Tomato tourism: vacationers bring their own snacks to the beach!

Tomato tourism: vacationers bring their own snacks to the beach!

A new form of tourism causes a sensation on the beaches of Greece. The phenomenon of so-called "tomato tourism" has spread virally. Beach visitors, mainly from the Balkans, bring their own food to save costs. This shows a current example from Greece, where a lavishly stocked beach chair was photographed with food, which has sparked a lively discussion in social media. Critics interpret this practice as a sign of cheap mass tourism, while supporters praise the resource and budget consciousness of vacationers, such as [Kosmo] (https://www.kosmo.at/paradajz-tourisma-am- Balkan-Festmahl-am-Strand-Smar-fuer-Wirbel-foto/)

The temperatures on the Greek beaches are currently between 25 and 28 degrees, an ideal weather for a visit to the beach. At the same time, the prices for deck chairs decrease more clearly than expected, which increases the attraction for many vacationers. Nevertheless, critics demand that vacationers should not do without restaurant visits and demand decent holiday conditions. The discussion about "tomato tourism" reflects deeper social ditches, in particular the tolerance towards different lifestyles.

social debates and changes

particularly interesting in this context is the fact that Greek tourism and the associated changes in the industry have many facets. A survey of the most popular food in Greek taverns has shown that meat dishes such as Pita Gyros and Souvlaki or Moussaka are particularly popular. The total of 350 votes submitted confirms the preference for typical Greek dishes, such as [greece.net] (https://www.griechenland.net/nachrichten/chronik/31437-nicht-ge-gne-gean- Greek-tomatoes) notes.

Greece is faced with a record tourism. In 2023, the number of tourists exceeded the records of previous years, despite challenges such as forest fires and flood disasters. Tourism has an enormous influence on the country's economy: About a fifth of the gross domestic product comes from this industry, which also secures 18% of jobs. By September 2023, the sector generated income of around 18 billion euros, with expectations of over 20 billion euros for the whole year, so Reisereporter.

The Greek government has taken measures to regulate tourism. A timpani system was introduced on the Acropolis in Athens, which limits the number of visitors to 20,000 a day. In addition, climate tax will be introduced from 2024 in order to increase the financial means to reconcile natural disasters. At the same time, it turns out that, despite the boom, many locals can no longer make a vacation in their own homeland, which reinforces the debate about the effects of massive tourism.

The everyday challenges of the locals and the increasing costs for services make many Greeks think about alternative holiday offers. The Greek tourism industry would like to expand its offer in order to also promote health tourism and cultural trips, which could be crucial for the future of the country.