To counteract this fall, many operators are repositioning Faliraki as a family destination - as it was before the UK youth swept in. Association of British Travel Agents spokesman Sean Tipton agreed the changes reflected the way "resorts come in and out of fashion very quickly".
A report in the Guardian notes that the resort of Lagunas, on the island of Zakynthos, has been the destination of choice for this group of holidaymakers. Dave Smithson, spokesman for Club , confirmed that bookings have witnessed a quarter increase on last summer. According to Spilanis and Voyanni in Bramwell, there are inhabited islands in Greece, hundreds of unhabited islands and a coastline of around 15,km. This large number of islands, the country's geographical position in the Mediterranean Sea with favourable climatic conditions, and the area's rich history and ancient Greek civilisation have led to the rapid development of tourist activity.
Tourism development is based on the 3S model, based on organized charter flights for foreign tourists. This form of tourism is not without its drawbacks. A combination of the oligopolistic tourist market, the low tourist expenditure, the high level of competition among destinations offering the same product, and the instability of demand due to external factors mean that this form of tourism offers limited economic returns because of low added value per tourist.
The leakage of income from the local economy, the transfer of surplus value from the area to origin countries, and the environmental problems that are a result of large-scale infrastructural developments are further problems inherent in this type of tourism.
Spilanis and Voyanni quote from a Greek National Tourism Organization report which identifies the problems inherent in the Greek tourism sector:. The competitiveness is achieved by continuous reduction in prices. The revenues are also reduced and in many cases the price of the tourist product does not even cover the costs". Although Zakynthos is currently experiencing a tourism boom, this is not without its problems.
The island has become the magnet for holidaymakers looking for a cheap holiday, with plenty of alcohol and sexual hi-jinks. But these tourists have little regard for the local culture and the environment, and as soon as someone starts offering a cheaper alternative, they will go there instead. This process of growth and decline has led to a reappraisal of the merits of tourism as a sustainable development strategy.
For example, Briasoulis Bramwell, uses a stages of development framework to describe how tourism has evolved on the island of Crete. He identifies the requirements of sustainable tourism development, and the essential requirements to achieve it. He said uncontrolled and unlicensed bars and a lack of police presence were at the root of the situation. A spokeswoman from Libra Holidays said there were other problems that the new measures did not address. She highlighted a shortage of taxis, dangerous roads without pedestrian crossings and limited public toilet facilities in Rhodes town and Faliraki.
Last year, , Britons visited Rhodes, but the figure seems likely to drop this year. Malia in Crete has been tipped as the next likely party destination. Club said it was too early to know how the clampdown would affect bookings. A spokesman said the company was considering pushing an alternative to Faliraki, but would not reveal which.
At a Greek tourism board press conference last week, John Iatrides, mayor of the Kallithea region, where Faliraki lies, said: 'Yes, things went wrong this year. But on the positive side, we have learnt lessons and we hope that we can move forward. Take the Faliraki malarkey. When we seem so determined to keep young people wrapped in cotton wool like irresponsible babies, it should come as no surprise that, suddenly released into freedom for a fortnight, they behave like caricatures of traditional raucous teenagers with no idea of where any line might be drawn.
We now live longer, healthier, wealthier and less violent lives than at any time in history. It is high time that our cultural assumptions caught up with that reality. We can waste our time and energy fretting about the pros and cons of alternative diets, or get on with enjoying our food.
Similarly, we can fret about all the possible causes of a premature death, or get on with living our lives. On this last Bank Holiday of a glorious summer, let us eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we will be back on a diet of Institutionalised Miserabilism. This article is republished from The Times London. Forgotten your password? The Decline and Faliraki of civilisation? Mick Hume Columnist 26th August Topics Politics. Podcast COP26 and the green war on democracy spiked.
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