The UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines overtourism as “the impact of tourism on a destination that negatively affects the quality of life for residents or visitors. This impact can be environmental, economic, or sociocultural, and it’s often characterized by overcrowding and strain on resources.”
Let’s look at the adjectives more closely with reference to Halkidiki:
environmental – power cuts, water shortages, increased risk of forest fires, overflowing cesspits, people forced to piss and shit in the open because their toilets are not working. These seem to be far more serious on the first leg, Cassandra, which is densely populated due to its closeness to Thessaloniki. You need another 40 minutes on a slower road just to get to the top of the second leg, and a further 20, 40 and 55 minutes to reach Neos Marmaras, Toroni and Kalamitsi respectively.
economic – such is the greed of hoteliers, restaurants and bars that in their lust to gouge Balkan tourists, Greeks have been priced out. If you hear Greek, you are tempted to ask the speaker Που δουλεύεις because – as sure as fuck – he or she isn’t a holidaymaker. https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1276622/one-in-two-greeks-have-canceled-vacations-for-financial-reasons/
sociocultural – just as Greeks are rarely seen or heard, so too is the native language disappearing from business signs. On a walk to the fortress, the signs below are typical. Over the 1.5 km, I saw only one sign saying Ενοικιαζόμενα Δωμάτια (Rooms to Let).
If you woke up from a coma, it would take you several minutes to assess your whereabouts. Music from the restaurants and bars would not help either as it is all Western pop or techno. Towards the fortress, a bar used to have live Greek music at the weekends. That seems to have gone.
Τhis article says that there has been no significant change in numbers from Romania and Bulgaria since these countries’ accession to Schengen. The last paragraph backs up what I have been saying above. https://www.novinite.com/articles/233723/Despite+Schengen%2C+Bulgarian+and+Romanian+Tourism+in+Northern+Greece+Stagnates
This article Μια Χαλκιδική που δεν μας αξίζει | Parallaxi Magazine is well written and contains a wealth of detail. However, I found it quite annoying in that it focuses mainly on Greeks with second homes in Halkidiki. While the author does address the crap service meted out to foreign tourists, there is an overemphasis (to the point of distaste) on the ‘plight’ of Greek second-home owners. It does not concern her that half the population of Thessaloniki cannot even afford a weekend here.
Changing the subject, in my last post I discussed my driving licence adventures. On a more positive note, my wife contacted our local passport office on Monday, 18th August regarding passport renewal. They advised on the necessary documentation and informed her she could pay the fee online ( παράβολο – see 25/008 Greek Word). She submitted everything on 19th August. This morning, Saturday 23rd, she called the police station and was told her passport was ready. Brilliant.
We get lovely sunsets most evenings here:
