What’s happening on Antikythera is a microcosm of what’s going on in the entire country as Greece continues to deal with a demographic malaise exacerbated by the departure of young professionals of child-bearing years.
When the ferry arrives at the tiny island of Antikythera, everyone comes down to the dock, to pick up deliveries and supplies, greet returning friends and family or just watch the activity.
“We are an island of pensioners, old men, not children,” says 62-year-old native Vassilis Aloizos, a retiree who spends seven months of the year on the island. “One family won’t make a difference.” As students progress to higher grades and university, they will have to leave the island, so “if it’s more than one family, then that’s good.”
Tourism remains a major industry in Greece, but Antikythera doesn’t lend itself easily to the sort of tourism that draws throngs of visitors to other islands such as Santorini and Mykonos. The beaches are beautiful but inaccessible. Ferries to the island are at the mercy of treacherous winds that can leave visitors stranded. There are no taxis, no supermarkets and no gas stations.
It could also contribute, in its own small way, to stemming the brain drain of young Greek scientists. “These are highly marketable people,” says Traa, the IMF’s representative in Athens during the early crisis years. “Losing them could slow productivity growth. Newcomers will need assistance to tackle the difficulties of adapting to life on Antikythera. It’s even an adjustment for Andronikos and his wife, who lived on the island or visited for long periods of time as children.
George Katsanevakis is an islander who visits every two weeks to tend to his beehives. He has two small children and lives in Athens."Whatever we pay in Athens, we pay in Antikythera," he says."If they gave some incentives it would be different."
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