Athens Mayor Proposes Hotel Licence Freeze to Combat Overtourism Crisis
The mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, has announced plans to potentially freeze new hotel licences in the Greek capital, aiming to prevent the city from becoming overwhelmed by tourists and turning into what he describes as a "new Barcelona." This move comes as Athens grapples with a surge in visitor numbers, with international arrivals reaching approximately 12 million in 2025, including around 4.5 million British tourists—a significant increase from 3.5 million in 2019.
Strategic Measures to Curb Tourist Overload
In an interview with Euronews, Mayor Doukas emphasised the need for careful assessment of how many additional hotels are required and where they should be located. He stated, "We really need to see if and how many more hotels we need and where. We must not become Barcelona. We have to understand that there are saturated areas that cannot afford new beds." This proposal follows his earlier initiative to ban new permits for short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs, in three central neighbourhoods of Athens.
The plan involves implementing caps on both hotels and short-term rentals in specific "saturated" zones, drawing inspiration from cities like Barcelona and Amsterdam, which have already enacted similar restrictions. Barcelona, for instance, has completely banned short-term rentals from 2028 and halted new hotel licences since 2017.
Rapid Growth in Tourism Infrastructure
Across the Attica region, where Athens is situated, there are currently 68,934 rental apartments, with nearly half concentrated in the city centre. Nationwide, Greece has experienced a boom in accommodation availability, with 450 new four- and five-star hotels opening between 2019 and 2024 to meet rising tourist demand.
Evgenios Vassilikos, President of the Athens - Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association, highlighted the importance of strategic planning during a recent event. He argued, "There are practices abroad which have been implemented. We don't need to reinvent the wheel." Vassilikos stressed that Athens must develop a specific plan for hotel bed capacity, considering factors like star ratings and the integration of non-primary tourist accommodations.
Impact on Key Attractions and Future Outlook
Athens has solidified its position as the most-visited destination in Greece, with iconic sites like the Acropolis attracting millions of visitors annually. At peak times, the Acropolis can see over 17,000 visitors per day, underscoring the pressure on the city's infrastructure and resources.
If enacted, the hotel licence freeze would mark a significant step in managing overtourism, aligning Athens with other European cities proactively addressing similar challenges. The mayor's focus is on ensuring sustainable tourism growth that preserves the city's cultural heritage and quality of life for residents, rather than allowing unchecked expansion that could lead to overcrowding and degradation.
