The introduction of drones has seen an escalation in tensions as the ‘beach towel revolt’ continues to spread across Greece.
A popular tourism hotspot for British tourists has begun using drones to stop people using deckchairs and umbrellas inappropriately.
The drones, deployed by Greece’s ministry, have been used alongside an app to issue €350,000 worth of fines after regulations were introduced this year that stipulated how big sunbeds could be and how long they could be used for.
The rules say that no rental deckchairs and umbrellas are allowed on the Halkidiki beaches and they must be at least four metres from the water. Following the introduction of the measures, reports suggest that authorities have acted on over 1,000 complaints.
What’s more, the success of drones has meant that Greece is considering expanding their usage to the Cyclades and Dodecanese islands.
Economy minister Kostis Hatzidakis praised the rollout and said: “Our goal is to protect both the environment and the right of citizens to access the beach freely and to preserve our tourism product as well as healthy entrepreneurship”, reported the Times.
While the measures have proved successful in financial terms, they have triggered a backlash from beachfront businesses and the drones have added fuel to what has been dubbed the ‘sunbed wars’ or the ‘beach towel revolt’ that began on the island of Paros last year.
This conflict has seen locals campaign for the beaches to be open for everyone and not simply used as a money-making tool by local businesses who charge high prices for sunbeds.
As a result, some authorities are taking measures to restrict the addition of beach furniture to the sands which will prevent bars from having a physical foothold on the country’s beaches.
Speaking to the Sun about how bad the problem has become, Evgenia Rapti, 64, said: “The whole beach has been taken over with tables, chairs, and deckchairs. When we bought our house 40 years ago, it was completely different. The beach was empty and it was nice to lie there.”
Activist George Theodoridis added: “The problem with beaches in Greece is entrepreneurs who, either with a permit or through encroachment, cover parts of the coast with sunbeds, umbrellas, tables and even permanent structure.”
