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.
It can’t? Why not? Lots of other cities do. Granted, Athens could probably do it differently, or better, and that’s their call. If they want less tourism, that’s certainly their right to decide. But tourism is also pretty damn lucrative, and for a country like Greece that last I heard was still pretty cash-strapped, cracking down on tourism seems like an odd choice.
There are a lot of cities in Europe that, thanks to AirBNB’s almost don’t have any people of the actual local nationality living in the centers any more, and just throngs of tourists.
There’s a point at which you have to ask if a city is a place to live and work and provide value to the population of the country or whether it’s just an open air museum. I certainly understand wanting to have it be useful to the actual population of the country and not just to property moguls and tourists.
Sure, if the only metric is finances, this is a terrible decision. Add affordability and quality of life for residents, which should be a goal for any municipality, and the calculus looks a bit different.
