Shock vid shows HUNDREDS battle for sunset selfies on tourist island that’s so busy locals have been told to stay inside

SHOCKING footage has captured hundreds of tourists clashing for sunset selfies in a popular holiday hotspot in Greece.

Hordes of people armed with selfie sticks and cameras were seen battling for a spot on the sun-soaked island of Santorini.

Footage shows the tourists crammed up in a little space as they struggle to find decent spots for snapping pictures.

Hundreds were seen queuing up in narrow walkways to reach the clifftop of the village - a short walk that can now take more than 20 minutes because of overcrowding.

One picture even showed a tourist climbing on a restricted wall with a "do not sit" sign and posing for Instagram.

Greek islands are renowned for their beauty and Santorini, in particular, is a haven for social media clout.

Known for its summer party atmosphere, sandy beaches and luxury accommodations, the island is continuously swarmed by Brits and other nationalities each year.

But locals now complain about problems like overcrowding and "bad behaviour" that such tourists create.

Whitewashed terraces and balconies that overlook its incredible surroundings are often littered with selfie-taking Instagrammers desperate for the perfect sunset shot.

Local resident Onur Kilic, 28, told : "Too many people come to Santorini and they leave rubbish behind.

"It's hard for locals because we live here. The roads are too crowded and the traffic is much worse; it’s bad for the environment and the cost of everything is out of control, locals cannot pay as prices have gone up."

Just days before, Santorini councillor Panos Kavallaris urged locals to stay at home and "avoid tourists" in a Facebook post that has now been deleted.

The post received severe backlash from residents of the island who asked the government to "limit tourist movements" instead.

One social media user said: "They ask locals to lock themselves at home so that tourists can wander around free. Marvellous."

Tourism currently accounts for around a quarter of its economic output, while the country has smashed records for tourist visits and spending in the post-Covid era.

Greece welcomed 32.7 million tourists in 2023, 18% more than the year before, while the first quarter of 2024 has seen a nearly 25% rise in visitors.

But the impact of visitors is starting to have a negative effect.

The island's officials have been calling for a cap on the number of tourists for more than a decade.

Just last month, Greece said it would scale back the number of cruise ships visiting its "over-saturated" islands as part of a major crackdown on tourists.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declared that popular destinations such as Santorini and Mykonos will be prioritised because they are "suffering" the most.

He said the plan is now in place to protect the islands, with measures to be introduced to reduce the number of visiting cruise liners.

"I think we'll do it next year," he told .

He added that the number of berths or anchoring slots could also be reduced.

Meanwhile, tourists have been told to avoid visiting Santorini after overcrowding and water shortages were predicted.

Greek newspaper said that the shortages are caused in part by an "explosive growth of tourism, followed by an increase in consumption".

The water shortages are one of several problems noted by The European Commission, which wrote a report in 2018 about the impact of tourists on the Greek Islands.