500 Bulgarian Tourists Stranded On Santorini Because Of General Strikes In Greece

About 500 Bulgarian tourists have found themselves stranded on Santorini. This situation came to fruition when general strikes in Greece’s transportation businesses affected the ferry schedules for the Greek Aegean island.

According to Tornos News, the general strike in Greece would affect public transportation schedules between May 6 and May 10. Greece’s largest union organizations, which includes the General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE) and the Civil Servants’ union federation ADEDY, made the announcement of the strike in response to a draft bill on pension and tax reforms that would be voted over the weekend.

Both the GSEE and ADEDY provided different strike rallies as retaliation. For the former, they performed a 48-hour general strike last Friday and Saturday as an accusation that the government carried out a “parliamentary coup” through a sudden decision to bring forward the debate on the draft bill to the weekend for fast-track procedures. The 48-hour general strike was added on to another 24-hour general strike performed on Sunday, May 8, in Klafthmonos Square, a designated Sunday opening day for shops to mark their Labor Day. This will urge workers to participate in force and the opposition parties condemning the decision to bring forward the vote.

For the latter, the ADEDY will strike on the same days as the GSEE, urging all its members to oppose the new measures of VAT hikes, higher taxes on fuel, alcohol, and tobacco and additional pension cuts.

As a result of the aforementioned strikes, public transportation was affected which included buses and trolley buses being out of service for three days. Apparently, the transportation for tourists was also affected too resulting in 500 Bulgarian tourists being stranded in Santorini.

Five Bulgarians travel agencies have sent about 500 Bulgarian tourists on package tours to Santorini for their holiday weekend, which is of course Labor Day, as reported by Novinite. Thankfully, some of the Bulgarian tourists were accommodated in a hotel run by a fellow national, but they will have to stay there until Monday, May 9. The first ferry to the mainland is set to leave the following day on Tuesday, May 10.

Sadly for Santorini as well as Greece in general, the strike may affect tourism. Santorini is recognized as the “precious gem” of the Aegean and consists of a number of islands in the southernmost part of the Cyclades. It is known for its unique shape formed from an underwater volcano that is technically still active. Despite the thrill of Santorini possibly erupting any minute, it is often sought out as a romantic getaway and is a popular wedding destination for newlywed couples. Its landscape is also a feast for the eyes often photographed by numerous professionals. In short, it is one of Greece’s top tourist destinations.

Greece, as a whole, cannot afford to lose any more money especially in tourism. The country is on the verge of bankruptcy and it needs its viable sources of income, especially tourism, to remain active. If word gets out about Greece’s strike affecting its tourism, it might make potential tourists think twice before they travel to the land of ancient mythology for vacation.