It’s time we established how many people there actually are on the island.
Corfu is debating its carrying capacity without even knowing how many people are actually on the island at any given time. The technology exists, the data is available, but what is lacking is the organisation that will put them to use.
Every year we hear that Corfu needs to develop a carrying capacity study. That is correct. But it is not the first step.
First, the island must be able to answer a simple question: how many people are on the island right now?
The Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) knows that Corfu’s permanent population is 99,134 residents. Fraport knows how many people have arrived by air. Corfu Port Authority (OLKE) knows how many passengers have disembarked from cruise ships and ferries. Hotels know their occupancy rates. Each organisation holds one piece of the overall picture.
Yet no one knows how many people are currently in Corfu. How many are heading towards Paleokastritsa, how many are in the Old Town, how many cars are travelling towards Kanoni or along the Lefkimmi National Road, or how close the road network is to reaching saturation point. Traffic, water supply, parking, the operation of infrastructure and, ultimately, the quality of life of residents and the experience of visitors all depend on this information.
The information already exists. It is held by mobile telecommunications companies, through anonymised and aggregated mobility data, from which it is possible to calculate in real time the population of each area, people’s movements and the duration of their stay. Spain is already using such data to manage tourism destinations and transport networks.
And this is where Corfu’s paradox lies. While Greek legislation provides for the creation of Destination Management and Marketing Organisations (DMOs), no such body currently exists on the island.
Corfu needs a DMO that will establish programme agreements with mobile network providers, Fraport, OLKE, hotels and municipalities, in order to create a Real-Time Population Monitor.
Only then will decisions be based on data rather than impressions. Only then will it be possible to activate timely measures, such as redirecting visitor flows, creating peripheral parking areas, introducing shuttle buses, or better coordinating cruise ship arrivals.
Carrying capacity is not simply a number in a study. It is an everyday process of measurement, forecasting and management. And this is the task that Corfu has not yet assigned to anyone.
GIORGOS KATSAITIS
