Haris Doukas warns that with 700,000 residents and 8 million tourists, people are being pushed out of their neighbourhoods
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.
In the city’s neo-classical town hall, officials say time is of the essence if Athens is not to fall victim to its own success. The warning signs are everywhere: from soaring property rents that have priced out local people, to overstretched infrastructure buckling under the pressure.
“All of Athens is being dug up so that we can cope,” said Doukas, who was a climate energy professor before he went into local government. “We’re building electricity infrastructure, water systems, new drainage, 5G networks. When you have around 700,000 residents and 8 million visitors, the pressure is enormous.” Every month “more staff, more equipment, more machines” were being taken on to meet the challenges.