No more sunbeds in Greece – what about the tourists?

Like Italy and Spain, Greece is growing tired of overcrowding caused by tourists; to battle the issue, beaches now rely on drones to report illegal placings of sunbeds and deckchairs. 

Who has the permit?

The newly developed regulation focuses on 14 beaches across Greece, particularly targeting the protected “Natura” areas and tourist centres. As sunbeds are becoming a rarer sight, drones are now the common practice, overseeing restaurants, bars and rental companies without a permit for beach seating.

The drones not only find those without a permit but also report the establishments whose sunbeds and umbrellas are positioned too close to the sea; under the new legislation, these should be at least four metres from the shore.

For protection

“Our goal is to protect both the environment and the citizens´ right to free access to the beach, and on the other hand, to reserve our tourist product and healthy entrepreneurship by business people who do the job right,” stated the Greek Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kostis Hatzidakis.

Under the legislation introduced in March, the beaches should be 70 per cent sunbed-free and 85 per cent free in the protected beaches, where construction is also limited. The Minister indicated that these measures would help overcrowding and illegal privatisation of Greek beaches.

Locals report

The drones on these beaches are being assisted by local citizens themselves via the MyCoast digital app, which lists the legal establishments and allows users to report violations.

At the beginning of July, a local news outlet reported that more than 1,000 complaints had been filed within just five days; resulting in more than €350,000 in violation fines.

In Anavyssos, south of Athens, the largest single fine was issued €220,000 on the Thymari beach to a business operating without a permit.

The only establishments allowed to place sunbeds and umbrellas on the beach are those holding a license and keeping the beach clean and accessible with lifeguard services. These regulations coincide with the limitations on cruise ships in Mykonos and Santorini, which will be placed in 2025.