Tourism professionals criticise incompetence and inefficiency of local authorities
CORFU. "Not only do they make the residents΄ lives more difficult, but they also tarnish our destination΄s reputation on an international level."
Corfu tourism professionals and organisations express their intense concern and frustration over the state in which the island has found itself. The ongoing problems with the water supply and electricity networks, the unacceptable delays in refuse collection, and the severe traffic congestion in and around the historic centre not only make the residents' lives difficult but also tarnish our destination's reputation on an international level.
We can no longer tolerate the indifference and incompetence of the responsible authorities, who have historically proven inadequate in addressing the island's fundamental infrastructure problems. The situation has become unbearable.
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Water Supply and Electricity: The continuous water supply cuts and prolonged power outages for maintenance during the high season are unacceptable for a modern tourist destination. These not only cause disruptions for residents and businesses but also irreparably damage our tourism image.
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Waste Collection: The situation with waste is infuriating. The bins are overflowing, and the streets in many areas are filled with rubbish. This image offends tourists and creates an extremely negative impression of our island, bringing back memories of the recent past.
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Traffic Problem: The traffic congestion in the historic centre and surrounding areas during peak hours has become a daily point of negative comments from our visitors. We have been hearing about solutions for years, with the primary one being peripheral parking, but we are still waiting.
We demand immediate and drastic measures to improve the situation. Tourism is the main source of income for Corfu, and we cannot tolerate further damage to the island's reputation, which would take years to reverse. Our patience has run out.
Signed on behalf of the Main Tourism Organisations of Corfu
Dimitris Diavatis - President of the Association of Corfu Travel Agents
Kostas Mouzakitis - President of the Ionian Federation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship
Pericles Katsaros - President of the Corfu Federation of Tourist Accommodation Owners
Sissy Savvati - President of the Ionian Islands and Western Greece Association of Licensed Guides
Babis Voulgaris - President of the Corfu Hoteliers Association
