Greece’s tourism industry is heading for another record year after welcoming 36 million visitors in 2024 and generating €20 billion ($22 billion), but locals are increasingly resentful as soaring demand prices them out of their own summer destinations.
The boom reflects global trends of rising disposable income, cheaper air travel and longer retirements in developed economies. But in Greece, the benefits are unevenly distributed. Short-term rentals and foreign investment have reshaped local markets, with multinational hotel chains and large contractors pushing out small businesses and driving up costs.
On islands and in coastal towns, residents say they can no longer afford the holidays that once defined the Greek summer. “Overtourism” is also straining infrastructure and altering communities, experts say.
Authorities have traditionally sought to expand infrastructure, lengthen the tourist season or shift demand to less-visited areas. But analysts argue such measures only postpone deeper problems. Alternative strategies under discussion include limiting visitor numbers through entry fees, steering demand toward culturally engaged travelers, and subsidising access for Greek citizens.
“The more Greeks are excluded from the Greek summer, the more they will turn against a model that treats them primarily as cheap labour,” one tourism analyst said.