The musts, the whats, and the hows of Corfu tourism
Corfu doesn’t need yet another debate about whether tourism is a blessing or a curse. It needs agreement on the facts, management institutions, a redistribution of priorities, and the political courage to make decisions that will ensure that the success of its most important productive sector does not undermine its own future.
Let’s agree that the diagnosis has already been made. Corfu now understands the limits and contradictions of its tourism model. The same observations have been repeated by different people and institutions for years: pressure on infrastructure, declining returns, overcapacity, housing strain, environmental degradation, and the unequal distribution of benefits. The point is no longer to describe the problem again. It is to decide what to do about it.
First of all, the subject of the discussion needs to change. No more vague references to “tourism development.” Within the next six months, the Ionian Islands Regional Authority, the three municipalities of Corfu, the Chamber of Commerce, and the main professional associations must agree on a minimum common framework of measurement: per capita tourist spending, share of local added value, employment and wage data, pressure on infrastructure, and impact on housing. If we don’t measure, we are simply guessing.
The second step is the creation of a genuine destination management body, not yet another promotional agency. It should have a limited term, public accountability reports, and participation from local government, business professionals, workers, the Ionian University, local producers, and representatives of residents. Tourism does not only concern those who directly profit from it; it concerns everyone who lives alongside it.
The third concerns resources. Corfu does not suffer from a lack of visibility. Part of the promotional budget should be redirected toward knowledge and management: a tourism monitor, carrying capacity studies, policy evaluation, and monitoring of real impacts.
Finally, political honesty is required. Not everyone can always be right. Supply cannot keep increasing without consequences. Success cannot be measured only through trade fair photos and arrival numbers.
This is not a revolution. It is maturity. The question is not whether Corfu will continue to live off tourism, but whether it will finally decide to govern it, rather than merely observe it.
GIORGOS KATSAITIS
