Furious locals in holiday hotspot fear their city will become 'like Barcelona' - 'act now'

The mayor of Athens voiced his fears over the issues linked to overtourism. The official said "we must act" or risk Greek capital city be overtaken by tourists as it's happened elsewhere. Haris Doukas told AFP "we are not at Barcelona stage yet", in a nod to fierce anti-tourist sentiment in the Catalonian city.

Athens is now "among the top 10 most visited cities in the world", Mr Doukas added, but warned "there are areas like Plaka that are saturated with tourists". An "intervention unit" for Plaka, a neighbourhood in the shadow of the Acropolis, was recently created to enforce new rules.

The area is protected by presidential decree; any resident who notices, for example, restaurant owners encroaching on public space with their tables, or that cars are parked on the pavement, can complain to the authorities.

Lydia Carras, head of the Ellet association for the preservation of the environment and cultural heritage, added that Plaka was "the oldest neighborhood in Europe that has been inhabited continuously since Antiquity. We can't see it lose its soul".

Giorgos Zafeiriou said that he no longer recognises the area. The chair of the residents' association, who has lived there for 30 years, added that Plaka "is threatened by overtourism".

The area is called "District of the Gods", because, as well as being nestled below the Acropolis, it is home to the Parthenon, a 5th-century BC temple.

It was estimated to be visited by nearly 4.5 million tourists in 2024. In 2025, 10 million visitors, two million more than last year, are expected in the Greek capital.

Meanwhile, amid anti-tourist protests across Spain, including in Barcelona as well as on islands like Majorca, British tourists are opting to go to Greece instead.

One Express reader wrote: "I went to Rhodes this year and had a wonderful week. Locals were very friendly and welcoming. Much preferred it to Spain."

Another said: "My daughter and her partner are in the lucky position of being able to holiday in Majorca three or four times a year. They love it there. They were contemplating buying a retirement apartment (for the future).

"Now with the protests, all this has changed. They not only cancelled their September holiday, but also their Christmas and New Year visit and are now looking to Crete or Corfu, places which STILL welcome and appreciate tourists."