Elafonissi: New Arrests for Customer Hunting

Two Greek nationals were arrested at noon on Tuesday, August 11 at Elafonissi by officers from Kissamos Police Station. According to the Greek Police announcement, the two men were found engaging in customer hunting, directing tourist vehicles toward specific outdoor private parking areas in the region.

The operation was organized following continued complaints about traffic obstruction and aggressive practices against drivers heading toward the beach. The complaints, according to the report, involved employees of outdoor private parking areas stopping vehicles on the road before they reach the location. This practice creates road safety hazards, as vehicles are immobilized on a road with heavy traffic during morning hours.

This is the eighth police operation at this location. Just four days earlier, on August 7, two Greek nationals had also been arrested for the exact same practice, in what was then the seventh operation in sequence. The frequency of interventions shows the phenomenon reappears almost immediately after each intervention. Residents and visitors who filed complaints describe repeated incidents in the same section of road leading to the beach.

The preliminary investigation is being conducted by Kissamos Police Station, and the presumption of innocence applies for the arrested individuals until a court decision is issued. Customer hunting is an offense covered under tourism law and is connected to unfair competition between businesses operating in the same area.

Chania Police Directorate announced it is continuing special inspections for unfair competition and tourism law enforcement in the region. The inspections are part of broader planning covering the most frequently visited beaches of western Crete during the tourist season. Beyond customer hunting, inspections cover legitimate operation of parking areas, displayed signs, and prices provided to visitors.

Elafonissi is one of the most visited destinations on the island, with thousands of visitors daily in August with limited organized parking spaces. This combination has created intense competition between private parking lots, which operate in adjacent areas and compete for the same visitors. The issue of access and parking at major Crete beaches has been raised repeatedly and is linked to the lack of organized planning for visitor flow management.

In parallel, Kissamos Municipality is discussing implementation of a reservation system for access to Melos, Elafonissi and Falassarna, as a way to manage overcrowding. The issue had previously concerned authorities, with earlier arrests for customer hunting in Kissamos. More about Chania on the page Chania.