Most people come to Greece for its geographical diversity, its archaeological history, its sun-drenched skies, its crystal aqua-colored waters, sunsets, beautiful beaches, its quaint churches, its romantic settings, its premier wine and its gourmet cuisine. On the other, others come to Greece to "live their myth" at the expense of ridiculing everything this country stands for. Watch the video below, it titled "Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents". It is a UK-based reality show that unfortunately paints a true image of what really goes on in Greece during high-peak tourist season.
Believe it or not folks, there are areas in Greece where live B.J. contests are held, where young foreigners actually whip their Willey's out in public view and where young ladies fall flat in the middle of the street from too much alcohol consumption. These areas can be found on the islands of Kos (as viewed in the video), Rhodes, Corfu, Zante, Ios and Crete.
The locals on these islands say that there are some groups of youngsters, mostly from the UK, who every night get into brawls, drink themselves into oblivion, scream, take their clothes off, and vomit in the middle of the streets.
Is this the kind of tourism that Greece wants and strives for? We here at hellasfrappe agree that when people go on holiday they should feel free to express themselves any which way they desire, but there are limits and as in every country there are laws and these should be respected. If for instance you were visiting the center of London would you be allowed to participate in live B.J. contests, or would this be the cause of an arrest? Would you be allowed to walk around the streets drunk and strip of all your clothing or would this be the cause of arrest? Think about it.
So then why would anyone think that they can do as they please in Greece?
Is it because we are a poorer nation?
Does this sound logical to you?
We here at hellasfrappe do not only blame this category of tourists, who literally shame everything this country offers, but we also hold many Greek tourist officials responsible who actually support this type of tourism. From what it seems, the color of money is more important than national pride.
Why do we believe this? Simple. Greek tourism in these areas only looks at the mass market. Kos itself pounds out disco music as loud and as late as on Rhodes. The same scene is true of the other areas we mentioned above. Also, the identity of these areas has totally been lost as well. If one chooses to holiday in one of these areas then he or she will immediately see that the cafes and ouzeries which are characteristic of Greece have been replaced with fast-food joints and tourist trap coffee shops. The shops are packed with T-shirt and tatty gifts and almost everyone has a license to sell liquor.
In any case, this cannot continue. The idea of "do whatever you wish in Greece that you would not do at home" cannot continue. Greece is not a swamp, it is not a rubbish bin and most importantly it is not a place where "anything goes". People who visit this country are required to respect its laws and mostly its people. This kind of behaviour is disgraceful and the majority of the Greek people tolerate it.
Fortunately for us this type of tourism is limited, and luckily for the majority of tourists who flock to Greece every year are people who really want to explore this nation's beauty, its diversity and its magic.
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