Usually, Crete in June is packed with tourists, and especially in Chania OK so yesterday we were at the old harbor in Chania at one of the cafes and I must say it was sad to see it so empty. In June we usually don’t even drive into the city of Chania because it’s a nightmare, you can’t find parking space, and even working through the streets is a hustle.

So we usually do everything we need to do in the spring Because Crete in June can be stressful for us locals. So we only go into the city of Chania when it’s absolutely unnecessary. Basically, we just leave the tourists to enjoy their holiday in peace, and then we would have our city back once they live lol.

But yesterday watching the glass bottom tour boat going out with less than 10 people was really sad, usually, the boats are filled up and there would be people queuing waiting for them to return so they can be in the next group to go and watch the fish and other sea creatures.

Crete In June Is Usually Buzzing With All Kinds Of Activities, Now It’s Just Quiet

The cafes were also mainly empty, as we were walking by one of the cafe owners stopped us and told us if we had lunch at his cafe, he was going to give us free ice cream and Ouzo, you could just sense the desperation. Small businesses are really suffering right now and I don’t know if they will be able to recover and if so how long will it take?

One thing is for sure, I don’t think Crete can handle another year of no tourists, the island depends a lot on tourism, so the sooner things get back to normal, the better.

I was actually watching a video on TikTok, of a guy who owns a beach bar in Mykonos, and he said they desperately need tourists, he was pleading for the domestic tourists to visit Mykonos, he said that they have lower the prices to accommodate domestic tourists.

The Story Is The Same Even On The Other Greek Islands

We also spoke to a couple who just returned from Santorini, the couple lives here in Crete but they wanted to visit Santorini Now since they read that it’s almost empty there too. They told us that when they spoke to the business owners, they said they really need visitors or they will not be able to keep the business going.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, in July, it’s expected that we will receive more tourists than we did the same time last year.  Germany one of the counties that send most tourists to Greece has announced that the US, Canada, and parts of Greece are no longer in the travel risk list.

This is good news for Greece, as now people from Germany will be able to have their holiday in Greece.

The UK Still Has Greece On Its Amber List

Some friends of ours who own properties here in Crete have been trying to come here for their annual summer holiday, but it’s been very complicated for them. Being on the amber list means that people who want to travel to Greece will have to quarantine for 10 days when they return to the UK, and also, take two pre-booked tests while in Quarantine.

I guess, most people from the UK won’t make an effort to visit Greece at the moment, unless it’s absolutely necessary to do so. But if Greece was to be put on green, I am sure we would get lots of tourists from the UK.

Conclusion

We do feel sad for the small business because without tourists it will be difficult for them to remain open. Walking through the leather lane in Chania, you can see that the small business are not busy at all, maybe a customer here and there, but most shops were just empty.

Anyway, hopefully, things will get better next month and Chania will be busy again, as it should be this time of the year. Well, thank you for reading my post today. Now I would like to hear from you, are you planning to visit Greece soon? If so from which country are you gonna be visiting us?

Please leave your comments below.

Thank you for your time

Rose.

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