’s really tricky, I know people who love cruises, and each to their own, but it just doesn’t seem sustainable. The sheer numbers cramming into a small village doesn’t seem to work for anyone - I’ve no idea if it is enjoyable for the cruise passengers either? At 1pm they were shipped off, and there was a palpable sigh of relief…
It’s the intensity of the surge that makes it so hard…
Thank you for sharing your experience! Kefalonia looks beautiful. I'm glad most of your days there were peaceful.
I so agree with you about the intensity of the surge. One of the big problems with the cruise ships is that there are so many people going to just a few destinations, but in a place like Santorini that is so small, there really aren't a ton of other places they can go on that island without further development, which has its pluses and minuses. The biggest issue I see with the cruise ship tourists is they aren't significantly contributing to the local economy AND they are driving away those who would otherwise contribute to the local economy.
Back in the days when interrailing in Europe after graduating from high school, we went to Corfu and had a wonderful time. My one and only time in Greece exept for a stop over in Athens on my way to Cyprus.
My feeling is that tourism in these parts has gone seriously awry and the influencer-selfie culture makes it worse.
You are right, staying for a week or so is completely different from being one day.
I agree with you. We've seen a bit of the influencer-culture in our travels over the last few years, but it was nowhere near the level we experienced in Santorini.
Looks magical at night! That sucks about the cruise ship tourists, but I definitely get the difficulty in balancing tourist income with the historical and natural beauty of the place.
I will make it a point to do good research before visiting anywhere in Greece. I've looked forward to a trip for many years now, and one day we'll do just that. This helps!
I want to do more research myself! Overtourism has been a hot button issue in Europe this summer, with several places taking action. It's a really interesting topic that obviously has big impacts globally.
Can't wait to hear what you decide on your Greece trip. We were really just scratching the surface.
Thanks for sharing this stuff - please do keep doing it. I appreciate a "boots on the ground" perspective from someone I know and respect, and feel I can learn a lot through your lens here.
I have really happy memories of Santorini. My husband and I stayed there over 15 years ago at Kamari which is on the other side of the island. There were only two taxis on the whole island. Our hotel was at the end of the airport runway. But there were so few flights it didn’t bother us. It was peaceful and the people were so friendly. We went to Fira, but even then before the massive influx of cruise liners Oia was very busy, so we gave it a miss. It is so sad to know what has happened. But I don’t have any easy answers. Greece needs the tourist industry. Except for a limited wine trade Santorini has little industry and income. Small islands without tourism are not economically viable. This is replicated across Europe and I am sure elsewhere.
People go on cruise ships to see different places. But this does not necessarily convert into income for the local populations. The food is consumed on the boats etc. Hence the problems this year in Barcelona and Majorca. I have been very lucky to see these places before these problems were so bad. I also recognise I cannot be smug and blame the people on the ships. Tourism has changed beyond recognition in these places.
Thank you Kristi for making me think 😘😘
Jo, it sounds like you have some lovely memories of Santorini, and I'm glad you mentioned the wine, as it is one of the few crops that grows on the island and is one of the few exports. We had some of it while we were there.
You made some excellent points about the financial impact on the local population, and I think it—along with ecological impacts—get to the heart of the discussion around Santorini and many of these other destinations that have seen major explosions in tourism over the last few years.
My favorite line “If I wanted to go to Phoenix in summer, I would have done to Phoenix”. Hot as blazes and arid
Ha! I had that line in here for awhile but then thought better of it.