I visited the island of Gavdos for the first time back in 1994 as part of my usual summer holiday. It was a long journey from Athens to the southernmost point of not only Greece but also Europe. A unique and unforgettable experience, my journey to the island deeply enriched my understanding of travel and tourism, its meaning and impacts to the destination area. I was so amazed by the natural beauty, history and local life style that I went back for 4 years in a row. I felt the need to study this magical place so in 2000 I took the same journey to complete a two-month in-depth research on how tourism affected their life and environment. I aimed to present the hosts' point of view because it is their place we use for our holiday and it is them who have to deal with what we leave behind once we're gone.
A tiny island (hard even to spot on the map), Gavdos lies in the middle of the Libyan Sea with a permanent population of approximately 60 inhabitants. Covered by 60% of flora and a stunning combination of rocks, dunes and pristine beaches the island has today become the place myth for modern travelers. Far from what we consider a technologically advanced world but with a rich and exciting history, landscape and culture, the island attracts more and more visitors who seek authenticity, spontaneity and a contact with nature and people. In the 1930s Gavdos was used as a communist exile region, a fact that created an image of inhospitality and extreme isolation and deprivation. It was not until the early 70s that the first travelers visited Gavdos to discover what they named "paradise lost" and change the image to a romantic and attractive destination. Things are not very different from the past regarding amenities and resources and electricity, water supplies and transportation means are still a luxury - needles to say that there is no airport, no travel agencies, no hotels and of course not an evidence of mass tourism yet. Visitors will only find a couple of rooms to let, a few tavernas (restaurants) and mini markets for the basic needs and a lot of free time to wander and discover.
To everyone's surprise, even though the island lacks the basic infrastructure for tourism development, its popularity continues to grow. What is it that attracts travelers? Is it remoteness and isolation? Is it the nostalgia for the past and the authentic? According to locals, "people come here to relax, feel free and unconstrained - to enjoy simplicity and spontaneous contact with nature and companions. They come here to find themselves"
Aware of what the modern traveler is looking for, the locals welcomed tourism as a hope for future prosperity, return of its people who once left, and a rebirth of social, economic and cultural life. The initial euphoria lead to a fast and unplanned development with sudden and uncontrolled changes. The locals blinded by the prospective profits dedicated themselves and invested in the industry in order to cater to tourists. Along with the numerous positive impacts, however, came a lot of negative and destructive consequences for both locals and the environment. Due to the lack of resources and knowledge in the industry, locals found themselves to be victims of exploitation from foreign investment and are slowly loosing power on their own land.
During the year 2000 and according to local authorities 10,000 people visited Gavdos. Such an influx of visitors in such a small destination was definitely a remarkable phenomenon. As a result the population on the island has increased and new employment opportunities have kept locals on the island - especially the young - during the winter period offering alternative to traditional occupations. Local economy and living standards improved tremendously and also attracted was the interest of governmental authorities for the creation of social institutions. The first junior school re-opened, a doctor was appointed in a decently equipped medical office and the first research center was introduced for the study and protection of the island. Transportation means improved and frequent ferry itineraries were introduced for the provision of goods to the island. Numerous positive impacts from tourism development enhanced local daily life and gave a boost to local confidence to invest and promote their land.
Interest on the island increased and so did competition. Foreign investment (external investors, travel agencies and operators, promoters etc) was initially welcomed but proved to be an unbeatable opponent. Land value and prices hugely increased and locals were encouraged to sell with the long-term consequence of being left landless. The physical and natural image of the island is changing leaving the locals aside unable to control it and of course with no real profit of any kind to their hands. To be able to compete with foreign investment locals have found themselves ignoring primary occupations (agriculture, fishing and cattle-breeding) depriving the youngsters of crucial cultural and traditional elements, thus creating an unsafe and risky future should tourism development not succeed. Local identity is at risk and the only to worry about that at the moment are the older generations. Shuttered by how an industry can change realities, elders are worried about future generations whose environment is experiencing destructive consequences. The carrying capacity is very limited and the increasing human activity has contributed to the decrease of the flora (cedar and pine trees) and fauna (migration birds, dolphins, monachus-monachus, caretta-caretta), the destruction of the natural heritage (fossils and archaeological sites), extreme consumption of electricity and water resources and of course pollution.
Tourism is not always about positive impacts. It has its bad side for both hosts and guests but we can certainly prevent it. "There is a need for realistic planning regulations to reduce possible conflicts of interest, and where appropriate, to conserve unique and unusual features for the enjoyment of future generations of visitors and residents alike" (Theobald, 1994). There is a need for responsible travel and fortunately the message has already been passed. Thanks to locals' concerns, academics and thoughtful travelers' resistance, today Gavdos is declared an archaeological site and is officially included in the EU Natura program as a special protection area and an endangered biosphere. Under these circumstances any further development will be controlled and "soft-tourism" will be encouraged with respect to this fragile natural and physical environment.
What attracted the first travelers to Gavdos was its unique social reality and landscape and the ability to offer authenticity and a "paradise lost" in modernity. This is what the travelers are looking for and this is what the locals want to share. It is our responsibity, as travelers, to respect the fact that the locals are opening their homes to us just to have a holy-day and some precious break from our reality. We owe this privilege of pleasure to them, to ourselves and to the future generations.
I would like to highlight here that Gavdos is only an example of some of the vulnerable new destinations in the world, of which there are many more alike to discover. A treasure of experiences we would be happy to keep alive and intact.
By Villy Ioannou, October 30, 2002
The above article is based on my MA in the Sociology & Anthropology of Travel & Tourism thesis of June 2000.
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