With the summer holidays, we interrupt what we do in everyday life. We change our rhythms, we change habits and priorities, we don’t plan, we act with more spontaneity. That’s what summer vacation is, but also the purpose. Let everything be different.

In Greece, the holiday month has traditionally been August. But isn’t it time to rethink this? Because if we leave Athens or some other urban center and go to a summer place where there are crowds, traffic on the streets, we will not find a table in a restaurant unless we have a reservation a few days in advance, and, in general, , we transfer our anxieties and rhythms of life from the city to the island, then we are not talking about rest, but about a change of scenery. This is not a hypothetical scenario.

August is getting close to being a holiday month in Greece for us living here. There are places like the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, the Ionian Sea, Crete, where in August, even if you can find affordable housing, everything else, from food to transport, is difficult and expensive.

However, the problem is not only accounting, but also deeper and more multifaceted, it is connected with the tourist capacity of the regions of Greece, with the number of visitors, Greeks and foreigners that the destination can receive without burdening its natural resources, its social and cultural identity is changing, and visitors never stop having quality time on vacation.

In recent years, all this has occupied an internal discussion. There are plenty of examples of incredible inconveniences on summer routes in August, poor service, slovenliness – unfortunately, a Greek habit – lack of infrastructure, traffic jams. There is also a fear that Greek tourism will become a victim of its success as it constantly exceeds its limits. Until we move from discussing the future of Greek tourism to taking action to ensure the sustainability of the hospitality model, we domestic “tourists” can forget about August. I am sure that we will benefit from this and return from vacation more rested and, most importantly, more relaxed.