A British woman has sparked outrage after posting a video of her scattering her loved one’s ashes on the narrow streets of Oia in Santorini, Greece.
The Sun reported that the woman was emptying a plastic bottle containing the ashes of her loved one outside residents’ homes on the Greek Island.
She was with a group of other tourists, with one member of the group reportedly saying: “goodbye dad”.
The group were filmed singing Bob Marley’s iconic song Everything’s Gonna Be Alright and applauded the lady after the bottle was empty.
It has been reported that it was the deceased’s final wish to have their ashes spread on the island.
While mourners don’t require a permit to scatter ashes, under greek regulations they can only be scattered in designated memorial sites or remote natural areas. Many families choose to hold ceremonies at sea and scatter the ashes of their loved ones offshore.
One local official, who works for the Chamber of Commerce, has criticised the act as a “health bomb”.
“You can’t just throw ash everywhere. It’s constantly windy on our island, so all this went everywhere, on passers-by, shops and houses. Some limits must finally be set.”
Santorini, known for its villages and views of the Aegean Sea, has been fighting over tourism for a while, with crowds on the narrow streets affecting local infrastructure.
In response to over tourism, authorities have introduced a series of measures including a tourist levy, restrictions on access and parking and most recently a “saturation law” has been proposed to cap the number of daily arrivals.
This is not the first time British tourists have copped backlash for scattering the ashes of their loved ones in public while travelling.
In 2024, a family sparked a health crisis after spreading ashes at a Turkish island holiday resort on Uzunyali beach.
Cremation is illegal in Turkey and they have limitations when it comes to bringing ashes into the country.
Health officials from the District Health Directorate launched an investigation and took water samples from the sea at the beach following the incident, after beachgoers reported the act.
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