Tourism boom sparks backlash in historic heart of Athens
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"We cannot see it lose its soul," she added.
- 'Saturated with tourists' -
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.
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."
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.
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.
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".
"We are not yet at the stage of Barcelona, but we must act before it is too late," he said.
An "intervention unit" for Plaka was recently created to enforce rules with the support of the police.
Any resident who spots a restaurant terrace encroaching on public space or cars parked on the pavement can report the offenders to this team.
"Between 1960 and 1980, Plaka was overwhelmed by discos and bouzoukias," and "many residents had already left," explained Carras, referring to clubs that play traditional Greek music.
A 1993 presidential decree shut the clubs, protected homes and specified the use of each building in the neighbourhood, with hotels only allowed on certain streets.
- Rules 'dodged' -
But "these rules have been dodged", with "entire houses converted into several apartments" advertised on short-term rental platforms, said Dimitris Melissas, a lawyer specialising in urban planning.
Plaka's population of 2,000 can be swamped by up to four times as many tourists in the summer, added Melissas, although no official statistics exist because the census measures Athens as a whole.
Representing Ellet, the lawyer has taken a case over the legality of 16 buildings converted entirely into seasonal rentals to the Council of State, Greece's top administrative court.
He argued they are actually hotel premises in disguise because they have receptions or serve breakfast on terraces. A decision, which could set an important legal precedent, is expected by the end of September.
The conservative government has banned new registrations of apartments on short-term rental platforms for at least a year in central Athens, where more than 12,000 seasonal lets existed in 2024, fuelling rent rises.
"But when I still read adverts in newspapers to invest in apartments that can be converted into Airbnbs, I doubt the effectiveness of this measure," said Melissas.
"The problem in Greece is not voting laws but enforcing them."
mr/imm/sbk Breaking News
Siraj stars as India beat England by six runs in fifth-Test thriller Breaking News
Israel wants world attention on hostages held in Gaza
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
Two tourists die, fires erupt in Greece amid gale-force winds
Two Vietnamese tourists died at sea in Greece on Friday, the coastguard said, as gale-force winds confined many ferries to port, disrupting tens of thousands of summer travellers, and sparked wildfires. A coastguard spokeswoman said a man and woman had died at the Sarakiniko beach on the tourist island of Milos in the Cyclades, as firefighters battled blazes near Athens and on the island of Cephalonia. "The man and woman were found unconscious in the sea and were taken to the local health centre," the spokeswoman said. "They were Vietnamese tourists on a cruise ship group. The woman fell in the water and the man apparently tried to save her," she said. The civil protection ministry had said wind gusts would reach 88 kilometres (54 miles) an hour, especially in the southern Aegean and the Sea of Crete. More than 200 firefighters backed by 11 water bombers and seven helicopters were battling a fire in Keratea, southeast of Athens, Costas Tsigkas, head of the association of Greek firefighter officers, told ERT state television. "It's a difficult fire... (owing) to wind gusts," he said, adding that several communities had been evacuated. "The fire front is seven kilometres, homes are under threat," a local mayor, Dimitris Loukas, told ERT, adding that the wind was complicating efforts to douse the blaze from the air. The Cephalonia fire was earlier placed under control, local officials said. National weather service EMY said the winds would weaken after midnight. - 'Left stranded' - The coastguard said most ferries were unable to depart on schedule from Piraeus and other Athens ports, especially to the Cyclades or Dodecanese islands. Several services were cancelled and others postponed. At Piraeus, hundreds of people crowded outside a ferry that was bound for the Cycladic islands of Paros and Naxos, waiting for news on a possible departure. Nearby, stranded travellers surrounded by rucksacks and suitcases formed a huge queue outside a ticket office and made desperate phone calls hoping to make rearrangements to save their journeys. "There's huge lines, huge commotion, everyone's waiting in the sun and it's a very tough time," said Philip Elias, an American tourist. Sergi Gros, a 51-year-old civil servant from Spain, said he was scrambling to find last-minute accommodation in Athens for two nights, having already lost his booking on the island of Astypalea. "We arrived at 6:45 in the morning and they told us the ferry was cancelled," Gros told AFP, saying there was a "total lack of information". "I don't think (the hotel) can be refunded because it's not their fault. It's a great shame because we booked with a big (ferry) company, and there are people who reserve months in advance... they left us stranded," he said. Maritime connections with the Saronic islands near Athens including Aegina, Hydra, Poros and Spetses and the Ionian Sea were unaffected, the coastguard said. Strong winds are common in Greece at this time of year, and firefighters have already faced several major blazes this summer, including on the islands of Evia and Chios and in the western Peloponnese.
News.com.au
06-08-2025
- News.com.au
‘I knew I recognised that belly': Richard Wilkins crashes viral proposal couple's TV interview
A couple who went viral for their whole proposal being blocked by two completely unaware tourists in Santorini have just hilariously relived it live on Australian breakfast television. Appearing on The Today Show to chat with Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo about their now-famous engagement video, Natali Melani and Kevin Arrieta were caught off guard when Richard Wilkins jokingly strolled onto screen and blocked the hosts' faces – mimicking the original viral photobomb that derailed their dreamy proposal. The fitspo couple host a dreamy yoga retreat on the island of Santorini in Greece every year. Talk about #couplegoals. Last year, the Yoga Plus Miami co-founders' trip took a romantic turn. Arrieta planned the perfect surprise proposal. Getting down on one knee in a gorgeous cobblestone street, with the picturesque Santorini background. What could go wrong? With a tripod set and the perfect moment unfolding, chaos struck. Right when he proposed two unsuspecting, oblivious tourists strolled directly into the frame at exactly the wrong time, blocking the moment Natali responds. Speaking from their home in Miami, the couple told Karl and Sarah they weren't mad at all. They found it 'hilarious'. 'Basically, I thought we were alone,' Kevin said. 'She said yes, I looked over, and I was like 'oh my God'. We looked back at the footage and couldn't stop laughing.' The pair said the couple who ruined their video were 'completely oblivious' and had disappeared before they could say anything. 'We never got a chance to talk to them,' Natali added. 'We're still hoping to find them.' And while some might be annoyed, the couple saw it as a sign of their future. 'They were having their moment,' Kevin joked. 'They were present. We hope to be like them one day, still travelling and sharing a protein bar.' As the pair were chatting, Richard 'Dickie' Wilkins wandered in front of the camera. The moment, which was a cheeky nod to the chaos that made them internet-famous, had Karl, Sarah, and the newly-engaged duo in stitches. 'I knew I recognised that belly,' Karl joked, as Dickie offered the couple advice: 'Get a prenup. Or at the very least, a lifetime supply of protein bars.' And if they ever do find the couple who walked into the shot? 'They're invited to the wedding,' Natali said. 'People are even saying they're going to dress as them for Halloween!' Online, commenters have been obsessed with the original video, calling it everything from a 'plot twist from the future' to 'rage-inducing' to 'the most romantic unromantic thing ever.' Even Snickers chimed in. 'You're not you when you're hungry. Instead, you're the uninvited guest in someone's love story.' Others thought it was a beautiful symbol, saying the older couple still travelling the world together is a look into Arrieta's and Natali's future. While some were just mad on the couple's behalf. 'Situational awareness of garlic bread,' one viewer quipped. Whatever way you see it, there's no denying it's a proposal that they'll (and most of the internet) will remember forever.
News.com.au
05-08-2025
- News.com.au
Dutch windmill village churned by overtourism debate
With its historic windmills and gabled wooden houses nestling by a meandering river, the picture-perfect and TikTok-famous area of Zaanse Schans is a must-see for any visitor to the Netherlands. But the village of centuries-old buildings near Amsterdam has become "a national symbol of overtourism", according to local authorities, who now want to charge a hotly contested entrance fee. The fierce debate over the 17.50-euro ($20) ticket planned for next year comes during a global backlash against mass tourism that has seen hotspots like Venice charge for day trips. On a glorious summer day when AFP visited, long queues for the world-famous windmills snaked outside the doors and crowds shuffled over bridges, waiting in line for Instagram-ready snaps of the bucolic scenery. Buses disgorge scores of day-tripping tourists all day long, packing into a relatively small area that is public and free to visit -- for now. The council in nearby Zaanstad says the fee is vital to preserve the heritage buildings, which are coming under "severe pressure" from high tourist numbers. "For several years now, the Zaanse Schans has been a national symbol of overtourism," said alderman Wessel Breunesse. Around 2.6 million tourists visited last year, a figure set to rise to three million in coming years if nothing is done, the council says. An entrance fee could reduce the annual volume to around 1.8 million and bring in millions of euros to preserve these historic buildings. "Doing nothing is not an option. Without sufficient resources for adequate maintenance, the heritage will be lost in the short term (five to seven years)," said the council in a statement sent to AFP. - Tourism-dependent economy - What many tourists do not know until they arrive is that while many of the buildings date from the 16th century, the site itself is a recent and artificial oddity. After World War II, traditional timber construction was in danger of dying out for good. Eager to preserve this slice of history, local mayor Joris in 't Veld came up with a plan: he would uproot the houses and relocate them to a new protected site. The first mill arrived in 1955, the first house a few years later. Eventually, the "Zaanse Schans" site was famous enough to be officially "opened" by Queen Juliana in 1972. "The Zaanse Schans was never conceived as the international crowd-puller it is today, attracting millions of visitors from all over the world," noted alderman Breunesse. But for local resident and businesswoman Ingrid Kraakman, the plan to charge an entrance fee would spell disaster, both as a citizen and for the cheese shop in which she works. "As a resident from this area, I don't want to live behind a fence... that's not OK," the 62-year-old told AFP from her 17th-century home in the heart of Zaanse Schans. Kraakman and her husband Ko have lived in the area for 33 years and believe an entrance fee would be a death blow for the local economy and jobs. "There's a lot of fear," she said, estimating that around 80 percent of the local economy is dependent on tourism. Her cheese shop is brimming with tourists, attracted by free samples and souvenirs, but she said the fee would be a major drag on spending. A family of four would already be paying around 80 euros with parking, reducing their budget for on-site purchases, she noted. "They don't buy cheese. They don't buy clocks. They buy a souvenir or maybe the smallest cheese there is," she told AFP. - Referendum demand - The Kraakmans have collected more than 2,000 signatures for a referendum on the issue, but their push has so far fallen on deaf ears in the town hall. Aware of some local hostility, the council has pledged the site will stay free for locals and that there will be no physical fence around the area. Although the plans are for next year, an amendment was introduced to allow for the possibility of delays. Now 2026 seems too short a deadline -- a "moonshot", said one local official on condition of anonymity. Most tourists said the trip would be worth it even if they had to pay. Spanish visitor Robert Duque told AFP: "It's a lovely place but sometimes it's too crowded and you don't really get to enjoy the full experience." The 35-year-old operations manager said he would welcome the entrance fee to crimp tourist volumes. "I think it's good, so we can stagger the arrival of guests and we can enjoy the facilities more," said Duque.
