‘Great danger’: Greece stretched beyond capacity by overtourism, warns expert

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – While all indicators point to a record-breaking year for tourism in Greece, a prominent Greek expert has warned that the economic windfall from this boom comes with “a heavy cost.”

The problem of overtourism is a stark reality for Greece and represents a “a great danger,” Katerina Kikilia, head of the Department of Tourism Management at the University of West Attica, told Anadolu.

Greek islands and even the capital Athens have already exhausted their capacity to host tourists, she warned.

“Greece succeeded in attracting more tourists and extending the tourism season, consequently boosting its tourism income, which is of profound importance for the economy, in the post-pandemic period. But this came with a heavy cost,” said Kikilia.

Athens, now a year-round destination which was visited by some 7 million people in 2023, is among the places feeling the burden of overtourism the most, she said.

One of the primary and most obvious consequences of overtourism in Athens is the housing crisis, she said.

“So many areas and neighborhoods of Athens have been occupied by short-term rental accommodation and have become tourist accommodation hubs, resulting in a shortage of houses for rent for workers, students and families,” she explained.

The problem, she added, has been exacerbated by the influx of golden visa investors who purchased real estate in the capital.

“For example, in the central neighborhood of Koukaki, school headmasters complain about the significantly decreasing number of pupils, as many families who couldn’t afford the skyrocketing rents had to move out,” said Kikilia.

Elaborating on the cascading effects of overtourism, she said it leads to increased prices in supermarkets, restaurants and cafes, as well as other essential services, pilling more pressure on a local population already struggling with a serious cost-of-living crisis.

Another area under threat is the sphere of culture and heritage, said the expert.

“We are in danger of losing our cultural elements. We have very strong cultural heritage and traditions. Yet, as part of efforts to satisfy the needs of tourists, we’re starting to change and adjust all that to what tourists want,” she said.

“That is a great danger for Greece.”

- Need for ‘a master plan’

The tourism sector is absolutely essential for the Greek economy, which is “exactly why we need to make it more sustainable,” said Kikilia, a professor of tourism management.

“Greek authorities are already aware of the problem and working to develop solutions, like stricter regulations for short-term rentals,” she said.

“However, what is required is a master plan that entails closer cooperation between local and central state authorities in many domains, including health and transportation infrastructure and environmental protection.”

Kikilia stressed the need to involve the EU in planning for sustainable tourism policies, particularly since “overtourism is a phenomenon faced by many other countries … such as Spain, Italy and Croatia.”

One of the issues being seen currently is that tourist numbers are increasing but the spending per tourist is not, said Kikilia.

“A huge number of tourists does not mean huge revenues for the country or for the businesses in the sector,” she explained.

“So, we need to restrict the tourism flows. We need to be more selective. We need to attract more tourists from middle and high-income classes, instead of those coming with a tight budget.”

She warned, however, that simply increasing prices of goods and services to ward off people with less spending power would not be a sustainable solution.

One way to make the Greek tourism sector more sustainable is to promote other alternatives, such as wellness, culture or rural and mountain tourism, along with the lesser known places in the country that have strong tourism potential, said Kikilia.