Greece's "beach towel movement" gains popularity, raising questions about the country's tourism model

A new movement is underway in Greece, and is taking place on its beaches in the middle of the tourist season. Citizens on a number of popular islands have been mobilizing to reclaim their beaches from private businesses, a number of which have illegally covered the seafront with umbrellas and sunbeds. These demonstrations are already starting to have an impact, with the so-called “beach towel movement” not only raising questions about the sustainability of the current tourism model in Greece, but also taking on a political dimension. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder and editor of Macropolis.gr, a political and economic analysis site that focuses on Greece, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the “beach towel movement” and its broader impact. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Government cracks down on sun lounger sprawl as public mood towards tourism soursThe spread of rented lounge chairs on Greece’s beaches brings a pledge to increase inspectionsPM announces high-level cooperation council with EgyptTurkey fumes as Disney axes founding father series after Armenian outcryTurkey investigates reported cancellation of Disney Plus series on Ataturk