Foreign Affairs

Eugene

(67,273 posts) Sat Apr 25, 2026, 08:31 AM Apr 25

'Athens cannot operate as a giant hotel': mayor vows to rescue capital from overtourism

Source: The Guardian

‘Athens cannot operate as a giant hotel’: mayor vows to rescue capital from overtourism

Haris Doukas warns that with 700,000 residents and 8 million tourists, people are being pushed out of their neighbourhoods

Helena Smith in Athens
Sat 25 Apr 2026 09.00 BST
Last modified on Sat 25 Apr 2026 10.28 BST

In the heart of ancient Athens, on narrow streets and around archaeological sites, visitor groups appear to be everywhere, snaking their way behind tour guides.

Previously, officials would have welcomed such scenes. But for Haris Doukas, the socialist mayor who is determined to reclaim the capital’s congested city centre for its citizens, the start of tourist season leaves much of its historic heart at risk of “over-saturation.” Entire neighbourhoods, he believes, are in danger of losing their authenticity because of uncontrolled tourist development.

“Athens cannot operate as if it were a giant hotel,” he said in an interview. “Restrictions and rules are needed. Cities must also have a say in the way they develop.”

Last year, more than 8 million people visited Athens, a record for a metropolis that not long ago was regarded as a pit stop to the Greek isles. In short-term rentals alone, overnight stays in the popular Plaka district beneath the Acropolis have more than doubled since 2018, a study commissioned by the municipality recently revealed.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/25/athens-cannot-operate-as-a-giant-hotel-mayor-vows-to-rescue-capital-from-overtourism

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'Athens cannot operate as a giant hotel': mayor vows to rescue capital from overtourism (Original Post) Eugene Apr 25 OP

Stop those tourism dollars will have consequences /nt bucolic_frolic Apr 25 #1

Large cruise ships are part of the problem with passengers who literally swarm tourist sites. Lonestarblue Apr 25 #2

And I'm hearing that London and Paris too, are having their regrets on the sheer number of tourists visiting their SWBTATTReg Apr 25 #3

bucolic_frolic

(55,731 posts)

1. Stop those tourism dollars will have consequences /nt

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Sat Apr 25, 2026, 08:37 AM

Apr 25

Lonestarblue

(13,559 posts)

2. Large cruise ships are part of the problem with passengers who literally swarm tourist sites.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Sat Apr 25, 2026, 09:06 AM

Apr 25

Cities like Athens like tourist dollars, but too many makes living in such cities difficult. I was in Venice a few years ago with five of those behemoth cruise ships in port. It was miserable. In the afternoon when the cruisers returned to their ships to depart for the next city, St. Marks Square was filled with trash for the city to clean up. Speaking with waiters in a local restaurant, they said that the only people making money are the vendors of the cheap souvenirs (mostly made in China) because cruise passengers do not stay in hotels or eat in restaurants.

It's a tough problem for city officials to manage the crowds while keeping the residents happy.

SWBTATTReg

(26,382 posts)

3. And I'm hearing that London and Paris too, are having their regrets on the sheer number of tourists visiting their

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Sat Apr 25, 2026, 11:30 AM

Apr 25

Countries. Congestion has also hit our Canadian friends to the North too, but I suspect that they have experienced some reduced numbers entering their Country.

Here in the U.S., residents are getting tired of the congestion etc., for those of us in the Ozarks, where fishing is king and canoeing is one of the top sports. However, the sports are getting too crowded/tarnished, and I even hear of the state limiting their number of those fly fishing or just fishing in the state parks. Don't blame them, since it's rather hard to cast a 75-foot fishing line w/ a flyrod w/o getting tangled up when too many people are standing next to you in the Spring fishing too.

Canoeing is just as bad. I once stopped by a popular drop off point for canoeists on my fly-fishing stream (in the A.M.), Within 30 minutes, I counted over 600 canoes being put into the river (which the fly-fishing spring empties into). I was shocked at this number; I never realized it. No wonder I don't go fishing in the summertime, I'll go during the wintertime.

Being one that lived near a state of MO premier trout fishing/canoeing spot in the Missouri Ozarks, I got pretty tired of having canoeists interrupting my fishing trips to the river.

For one of the four or five premier trout fishing spots in the MO Ozarks, you pay a daily tag fee, must have a state fishing license too, and limit is four...I never kept any fish, just enjoyed the fly fishing.

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