The beach towel revolt

[reader]

From CNN Travel

It was around sunset on Sunday 3 September in Paros, a popular holiday island in Greece's Cycladic region. A crowd of around 50 were gathered on Parikia beach, close to the island's main port. Behind them, the sky blazed a deep orange over the azure sea. On one side, an iconic Cycladic windmill stood stark against the horizon. On the other, a strip of sun loungers belonging to a beach bar stretched out along the sand.

Even if you've never visited Greece, parts of this scene probably sound familiar. However, on this day, there were also a few unusual details. Three of the attendees were holding up a huge sign saying, "Reclaim the Beach". A man with a loudspeaker stood next to them. As the audience watched, he read parts of the Greek constitution aloud, which states that beaches and other natural areas belong to the country's citizens.

The protest was part of a campaign that media has dubbed the "beach towel revolt", whereby locals are seeking free access to beaches that have been taken over by beach bars and other businesses offering exorbitantly priced sun loungers and umbrellas. While the movement started in Paros, it has now spread all over Greece and even to neighbouring Turkey, with campaigners demanding space to lay down their towels for free.

The protests began on Paros in May 2023 when a group of residents, who were already regularly meeting to talk about environmental issues on the island, began discussing how the spots where people can freely swim and sunbathe (without being forced to pay for a sun lounger) were becoming ever scarcer. It’s one symptom of how the island is increasingly catering to tourists at the expense of locals.

Beach-side businesses that erect loungers and umbrellas must apply for licences from the Greek finance minister to use designated parts of the beach. Checks are meant to be carried out regularly to ensure they are not taking up more space than their licences allow. However, protestors allege that these checks are rarely – if ever – carried out. As a result, free spots for towels are now few and far between.

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https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230912-what-to-know-about-the-beach-towel-revolt-taking-back-greek-beaches

[PeterRS]

Allied to this topic, i find there is almost nothing worse when on a beach holiday than to go to the seating area and find all the loungers either occupied (usually just a few) and the others with unfurled towels, books and other paraphernalia to 'book' them for later use. If at a hotel I cannot count the number of times I have registered complaints and nothing is done. The same happens around swimming pools. Sometimes, the selfish idiots who have 'bagged' these chairs decide not even to use them. They return a few hours later just to retrieve their belongings. If seating/loungers are for use by all guests, personal items placed to 'bag' seats should be removed and placed in a location where they can be later retrieved.