Minister Calls for Immediate Inspections to Swimming Pools in Greek Hotels

Greek Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis has issued a mandate to increase inspections at swimming pools that operate in tourist accommodation units in Greece.

Following the recent drowning events in hotel swimming pools, the minister has called for immediate inspections to check if swimming pools operating in hotels and other tourist accommodation units in the country are licensed and follow all safety measures.

According to the minister, particular emphasis should be shown on safety measures and the presence of a supervisor (lifeguard), as required by the current legislation.

The minister’s mandate comes after drownings recently occurred in swimming pools operating in hotels on the islands of Rhodes and Crete. The first incident occurred last Wednesday and involved the drowning of two French sisters aged 16 and 19 in a swimming pool in a hotel on Rhodes. On the same day, an eight-year-old- girl from Israel drowned in a hotel swimming pool in Hersonisos, Crete. A few days later, on Saturday, a 43-year-old tourist from Finland was discovered to have drowned in a hotel’s swimming pool on Samos.