Greece has been warned it needs to make major changes if it wants to remain a popular tourism destination. The country’s ombudsman issued a report on Thursday and called for urgent reform. It needs to reduce rampant construction and protect water resources and coastal areas if it wants to maintain a healthy tourism industry across its mountainous mainland and beach-lined islands , it added.
Some 33 million people visited Greece in 2023 , 5 million more than a year earlier, drawn by its ancient archaeological sites, turquoise Mediterranean waters and reliably sunny weather. But in a report released on 13 June, the ombudsman warned of the growing environmental risks and called for urgent reform. “Our country’s economy relies heavily on tourism which makes the need to manage it in a sustainable way even more urgent,” the report said.
Greece must not “exhaust its potential, wasting it and making our tourist destinations unattractive over time”. Earlier this week the body of celebrity doctor Michael Mosley was found on the Greek island of Symi. He was found to have died of natural causes after setting off for a walk from Saint Nikolas beach in searing 40C heat without a mobile phone.
Tourism accounts for over a quarter of economic output and nearly 2 million Greeks’ annual income derives from the sector, said the report, the first on the sector for the Greek Ombudsman since the authority was founded over 25 years ago. Revenues are expected to rise to 21 billion in 20.