Amorgos Flux: Water, Tourism & Climate Change

I think it will stay
THE SAME

By: Klara Herrmann,  Clemens Trautwein, Katerina Τzouvala & Ruth Walter 

Studio:
"Amorgos Flux"

Prof. Dr. Anke Hagemann
Dr. Christian Haid
David Bauer

Habitat Unit SS 2023

The establishment of the first tourist accommodation on the island in 1960 was the beginning for Tourism on Amorgos. By the 1980s, ferry connectivity to the island was improved, making accessibility easier and gradually faster. The growing trend toward off-the-beaten-track tourism, driven by the appeal for remote locations with agricultural environments further fueled the significance of tourism on the island.
     Today, the island’s most prominent tourism products include, Sun and Beach experiences, Nautical Activities, Mountainous Hikes, Cultural and Religious Trips, as well as the Enjoyment of Traditional Food. However, the expansion of tourism on Amorgos has already resulted in a transgression of local capacities with the overloading of infrastructures during the high season, pollution of natural resources in water and on land, building pressure in unbuilt and existing urban areas, the replacement of traditional economies and a weakening of social cohesion within local communities. Nevertheless, the demand for new touristic products on Amorgos, specifically in the range of well-being, lifestyle, package, and cruise tourism, continues to grow.
     For the built environment, this initiates a conflict between the interest in expanding built structure to meet the demand for accommodation in the tourism market on Amorgos and the preservation of the spatial and non-spatial qualities of the island. This research analyzes the future development of built structures for tourism accommodation in Aegiali Bay until 2043, in a scenario where local governance continues to support growth-oriented investment in the tourism market on Amorgos.