With tourism booming year-round, Athens’ native sources and residents are feeling the pressure.
Throughout Europe, international locations are taking measures towards overtourism and Athens will not be an exception. The final two years have proven town’s battle with the inflow of holiday makers.
A number of years in the past, the purpose was to have vacationers all 12 months spherical. Now that has been achieved, however at what price?
Athens welcomed greater than 7 million vacationers in 2023, and specialists predict a 20% enhance this 12 months, making the once-empty August streets a distant reminiscence.
Whereas this surge boosts the financial system, contributing to GDP and tax revenues, it additionally brings important challenges, placing a serious pressure on insufficient infrastructure and strained native sources.
“We want guidelines,” says Katerina Kikilia, Professor of Tourism Administration on the College of West Attica. “Athenians face day by day the social and environmental affect. The housing disaster is large,” she tells Euronews.
Kikilia explains that many areas of Athens and Attica at the moment are dominated by short-term leases, with households and college students being pushed out.
For instance, Kikilia mentions Koukaki. “As soon as a stupendous neighbourhood, it’s now a hub for short-term leases, no households and no schoolchildren,” she says.
Regardless of the event of resort infrastructure, the remainder of town’s infrastructure is lagging. “In city areas the socio-cultural affect is massive, vacationers are displacing long-term residents and altering the character of the neighbourhoods. The housing problem has grow to be explosive,” the Ombudsman mentioned in a report on sustainable tourism.
Rental costs have skyrocketed, particularly close to metro stops which might be well-liked with vacationers. “It’s all about provide and demand,” says Antonis Markopoulos, co-founder of actual property firm Prosperty. “For those who seek for properties in the present day, you’ll discover lots, however good worth is uncommon.
“There’s an enormous provide drawback within the rental market, demand is 5 instances greater than provide. Many renovated properties are marketed for short-term leases or by closed networks, by no means reaching the overall market. Many are struggling.”
Barcelona has lately cracked down on short-term leases, and Athens will do much more, says Mayor Harris Doukas.
“Every customer brings €0.40 to town, and we haven’t seen this cash but,” Doukas instructed Euronews. “We want sustainable tourism that doesn’t worsen metropolis inequalities.”
Doukas introduced a tourism capability research to set town’s limits and to assemble information on short-term leases and motels.
One of many proposed measures is to reallocate the €10 day by day “resilience price” from five-star motels to the municipality for infrastructure improvement.
“None of this price goes to the municipality in the present day,” Doukas mentioned.
WATCH the total report within the participant above.
