In 2023, Athens became one of the ten most visited cities in the world, and thanks to its rich history and modern charm, it is unlikely to drop off any bucket lists soon.
Last year, Athens International Airport saw nearly 7.1 million international arrivals, a sharp increase from the previous year and higher than before the pandemic. This year, the airport is seeing an over 13% increase in arrivals from January to August compared to the year before.
This, however, is putting increasing pressure on the city’s infrastructure.
A study has found that although Athens as a destination city may not have reached overcapacity in terms of the number of visitors, it presents “tourism fragility” and “sensitivity” in terms of pressure on its infrastructure from recent years’ rise in tourism.
Released a year after intense research, the study shows that both highly saturated neighbourhoods and less-visited areas faced pressures from permanent and temporary visitors on water consumption, energy, waste and quality of life in general.
The Study of Tourism Carrying Capacity of Athens, carried out on behalf of the Municipality of Athens by Develop Athens SA (Anaptyxiaki Athinas SA), the University of Piraeus’ Department of Tourism Studies, and construction company Gimisis + Associates, found that of all neighbourhoods, 14 (9.7%) are highly saturated, ekathimerini.com reported.
These included Ioulianou-Filadelfias, Agios Pavlos, Agios Konstantinos-Plateia Vathis, the Museum and the Commercial Center.
Another set of medium saturation includes 11.8% of all neighbourhoods, including Lofos Strefi, Neapoli I, Kolonaki-Lykavittos and Kamba.
In total, 27 of Athens’ neighbourhoods have high saturation rates and high-medium rent prices.
The city has seen a surge in short-term rentals, which has made it harder for locals to find long-term housing. This has led to rising rents and a housing shortage for students, workers and families. The cost of living in Athens has also increased.
In response to the over-tourism issue, the city has taken measures to control the number of tourists, such as limiting the number of visitors to the Acropolis.
However, many say that tourism is still unsustainable in its current form.
“We need rules,” said Katerina Kikilia, Professor of Tourism Management at the University of West Attica. “Athenians face daily the social and environmental impact. The housing crisis is huge,” she told Euronews.
For example, Kikilia mentioned Koukaki: “Once a beautiful neighbourhood, it’s now a hub for short-term rentals, no families and no schoolchildren.”
The rest of the city’s infrastructure is lagging despite the development of hotel infrastructure.
“In urban areas the socio-cultural impact is big, tourists are displacing long-term residents and changing the character of the neighbourhoods. The housing issue has become explosive,” the Ombudsman said in a report on sustainable tourism.
