Tourists heading out to the Greek Islands for their summer holiday may experience a trip a little different as hotels clamp down on their usage.

A total of seven islands so far have declared water emergencies, as the summers are getting hotter and the tourism is getting higher.

With last winter being one of the warmest on record for the country, authorities are left wondering wether the next year will bring enough rain to sustain the demand for supply.

The seven islands that have declared a formal water emergency are:

• Astypalaia
• Tinos
• Alonissos
• Leros
• Patmos
• Symi
• Karpathos

Astypalaia has by far experienced the worst drought, and is currently relying almost entirely on bottled water for drinking.

The Mayor, Nikos Komineas, explained when standing near the island’s ⁠sole water reservoir: “If we collected all the water dropped throughout the year in a bucket or in a washbowl, it would be 2.5 centimeters deep.”

Brits making their way over to the Greek Islands will need to prepare themselves for a slightly different holiday. There are several elements that you may notice in a bid to crack down on water usage, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get to experience the beauty of its beaches, the delicious food and heartwarming culture, like any other trip.

One thing expected to be experienced is the pool restrictions, especially if booking a villa with a private pool or jacuzzi, as reports suggest that local authorities are capping non-essential water usage in certain areas.

A number of hotels are swapping out freshwater for seawater in their pools as the Greek government has green-lit rules allowing coastal resorts to use seawater in their swim spaces.

One way in which you can be more conscious as a tourist is skipping a cleaning service of bed sheets and towels to help save water. In fact, some hotels are incentivising guests by offering vouchers for skipping a daily service, such as hoteliers like Maria Alkalai offering a €5 voucher to guests.

On some islands such as Astypalaia, tap water is under strict restriction and used just for showering. If visiting one of these places, you will be relying heavily on buying bottled water.

While some of the more popular tourist destinations, such as Mykonos and Santorini, are yet to fall under this category, they are driving the biggest strain. During the peak tourist season, the visitors on Mykonos spike a staggering ninefold compared to the usage in winter, and so being conscious of water should be expected wherever you go in Greece.

With this in mind, Environment Minister Stavros Papastavrou has approved 15 million euros (roughly £14 million) for desalination, grid upgrades and water tanks across an impressive nine of Greece’s islands.

He briefed other environment ministers in Luxembourg on water resilience and explained: “For Greece, ‌water isn’t theoretical – it’s about security, economic growth and the protection ​of local communities.”