On an island overrun by tourists, I found the most photogenic spots
Knock me down with a selfie stick and call me a Kardashian. Add this to the list of things I never thought I'd do: I've signed up for a Santorini shore excursion led by a selfie expert, who will lead our group to the most photogenic locations on the island. Along the way, he'll teach us how to capture the right angles, lighting and composition of the scenery – and of ourselves.
To be fair, I didn't choose this shore excursion because I love taking selfies. I think the use of selfie sticks is a bit obnoxious, especially in crowded places like the Louvre and the narrow streets of Santorini.
I chose this tour from the rich selection of complimentary shore excursions offered by Regent Seven Seas Cruises for a far more practical reason. It was the only one that didn't require a fear-inducing cable car ride up the steep cliff face that connects the tender port with Fira (also referred to as Thira), the capital of Santorini.
After a short transfer from the ship by tender boat, we're met onshore by an enthusiastic guide, Lorenzo, who introduces himself as the best photographer on the island. After we board an air-conditioned bus, he hands out selfie sticks and explains how to use them in a way that won't annoy people around you. Self-awareness is key, he says, assuring us all we are just an angle-adjustment away from dreaded double-chin photos.
First stop: Oia. If you've ever seen a postcard-perfect sunset shot of Santorini's white-washed buildings and blue-domed churches, it was probably taken right here, on the edge of the caldera.
An astonishingly photogenic village on the north-west end of the island, Oia's clifftop paths are lined with shops selling local ceramics and jewellery. Cafes practically cling to the sides of dormant volcanoes, as harried waiters serve customers who are happy to pay three times the going rate for a Coke to soak up those incredible sea views.
Wildly popular with tourists in search of the perfect shot, Oia's narrow streets are packed shoulder-to-shoulder, but our fearless leader is undeterred. Lorenzo ushers us along like a patient, protective goatherd, occasionally shouting instructions to stop and shoot when he sees an ideal photo opportunity. He knows just the spot to stand for a selfie with the famous blue domes as backdrop.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
The Louvre, the world's most-visited museum, shuts down as staff protests over mass tourism
The Louvre, the world's most-visited museum and a global symbol of art, beauty and endurance, has withstood war, terror, and pandemic — but on Monday, it was brought to a halt by its own striking staff, who say the institution is crumbling under the weight of mass tourism. It was an almost unthinkable sight: the home to works by Leonardo da Vinci and millennia of civilisation's greatest treasures — paralysed by the very people tasked with welcoming the world to its galleries. Thousands of stranded and confused visitors, tickets in hand, were corralled into unmoving lines by I.M. Pei's glass pyramid. 'It's the Mona Lisa moan out here,' said Kevin Ward, 62, from Milwaukee. 'Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even she needs a day off.' The Louvre has become a symbol of tourism pushed to its limits. As hotspots from Venice to the Acropolis race to curb crowds, the world's most iconic museum, visited by millions, is hitting a breaking point of its own. Just a day earlier, co-ordinated anti-tourism protests swept across southern Europe. Thousands rallied in Mallorca, Venice, Lisbon and beyond, denouncing an economic model they say displaces locals and erodes city life. In Barcelona, activists sprayed tourists with water pistols — a theatrical bid to 'cool down' runaway tourism. The Louvre's spontaneous strike erupted during a routine internal meeting, as gallery attendants, ticket agents and security personnel refused to take up their posts in protest over unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing and what one union called 'untenable' working conditions. It's rare for the Louvre to close its doors. It has happened during war, during the pandemic, and in a handful of strikes — including spontaneous walkouts over overcrowding in 2019 and safety fears in 2013. But seldom has it happened so suddenly, without warning, and in full view of the crowds. What's more, the disruption comes just months after President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a sweeping decade-long plan to rescue the Louvre from precisely the problems now boiling over — water leaks, dangerous temperature swings, outdated infrastructure, and foot traffic far beyond what the museum can handle. But for workers on the ground, that promised future feels distant. 'We can't wait six years for help,' said Sarah Sefian, a front-of-house gallery attendant and visitor services agent. 'Our teams are under pressure now. It's not just about the art — it's about the people protecting it.' The Mona Lisa's daily mob At the centre of it all is the Mona Lisa — a 16th-century portrait that draws modern-day crowds more akin to a celebrity meet-and-greet than an art experience. Roughly 20,000 people a day squeeze into the Salle des États, the museum's largest room, just to snap a selfie with Leonardo da Vinci's enigmatic woman behind protective glass. The scene is often noisy, jostling, and so dense that many barely glance at the masterpieces flanking her — works by Titian and Veronese that go largely ignored. 'You don't see a painting,' said Ji-Hyun Park, 28, who flew from Seoul to Paris. 'You see phones. You see elbows. You feel heat. And then, you're pushed out.' Macron's renovation blueprint, dubbed the 'Louvre New Renaissance,' promises a remedy. The Mona Lisa will finally get her own dedicated room, accessible through a timed-entry ticket. A new entrance near the Seine River is also planned by 2031 to relieve pressure from the overwhelmed pyramid hub. 'Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the Mona Lisa deserves,' Macron said in January. But Louvre workers call Macron hypocritical and say the 700 million to 800 million-euro ($730 million to $834 million) renovation plan masks a deeper crisis. While Macron is investing in new entrances and exhibition space, the Louvre's annual operating subsidies from the French state have shrunk by more than 20% over the past decade — even as visitor numbers soared. 'We take it very badly that Monsieur Le President makes his speeches here in our museum,' Sefian said, 'but when you scratch the surface, the financial investment of the state is getting worse with each passing year.' While many striking staff plan to remain off duty all day, Sefian said some workers may return temporarily to open a limited 'masterpiece route' for a couple of hours, allowing access to select highlights including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The full museum might reopen as normal on Wednesday, and some tourists with time-sensitive tickets for Monday may be allowed to reuse them then. On Tuesday the Louvre is closed. A museum in limbo The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors last year — more than double what its infrastructure was designed to accommodate. Even with a daily cap of 30,000, staff say the experience has become a daily test of endurance, with too few rest areas, limited bathrooms, and summer heat magnified by the pyramid's greenhouse effect. In a leaked memo, Louvre President Laurence des Cars warned that parts of the building are 'no longer watertight,' that temperature fluctuations endanger priceless art, and that even basic visitor needs — food, rest rooms, signage — fall far below international standards. She described the experience simply as 'a physical ordeal.' 'What began as a scheduled monthly information session turned into a mass expression of exasperation,' Sefian said. Talks between workers and management began at 10:30am and continued into the afternoon. The full renovation plan is expected to be financed through ticket revenue, private donations, state funds, and licensing fees from the Louvre's Abu Dhabi branch. Ticket prices for non-EU tourists are expected to rise later this year. But workers say their needs are more urgent than any 10-year plan. Unlike other major sites in Paris, such as Notre Dame cathedral or the Centre Pompidou museum, both of which are undergoing government-backed restorations, the Louvre remains stuck in limbo — neither fully funded nor fully functional. President Macron, who delivered his 2017 election victory speech at the Louvre and showcased it during the 2024 Paris Olympics, has promised a safer, more modern museum by the end of the decade. Until then, France's greatest cultural treasure — and the millions who flock to see it — remain caught between the cracks.
Sydney Morning Herald
08-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australians curb their enthusiasm for US holidays
Flight Centre chief executive Graham Turner said business travel to the US was holding up, but fewer Australians were booking holidays there. 'Certainly compared to the pre-Trump era, everything that we see … is the leisure market in particular is down. There's no doubt that April and May have been down,' Turner said. 'US carriers have increased their capacity [to Australia] over the last six to 12 months, and there's no doubt they'll be suffering a bit. 'There's been cheaper airfares through sales and there will be [more] over the next few months unless things dramatically improve.' More than a million Australians visited the US last year. The country's latest official figures show 291,230 Australians visited the US from January to April, down 0.2 per cent on the same period last year. In April, Australian visitor numbers to the US grew 1 per cent year-on-year to 89,363. Meanwhile, 83,460 Americans arrived in Australia this March, making the US the second-largest source of visitors behind New Zealand. Australia's favourite destinations over the same period were New Zealand, Indonesia and Japan. Mitchell said young people most affected by the cost of living were choosing cheaper destinations such as Latin America or Asia, instead. He said the April slump in the Australian dollar sparked by Trump's tariff wars had 'spooked a lot of people' from booking trips to the US. 'The feedback we're getting is the US is an expensive destination to go to, with the service taxes and the tipping. And I think that word of mouth has honestly been getting around for a while now,' Mitchell said. He said even those who could afford to visit the US were cutting back on costs. 'I don't think it's stopping some people from going there, but it probably does change how they travel a bit. They might not go for 2½, three weeks; they might go for two weeks. They might not go five-star, they might go four-star or three-star,' he said. Qantas, which operates about 40 return flights a week between Australia and the US, said demand for US travel was holding up locally. Chief executive Vanessa Hudson recently said the airline was feeling optimistic about demand for the US, and 'business-purpose travel and business travel in premium cabins remains strong'. The airline said this year's sale for flights to the US had outperformed similar sales last year. Loading Michael Feller, an ex-diplomat and foreign policy adviser, said the second Trump presidency had caused enormous damage to US soft power and prestige. But he said it was difficult to trace that into consumer behaviour beyond unique cases like Canada. 'Boycotts are really tricky,' said Feller, who is now chief strategist at Geopolitical Strategy, which provides advice to companies around the world. 'US products are ubiquitous. And when you consume a quintessential US product like Coke, it's manufactured and bottled in Australia. And then there are other quintessential products like iPhones, which are manufactured and assembled in China. So, it's hard to disentangle 'Brand US'.' Despite gloom over Trump's trade wars, Feller said there were two silver linings for Australia. Loading 'The Australian consumer will probably benefit from Trump's trade wars insofar as cheap Chinese goods will be dumped on our shores, leading to lower costs,' he said. 'And if Trump cracks down on international students, those students will presumably look to a country like ours to study.'
The Age
08-06-2025
- The Age
Australians curb their enthusiasm for US holidays
Flight Centre chief executive Graham Turner said business travel to the US was holding up, but fewer Australians were booking holidays there. 'Certainly compared to the pre-Trump era, everything that we see … is the leisure market in particular is down. There's no doubt that April and May have been down,' Turner said. 'US carriers have increased their capacity [to Australia] over the last six to 12 months, and there's no doubt they'll be suffering a bit. 'There's been cheaper airfares through sales and there will be [more] over the next few months unless things dramatically improve.' More than a million Australians visited the US last year. The country's latest official figures show 291,230 Australians visited the US from January to April, down 0.2 per cent on the same period last year. In April, Australian visitor numbers to the US grew 1 per cent year-on-year to 89,363. Meanwhile, 83,460 Americans arrived in Australia this March, making the US the second-largest source of visitors behind New Zealand. Australia's favourite destinations over the same period were New Zealand, Indonesia and Japan. Mitchell said young people most affected by the cost of living were choosing cheaper destinations such as Latin America or Asia, instead. He said the April slump in the Australian dollar sparked by Trump's tariff wars had 'spooked a lot of people' from booking trips to the US. 'The feedback we're getting is the US is an expensive destination to go to, with the service taxes and the tipping. And I think that word of mouth has honestly been getting around for a while now,' Mitchell said. He said even those who could afford to visit the US were cutting back on costs. 'I don't think it's stopping some people from going there, but it probably does change how they travel a bit. They might not go for 2½, three weeks; they might go for two weeks. They might not go five-star, they might go four-star or three-star,' he said. Qantas, which operates about 40 return flights a week between Australia and the US, said demand for US travel was holding up locally. Chief executive Vanessa Hudson recently said the airline was feeling optimistic about demand for the US, and 'business-purpose travel and business travel in premium cabins remains strong'. The airline said this year's sale for flights to the US had outperformed similar sales last year. Loading Michael Feller, an ex-diplomat and foreign policy adviser, said the second Trump presidency had caused enormous damage to US soft power and prestige. But he said it was difficult to trace that into consumer behaviour beyond unique cases like Canada. 'Boycotts are really tricky,' said Feller, who is now chief strategist at Geopolitical Strategy, which provides advice to companies around the world. 'US products are ubiquitous. And when you consume a quintessential US product like Coke, it's manufactured and bottled in Australia. And then there are other quintessential products like iPhones, which are manufactured and assembled in China. So, it's hard to disentangle 'Brand US'.' Despite gloom over Trump's trade wars, Feller said there were two silver linings for Australia. Loading 'The Australian consumer will probably benefit from Trump's trade wars insofar as cheap Chinese goods will be dumped on our shores, leading to lower costs,' he said. 'And if Trump cracks down on international students, those students will presumably look to a country like ours to study.'
