Greetsiel under pressure: Local residents suffer from tourist floods!

Greetsiel under pressure: Local residents suffer from tourist floods!

In the popular coastal community in Krummhörn, which is located in the Aurich district in East Frisia, a field of tension between locals and tourists seems to be developing. The residents of Greetsiel, one of the most sought -after holiday destinations on the North Sea, feel increasingly disturbed by the many visitors. A recently carried out survey has recorded the subjective perception of the residents on this topic and shows clear tendencies in the opinion of the population.

In an online survey in spring 2024, carried out by a student of the Jade University of Wilhelmshaven in cooperation with Touristik GmbH Krummhörn, the opinion of 798 respondents was recorded in 19 towns. It is noteworthy that 97 percent of the participants have their main residence in the community, which reinforces the meaning of the study.

tourism in Greetsiel: a double -edged sword

According to the results, most respondents still feel comfortable in Greetsiel. Over 91 percent said they were happy to live there, and many have been based for more than 20 years. Tourism is considered very important by 36 percent of respondents and is considered important for the community by 38.3 percent. However, there is a growing resentment about the tourist stress. For example, 59.8 percent of the participants perceived the number of tourists as "too high" or "rather too high", which is significantly reinforced in the village of Greetsiel with 84.7 percent.

Some of the residents have made it clear which types of tourists are perceived as particularly disturbing. The survey results show that day tourists (19.4 percent) and motorhome tourists (19.1 percent) heat the minds. Dog owners and bus tourists were also only perceived to a limited extent. However, relatively few residents (4.2 percent) perceive any kind of tourists.

The advantages and disadvantages of tourism

The survey also dealt with the positive and negative effects of tourism. While many residents acknowledge the economic importance of tourism, they feel negative effects, such as increased rental prices and that mainly hoteliers and restaurateurs benefit from tourism. Various suggestions were mentioned to reduce these negative effects, including an introduction of a tourism tax, an increased second residence tax and the strengthening of local public transport. Discounts for locals could also help regulate the tourist stress.

The results of the survey make it clear that during the summer months, especially during the main travel times from June to August, tourism is perceived as stressful. The residents feel particularly disturbed by visitors in the lunch and afternoon hours and advocate new solutions to secure the quality of life in their community while appreciating the advantages of tourism.

The comprehensive discussion about the correct way of dealing with tourists in Greetsiel stands symptomatically for many considerations and challenges, before which similar destinations are facing the North Sea. It remains to be seen how the community will react to these results and which measures are initiated to reduce conflicts.

For further information, including detailed information on the survey and its results, see the current reporting on www.merkur.de .