Athens In Crisis: How Surging Tourism Is Overrunning Greece’s Historic Plaka District

Published on October 3, 2025

In nan bosom of Athens, nan erstwhile tranquil and historical Plaka territory is facing a melodramatic transformation, acknowledgment to an influx of tourists. Giorgos Zafeiriou, a long-time resident and leader of nan section residents’ association, describes nan area arsenic being “threatened by overtourism.” The surge successful visitors has turned nan charming neighbourhood into a bustling hub of sound and congestion, pinch blaring music, crowded edifice terraces, and rumbling suitcase wheels navigating done overflowing litter bins. Once a serene portion of nan city, Plaka’s quiet ambiance is now progressively overshadowed by nan demands of wide tourism.

Tourism Boom successful Athens

Athens is experiencing a important emergence successful tourism, pinch projections estimating that 10 cardinal group will sojourn nan Greek superior this year, marking an summation of 2 cardinal from 2024. This surge successful visitors reflects nan increasing fame of Athens arsenic a must-visit destination, peculiarly pursuing nan extremity of nan Covid-19 pandemic. While nan metropolis was erstwhile seen simply arsenic a stopover betwixt nan airdrome and nan larboard of Piraeus — nan gateway to Greece’s picturesque islands — it has now go a salient attraction successful its ain right. Athens is nary longer conscionable nan cradle of Western civilization; it is quickly becoming 1 of nan world’s apical tourer destinations.

The Changing Face of Plaka

Plaka, often referred to arsenic “the neighbourhood of nan gods,” is located beneath nan Acropolis, location to nan ancient Parthenon temple — a UNESCO World Heritage tract that welcomed astir 4.5 cardinal visitors successful nan erstwhile year. This district, Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited neighbourhood, is now teeming pinch tourists. Narrow streets lined pinch cafes, taverns, souvenir shops, mini Byzantine churches, and remnants of nan Ottoman era are nary longer places of quiet reflection but are bustling pinch crowds.

Lydia Carras, caput of nan Ellet association, which is dedicated to preserving nan situation and taste practice of Athens, is profoundly concerned astir nan accelerated translator of Plaka. She remarked that it is captious to sphere nan district’s psyche and forestall it from losing its humanities and taste essence. Despite nan thriving tourism sector, nan changes successful Plaka bespeak nan broader challenges that travel pinch wide tourism — not conscionable successful Athens, but crossed Europe.

Tourism’s Economic Impact connected Greece

Tourism is undoubtedly a pillar of nan Greek economy, particularly aft years of austerity measures pursuing nan 2008 world financial situation and nan eurozone indebtedness crisis. Konstantinos Marinakis, a section souvenir shop owner, noted that nan tourism roar has contributed to Greece’s economical recovery, creating jobs and fostering economical growth. The influx of visitors has been pivotal successful rebuilding nan country’s economy, but nan accelerated maturation of tourism has besides sparked tension, peculiarly successful areas for illustration Plaka, wherever nan section organization is struggling to header pinch nan overwhelming number of visitors.

While Greece is benefiting economically, cities crossed Europe, including Athens, are seeing nan downsides of overtourism. In cities for illustration Barcelona and Venice, section communities person protested against wide tourism, citing nan antagonistic effects connected their neighborhoods, including rising lodging prices and nonaccomplishment of section character. Mayor Haris Doukas of Athens has expressed pridefulness that nan metropolis is now among nan world’s 10 most-visited cities but has besides acknowledged nan problems successful areas for illustration Plaka, which person go oversaturated pinch tourists. He emphasized nan request for action to reside these challenges earlier they escalate.

Measures to Address Overtourism

In consequence to nan increasing concerns, Athens has introduced a number of measures to negociate nan effect of overtourism connected nan Plaka district. An “intervention unit” has been established to enforce section regulations pinch nan support of nan police. The portion allows residents to study violations, specified arsenic edifice terraces encroaching connected nationalist spaces aliases cars blocking sidewalks. These measures purpose to reconstruct immoderate equilibrium to nan area and forestall further deterioration of nan neighborhood’s taste heritage.

However, nan challenges are acold from over. The historical territory of Plaka had already undergone important changes betwixt 1960 and 1980 erstwhile it was overwhelmed by discos and euphony clubs. Many residents moved distant during this period, and a 1993 statesmanlike decree aimed to protect nan neighborhood’s residential character. The decree restricted nan usage of buildings and permitted hotels only connected circumstantial streets. Unfortunately, these protections person often been bypassed, pinch full buildings being converted into aggregate apartments listed connected short-term rental platforms for illustration Airbnb.

Impact of Short-Term Rentals connected Housing

The accelerated maturation of short-term rentals has compounded nan lodging situation successful Plaka. Dimitris Melissas, a lawyer specializing successful municipality planning, pointed retired that nan neighborhood’s organization of astir 2,000 residents tin beryllium swamped by up to 4 times arsenic galore visitors during nan summer. However, owed to nan absence of circumstantial statistic for Plaka, nan afloat grade of nan problem remains unclear.

Melissas has taken ineligible action against nan legality of buildings converted into short-term rentals. He argues that these properties, which often characteristic reception areas and meal services, are fundamentally functioning arsenic hotels successful disguise. The case, which could group a important ineligible precedent, is presently awaiting a determination from nan Council of State, Greece’s highest administrative court.

In an effort to reside nan issue, nan Greek authorities has imposed a prohibition connected caller short-term rental registrations for astatine slightest a twelvemonth successful cardinal Athens. Despite this measure, Melissas remains skeptical astir its effectiveness, noting that advertisements for apartments being converted into Airbnbs proceed to look successful section media. He expressed interest that nan existent problem lies not successful voting connected laws but successful their enforcement.

The Future of Plaka and Athens

While tourism continues to substance nan Greek economy, nan challenges of managing overtourism successful Athens stay pressing. The city’s residents and section authorities must equilibrium nan benefits of accrued tourism pinch nan preservation of Athens’ taste and humanities integrity. As tourism figures proceed to rise, nan section organization successful Plaka and different celebrated areas of Athens must accommodate to this caller reality while striving to sphere nan city’s unsocial identity.

The early of Athens and Plaka will dangle connected uncovering sustainable solutions to negociate nan travel of visitors and mitigate nan antagonistic impacts of overtourism. Efforts to modulate short-term rentals, enforce section laws, and beforehand responsible tourism practices will beryllium cardinal to ensuring that Athens retains its charm and humanities value for generations to come.