Tourists in Greece targeted by protesters demanding better wages and fair working hours

Unions say staff can not survive on the salaries they are paid.

Transcript

00:00Tourists arriving in Greece this week may receive an unexpected welcome, as labor unions

00:06distribute English leaflets highlighting the harsh working conditions in the tourism industry.

00:13Protests are also planned at key locations, including ports, airports and archeological

00:18sites.

00:19We are asking for increases that will cover the purchasing power of our salary, which

00:24we have lost due to the explosion of austerity, 12% for two years, 60% for one year, and we

00:31ask that in the year 2024 the fifth 40 euros be applied to us as well.

00:36A shortage of staff has been one of the biggest headaches for the Greek tourism industry in

00:402024.

00:43And although there has been an increase in tourist arrivals this year, Greece is not

00:47growing as fast as other Mediterranean countries as a holiday destination.

00:52The number of tourists in the Mediterranean and Balkan countries has increased overall,

00:56which means that tourists prefer this area for their holidays.

01:00Now, looking at our country compared to other countries, it seems that they are increasing

01:05but not at the same rate.

01:07Public infrastructure such as ports, airports, water and sewage networks and waste management

01:12is struggling to keep up with the rising number of tourists.

01:19Experts say that to keep Greek tourism sustainable, a different and more comprehensive approach

01:24is needed.

01:25We need to develop products outside the Mediterranean, which we are very strong for as an international

01:32brand for the country.

01:33We need to strengthen our infrastructure, our human resources.

01:36There isn't a magic number as far as how many tourists you can have in a destination.

01:42It's really about how you manage the destinations, how you manage the impact.

01:46For too many years we've been measuring tourism with just the volume of tourism that arrives

01:50and just how much money they leave behind.

01:53One of the primary goals for the tourism industry in the coming years is to extend the seasonality

01:58of travel and promote the beauty of mountainous Greece.