The serious water shortage in Europe has hit popular tourist destinations such as Greece, Italy and Spain the hardest. Find out how the water crisis is affecting tourism and what measures are being taken to address the problem

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In recent years, the usual format of summer vacations in Europe has been threatened by extremely high summer temperatures. However, recent weeks have become even more critical, as the abnormal heat has been compounded by water shortages.

How these problems affect tourism and popular tourist destinations, as well as what is being done to solve this problem, is discussed further in the article.

Water crisis on the Greek islands

According to Reuters, a water crisis has hit the Greek islands of Naxos, Karpathos and Thassos this summer. The main problem is that the main freshwater reservoirs have dried up. Because of this, the islands have even imposed restrictions on water consumption and are looking for ways to desalinate seawater, which is needed not only for drinking but also for watering crops.

Most of Greece has seen little or no rain for several months. Now that the country's islands are preparing to receive a record number of summer tourists, the pressure on water supplies will increase dramatically.

"There is a severe lack of rainfall across the Mediterranean, and especially on Naxos, our surface water bodies are empty," said Dimitris Lianos, the island's mayor.

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Water problems in Italy and Spain

There are also water problems in Italy and Spain. In the city of Agrigento in Sicily, there is so little water that small hotels and guest houses do not have enough water even for toilets. Italian Sicily began imposing water restrictions back in February, when a state of emergency was declared in the region due to severe drought. In some regions, water consumption has to be reduced by almost half.

Climate change and its impact

Today, the lack of water has hit both tourism and agriculture, which are two key economic drivers in many regions of Europe, such as Sicily, Italy. The situation is exacerbated by outdated infrastructure that is unable to effectively address the water supply problem.

At the same time, scientists warn that climate change will only exacerbate this problem, so measures to combat water shortages must be taken now. One way to prepare is to purchase seawater desalination equipment. These units are already in short supply, and you have to order them in advance.

Remember! Protecting your life and health while traveling and on vacation should be a priority for every tourist. It is especially important now, because due to extreme temperatures there is a high risk of both diseases and injuries. You can take out insurance that will be valid throughout Europe on the Visit Ukraine portal at this link. Do not neglect your own safety, health and wallet!

We remind you! Summer is the best time to restore your emotional state and take a break. Given the closed airspace, more and more Ukrainians prefer to travel within Ukraine. Read how much a vacation in Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, and the Carpathians will cost in 2024 and what you can see there in our previous article.

Photo: serdjophoto / Freepik

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