Imagine that Inis \u00d3irr, Cape Clear, Sherkin or Inishturk already had 13 hotels, and planning applications had been lodged for another 18 new builds, including three five-star resorts. That\u2019s the situation in Ano Koufonisi, a Greek island of the same size \u2013 less than 6sq km \u2013 with a population of 366. <\/p>\n
Tourism<\/a> development is so extensive that it has given rise to a new word, \u201covertourism\u201d: a situation where the host country cannot sustain the weight of the product. Greece<\/a> is suffering from overtourism, the victim of its own success \u2013 or, rather, the victim of its own sunshine. <\/p>\n There is a detectable gap between, on one side, government and industry policy on tourism and foreign investment and, on another, the concern of scientists, sociologists and, in particular, island-dwellers regarding planning and development and their social and environmental impact<\/a>. <\/p>\n In previous columns I have quoted the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis\u2019s statement<\/a> about the (at present) pristine area in Corfu<\/a> of Erimitis, where a hotel development is threatened. He referred to the area as a \u201cwaste of space\u201d because it does not generate wealth. <\/p>\n A nearby area threatened with a marina, which also has the support of the prime minister, is the tranquil bay of Imerolia. The knock-on environmental effect on local inhabitants, traffic and the neighbouring fish farm is unimaginable.<\/p>\n Scientists warn of the dangers to agriculture, forestry and wine-growing. The strain on infrastructure, water supply and waste management is a big factor in what at peak periods amounts to a social and environmental crisis. The fact remains that, although tourism is absolutely vital to the Greek economy, there is no overall national strategy for tourism. The Greek Tourism Confederation has itself called for a national spatial plan to prioritise development, but at the same time it has assured the government that Greece is \u201ccapable of resilient growth in tourism\u201d.<\/p>\n On Thursday and Friday, the Ionian University in Corfu is hosting an academic conference with just such a title: Towards Resilient Destinations. \u201cResilient\u201d is a buzzword, like \u201coutreach\u201d, and what it means is anyone\u2019s guess. It can mean \u201cthe capacity to withstand\u201d, or \u201crecover\u201d, or \u201cto be elastic\u201d.<\/p>\n The title of the conference is not original – \u201cresilience\u201d has been used in connection with studies on wine production, city planning and even bamboo forestry. The EU ran a recovery and resilience facility in the post-Covid years. While the event is under the aegis of a Greek university, the overall academic thrust seems to come from universities in the UK, and, like its buzzword title, applicable to almost any locale.<\/p>\n It suggests tourists moving towards a location, so there can be no doubt that this event focuses on places that are suffering from overtourism, and concern for how they might survive it.<\/p>\n