By Anne-Claire Loftus
July 2008
Western Lesvos’ volcanic landscape provides ideal walking territory: it is sparsely populated, for those seeking solitude, rocky and hilly, for those seeking challenges, and contains cultural, historical and natural areas of interest, for those seeking a complete holiday experience. Because of Lesvos Island’s small scale, it is hiking at a manageable scale, allowing walkers to end tiring days by sampling local food and hospitality in small idyllic villages.
The development and promotion of Lesvos as a prime walking destination would have many advantages for the island’s economy, as it would encourage the kind of tourism which benefits locals and the environment the most. Indeed, walkers would not come as part of package holidays, which see most of the revenue accruing to foreign tour companies, but instead make their own travel and accommodation arrangements. Also, walkers would contribute to the local economy by providing funds for the maintenance of museums, monasteries or national parks.
While western Lesvos is presently patronized by a small number of walkers, efforts should be made to improve the region’s hiking potential, if it is to become a more widely-known hiking destination.
At Mytilini Airport’s departure lounge, two very different types of British tourists can be spotted. The first group is generally of a deep pink colour, often dressed in white in order to highlight their “tan” when they return to rain-sodden England, and has spent a packaged week in one of Lesvos’ tourist resorts. The second group is perhaps less conspicuous, but can be identified by their outdoor clothing and equipment, from brands such as Lowe Alpine or The North Face. This particular kind of British tourist measures holiday enjoyment in kilometres walked, not in cocktails guzzled or skin tone increments. However, the British walker is not necessarily an ascetic, ending a day’s hike with a meal of crackers and tea, and camping out underneath the stars. Instead, they are usually middle-aged, and accustomed to a certain level of comfort; for them, the day’s exertion is likely to be ended by a nice dinner and a comfortable night’s sleep in local accommodation.
This second group should be the target demographic for western Lesvos tourism, not only because they generate the most money for the local economy, but also because their presence could be encouraged as part of a wider sustainable tourism initiative for the island. For example, walkers are more likely to come to Lesvos in mid-season, not only because they wish to avoid the summer tourists, but also because the weather is more conducive to hiking, and as this when Lesvos’ migrating birds can be observed. Mid-season tourism is precisely the kind of tourism Lesvos should encourage, as it spreads the burden placed on the island’s resources (chief among these being water) throughout the year.
Work is needed to increase the attractiveness of Lesvos’ walking trails. For starters, Lesvos should develop a clearly signposted island-wide network of trails. Also, western Lesvos in particular should take advantage of the rich cultural and natural history of the area, by creating more themed trails such as the ‘Lava trail’ illustrated below; trails could for example link the region’s monasteries and churches, or its natural attractions such as beaches and petrified forest. Finally, Lesvos could also increase the appeal of activities complementary to hiking, by for example restoring and promoting the island’s many natural hot springs, where walkers could relax after a hard day’s walk. This information could be detailed in a walking book, of the type which is very popular with British walkers: these books, such as Lonely Planet’s ‘Walking in’ series, give information not only about trails (directions, distances etc…) but also about food and accommodation; this would appeal to the less adventurous tourist, who likes to plan things out before a trip.
Ultimately, one could envisage a sustainable future for Lesvos, in which tourists could play a role, coming to enjoy the scenery as well as the local culture, cooperative agricultural units, local produce and handicraft. The people of Lesvos and the island as a whole would benefit from this move away from packaged tours, which leave little behind other than empty sunscreen bottles.
