In recent years, holidays in the Greek islands have unfortunately become a particularly expensive affair, at least for what we call the “average Greek family”.
Tickets for ferries and planes have become more expensive, as well as accommodation, which will be added to them the cost of living is already unaffordable for many family budgets.
That is why statistics show that a significant part of domestic tourism is directed to domestic destinations, where the cost of travel is lower, accommodation is cheaper and the probability of finding accommodation in the home of a friend or relative is greater.
This is another sign that for the general picture of “development”, there is a contradictory reality. What we often describe as “numbers prosper and people suffer”.
Except that it is clear that we cannot and should not accept this reality.
That is, if we get to the point where a Greek family cannot afford to go on even a short vacation to an island in the Cyclades, it is clear that it will be a big failure.
It would seem that we have reached a state where the class division will now become even deeper and more absolute with the new categorization: those who can go on holiday wherever they want within the country and those who cannot go wherever they want within the country ( I repeat “within the limits” so that they don’t think I’m talking about anything… distant destinations).
That’s why I’m at least irritated by the fact that the Deputy Minister of the Government, Sofia Vultepsi, came out and said nothing more or less that “people find ways out. They can go to the countryside and inland instead of the islands, which are expensive.”
In other words, the world has not collapsed, even if today a significant part of society is financially deprived of the opportunity to visit the country’s territories.
And don’t get me wrong, there are obviously wonderful destinations all over Greece, and you don’t have to go to the islands to enjoy beautiful scenery and relaxation. For now, this is his choice and not necessarily due to a kind of “face control” with strict criteria for entering the hatch of the ship.
I also don’t ignore the debate that says we need to distribute tourism more evenly in our country so we don’t have all the problems of over tourism on our islands. But not by turning the islands into a “forbidden zone” for a large part of society, but through planning, incentives, effective tourism policy.
I am talking about the fact that it is a serious problem, if it is a “class threshold” in our country, is it possible to go to Paros on vacation.
This shows that new forms of inequality and categorization of citizens are being formed.
That is why it is very problematic for a member of the government to come and say essentially that “the world is not broken.” Because with this perception and the oversimplifications that pander to populism, the distance between safety and “the world isn’t broken, don’t go on vacation for a year” is getting dangerously close, a need that was fought to be met by winning the right to paid leave. It took years of claims so that… the “retirement” was not forced.
So, instead of offering directions, he should promise that measures will be taken to ensure that families also have more disposable income, combating the phenomenon of the “working poor”, and the prices of some social goods, such as cruise tickets, will be available again. . And even at a time when in fact many island destinations still need domestic tourism.
The time when people simply did not have money and the opportunity to go on vacation, and the buses that went to Lutsa or Szczynnia were a “summer vacation” for those who did not need to “rest” in the “village”, now it is a little distant.