Tourism boom sparks backlash in historic heart of Athens
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The Greek capital's Plaka district 'is threatened by overtourism,' said Zafeiriou, who has lived there for more than three decades and leads its residents' association.
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This year, 10 million people are expected to visit Athens, an increase of two million from 2024 which reflects the city's growing popularity as a tourist destination since the Covid-19 pandemic ended.
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Despite its label as the cradle of Western civilisation, Athens was previously regarded as a mere stopping point between the airport and the port of Piraeus, from where tourists explore Greece's myriad of picturesque islands.
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Nicknamed 'the neighbourhood of the gods,' Plaka is nestled below the ancient Acropolis hill, a world heritage site hosting the millennia-old Parthenon temple which welcomed almost 4.5 million visitors last year.
Plaka is now awash with tourists who navigate its warren of narrow streets lined with cafes, taverns, souvenir shops, small Byzantine churches and relics from Antiquity and the Ottoman era.
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Plaka 'is Europe's oldest neighbourhood which has been inhabited continuously since Antiquity,' said Lydia Carras, head of the Ellet association working to preserve the environment and cultural heritage.
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'We cannot see it lose its soul,' she added.
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Tourism is a pillar of the Greek economy, which endured years of painful austerity following the 2008 global financial crash and the ensuing eurozone debt crisis.
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For souvenir shop seller Konstantinos Marinakis, 'Greece is finally doing better thanks to the good health of tourism which allowed the economy to recover and create jobs.'
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But the flourishing sector has generated a backlash in Europe's most sought-after locations, with locals complaining of soaring housing prices and the impact on their neighbourhoods.
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Protesters have targeted tourists with water pistols in Spain's Barcelona, while the Italian city of Venice has introduced a charge in a bid to control visitor numbers.
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Mayor Haris Doukas told AFP with pride that Athens was now one of the world's 10 most-visited cities, but acknowledged 'areas like Plaka which are saturated with tourists.'
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