Zakynthos Informer Zakynthos Informer
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This week bad weather and high seas swirled around the shipwreck at Navagio leaving behind some interesting photos that spread across social media quicker than you can say “shared”!
The photos showed a ship that was a broken rusting wreck, with only the prow and stern visible through the sand. The middle is seemingly gone. Comments from locals and tourists were plentiful, with people on all sides having their say about the current state of the ship remains and the future of the bay, including how it will affect future tourism.
So, is this the end of the famous Navagio shipwreck?
Well at the moment no one really knows. The authorities say they would like to save it, as it’s important to the island and of course, they’re right. It’s not only become an international symbol of Zakynthos, but the presence of the shipwreck gives income to a large number of Zakynthos businesses and draws in hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
The long-term future of the shipwreck however is more complex and raises a wider issue for Zakynthos. How do the authorities save the rusting hulk when it’s almost to the point of beyond saving? Some also ask why authorities just concentrate on this one bay and its rusty ship, when the island is full of beautiful places, monasteries, a Venetian castle, and other amazing places to visit on Zakynthos?
It raises an important question; should there be a more targeted and thought-out campaign to draw tourists to Zakynthos, so that visitors can discover more about the island and its history? Or has the Navagio shipwreck become so singularly important that its loss will affect the island and its tourism for years to come when ultimately, the ship can’t be saved?
It’s a difficult situation for everyone and it will be interesting to see how this issue is resolved for locals, businesses, and tourists.
In the meantime, if you want to know more about the history of the ship and how it ended up where it is, then you can read more here:
Photo credits: Andreas Theodosis and Dimitris Kladis. Thank you.
