Santorini: Rescue plan to save the island from the frantic growth

A study carried out by the Hellenic Society of Environment and Culture Heritage, in order to show off the Municipality of Thira,  proposes some solutions in order to come up against the miscellaneous problems the Municipality faces

It was summer, a few years ago, when a wealthy American couple arrived at their luxury accommodation in Oia, Santorini with a dream: to visit the Cape. How to imagine that, on such an island in the middle of the Aegean, for them to cover a distance of about 23 kilometers would take 2 to 2.5 hours. In the end they never arrived at their destination.

But, not only does the unprecedented traffic jam on the few streets of the island consist a problem for the tourists, but also the fact that the free spaces on the island are hard to find is another major problem. Two different investment projects have been proposed for the same mine, for which the Central Archaeological Council has given a positive opinion. One proposal concerns the installation of an advanced waste treatment plant and the other the construction of a five-star hotel. The deadline for the expropriation of the area for the construction of the unit expires in September, and if it does not proceed, the way will be opened for the tourist investment.

What is striking about the case of Santorini is that the development pressures on the island did not slow down even during the decade of economic recession. On the contrary, by 2019 Santorini experienced a frantic growth - stopped by the pandemic and the lockdowns- which made the Municipality of Thira one of the richest in the country. However, the size of the development, both demographical and residential, created problems with the Municipality finally assigning to the Hellenic Society of Environment and Culture...