Surrounded by a hubbub of blaring music, restaurant terraces and rumbling suitcase wheels slaloming between overflowing litter bins, Giorgos Zafeiriou believes surging tourism has made his historic Athens neighbourhood unrecognisable.

Athens

Athens is projected to welcome 10 million tourists, an increase of two million from the previous year. This surge has led to concerns among residents of the Plaka neighborhood, who cite issues such as overcrowding, rising housing prices, and changes to the character of their community. In response, local authorities have implemented measures to halt new short-term rentals and established a task force to protect the area. Despite these challenges, tourism remains a crucial part of the Greek economy, and Athens has not experienced the anti-tourism protests seen in other European cities.

10 million people are expected to visit Athens in 2025

With its picturesque streets nestled at the foot of the Acropolis, there's no wonder this part of Athens is popular with visitors. But residents of Plaka, nicknamed the neighborhood of the gods, say that in summer, the sheer number of tourists is unsustainable. It's a neighborhood that has suffered the consequences of over-tourism, as it was designed for a very specific number of residents, let's say 2,000, but it now houses 6,000 to 8,000 people. Between overflowing rubbish bins, loud music and outdoor dining that takes up more and more pavement space, many locals say they no longer recognize their neighborhood. Several buildings have been converted into seasonal rentals, which are in fact undeclared hotels, and residents have complained of soaring housing prices. It's prompted the local council to take action. We decided to halt short-term rentals and prevent new accommodation in these specific oversaturated areas. Simultaneously, we established a task force to protect the neighborhood of the gods, the district of Plaka. Despite the backlash, tourism is a pillar of the Greek economy, and Athens hasn't seen the same kind of anti-tourism protests that have sprung up in other European cities like Barcelona. This year, 10 million people are expected to visit the Greek capital, an increase of two million from 2024.

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Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

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Kyiv

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Breakdown