Greece Needs to Take Action Now to Protect Tourism Product

Greek authorities will have to take immediate measures to protect the country’s tourism product, which includes protecting cultural, architectural and natural elements, if they wish to ensure tourism infrastructure develops sustainably, found a study released this week by the Greek Ombudsman.

According to the 168-page “Sustainable Tourism Development” report, spatial and urban planning is of key importance moving ahead, as is a clear legal framework outlining terms and conditions applicable to investments in order to limit the risks of degradation of protected or ecologically sensitive areas.

The report’s analysts refer to the following areas of concern:

– Ambiguous or unclear regulation concerning land use, which is more intense in non-planned areas where a significant part of tourist development is directed, has resulted in the overconcentration of tourist units in specific areas without taking into account specificities and carrying capacity.

– A new Special Spatial Planning Framework for Tourism has been awaiting approval for at least seven years which has led to tourism investments being regulated based on regional spatial plans which are either obsolete or have never been revised. According to the Ombudsman, more than 70 percent of Greek territory lacks urban planning while some 260 Local Urban Planning schemes are still pending. At the same time, ‘special’ spatial frameworks for the installation of renewable energy sources or marine projects are prepared and approved quickly. According to the Ombudsman, one single spatial plan should include all sub-plans.

– There are no carrying capacity studies for each separate area especially for historic urban centers such as those in Athens and Thessaloniki.

– In the absence of spatial and urban plans, off-plan construction continues which to a large extent, supports tourist activity without however observing regulations in place resulting in uncontrolled construction, encroachment of streams, forests, lakes, and coasts, poor waste management and general degradation of the tourist product.

– The government continues to pass provisions which favor the development of tourist facilities but burden residential areas intensifying existing problems.

– Coastal zone laws are rarely adhered to with arbitrary construction activity increasing and continuing and penalties as well as demolition never moving ahead.

– Coastal zones are utilized without permits or in excess of the relevant licensing, which includes among others the addition of umbrellas, sun beds and the obstruction of free access to the beach by businesses.

Anafi, Greece: Photo source: Aegean Islands

The ombudsman goes on to add that there is “no vision or strategy as far as tourism development in the country” is concerned. The sector, it says, contributes 11.5 percent to the country’s GDP reaching 30.5 percent indirectly and employs 800,000 people with about 2 million people deriving income from tourism activity.

Clear and concise regulations that are implemented are of utmost importance and must be formulated with the consultation of local communities and civil society in order to jointly decide on future policies which take into account the real economic benefit for the country, the sustainability of the model to be selected, and destination carrying capacity.

“It is a given, that smaller and larger interests will put pressure on authorities for the establishment of a regulatory framework in their favor. The state’s obligation is to select the framework it recommends as the most appropriate and to consistently support it with clear rules and strict controls,” the Ombudsman said.