London, Thanasis Gavos

Many are the publications of the last interval in the British press with “warnings” to British tourists who choose Greece this year for vacation about a series of “dangers” they may face.

These have to do with the heat, with the fires, with the reactions of locals against excessive tourism in the Cyclades, but also with the outbreak of the new variant of the corona virus.

The warning about extreme temperatures and reactions from residents against tourists also concerns other Mediterranean countries.

Most of these reports come from the tabloid newspapers.

In its well-known sensationalist style, the Daily Express reports in an article that “the twin threat of extreme heat and overcrowding of tourists it makes life hell on the picturesque islands of Greece for tourists and locals”. The article speaks of islands at a “tipping point”.

The Daily Mirror cites warnings from experts in Britain about the potentially fatal effects of exposure to extreme heat without protection.

The Daily Mail highlights warnings from British meteorologists to families with children who will be on holiday in southern Europe to be careful, while in Greece there is also mention of fires.

Express and Mirror are also mentioned in “urgent warning” to British tourists following cases and deaths in Greece from the FLiRT variant of the coronavirus. The warning is attributed to the UK Health Protection Agency (the corresponding EODY) which recommends isolation in the event of symptoms of the coronavirus.

A Daily Telegraph columnist even predicted a few days ago that we are experiencing the “beginning of the end of the Mediterranean summer holiday”, as extreme heatwaves become the norm and will make popular resorts unsuitable for comfortable holidays.

However, a report by The Times also speaks of “tourism out of control” based on statements by residents of Paros, activists and academics.

They state in the newspaper that over-tourism creates problems in everyday life and that protests are now being organized, with the biggest threat being the “irreversible scale of construction”, which is changing the physiognomy of the islands.

“It’s very scary, because if hyper-tourism continues like this then our identity will be lost and the cultural heritage of the Cyclades is our strongest asset. We will simply become a luxury destination that could be Dubai or anywhere else, a theme park for tourists,” warns the co-founder of the Sustainable Cyclades Network, Nikolas Stefanou, speaking to the Times.

A resident of Paros also warns that the island has already lost 70% of its beauty and authenticity with the hotels and villa complexes.

It is also noted that now Greek families cannot cover the cost of a week’s vacation in the Cyclades.

Making a combined reference to the heat wave, which as pointed out has also caused the deaths of tourists, the newspaper comments that “the impression is sometimes of a country and industry (tourism) that is close to a tipping point”.