Corfu Economy

Before the advent of tourism, Corfiots relied heavily on the sea and the land for their income.
As well as the main activities of olive oil production, farming and fishing there were other small industries on the island, many of which are still around today. Many were in decline but have been revived in an attempt by the locals to retain their culture and al­low visitors to the island to sample the real taste of Corfu.

■ Salt production
The areas of Corfu called Alikes were the sites of the original salt plains on the island. Salt is no longer recovered from the sea by this natural process, however some of the original buildings can still be seen. A storehouse can be found in the grounds of the Kerkyra Golf hotel and at Alikes, near Lefkimmi, the original Venetian buildings are being restored

■ wine
Although the villagers have always produced wine for their own families the larger wineries have been slowly dying out due to the importing of wines from other parts of Greece. However, re­cently there has been a revival of the industry on the island and there are some new or renovated wineries that can be visited.

 ■ Olive oil
Although most people think the oil is the main product from the tress, handmade soap has been produced for years. In Corfu town is a small family run factory, which still produces soap us­ing their original methods. The soap can be purchased from gift shops around the island.

■ Koum Kouat
There are several distilleries on the island, which produce a li­queur from this small orange-like fruit. It can be made from the flowers, fruit or a mixture of both.

 ■ Honey
Corfu produced honey is very tasty due to the large variety of flowers found on the island. Once an industry in decline its re­vival is due to visitors who wish to take home a taste of Corfu to their family and friends.