Islanders outnumbered by visitors
The sustainability of tourism on the Greek islands is being questioned as the number of tourist beds is as much as three or four times greater than the number of permanent residents.
The problem no longer concerns not only the very popular islands, such as Mykonos and Santorini, but seems to be concentrated in the Cyclades, including some small that were once considered “alternative destinations” and where the problem is just as explosive. The problem is further exacerbated by short-term Airbnb-type rentals, with listings ranging from hundreds to several thousand on many islands.
“Tourism is moving to a form where management is out of the control of local communities,” says Harry Coccossis, professor emeritus at the University of Thessaly.
Kathimerini combined 2021 census data released this year with the latest annual report of the Institute of Tourism Research and Forecasting (ITEP) of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (2022) and the available data on room rentals (2019, Confederation of Businessmen of Tourist Accommodation in Greece) and campsites (ESYE 2021).
For the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, data on Airbnb listings (from the Inside Airbnb website) were also used, calculating that each listing corresponds to two beds (there may of course be more). For the purposes of the report, all islands except Crete and Evia were considered.
What emerges from the data analysis is that on five islands the available beds are more than three times the resident population. Mykonos has 3.7 beds per resident, Santorini 3.42, Folegandros 3.16, Ios 3.07, Antiparos 3.03. This means that at the peak of the tourist season the population on these islands more than triples, and this is not counting workers and general residents, other than tourists, who are not permanent residents. Six other islands have more than two beds per resident (Skiathos, Serifos, Sifnos, Amorgos, Thassos and Sikinos).
