Greek city begs 'no more tourism' as popular hotspot flooded with holidaymakers

Protestors in one of Greece's most popular cities have demanded 'no more tourism' as the holiday hotspot is becoming overrun with Brits.

The country's capital, Athens, has long since been a sought-after holiday destination thanks to its rich history, culture and beautiful scenery, not to mention its warm and sunny climate.

However, it seems that people are growing tired and angry at the amount of tourists, with several protests having broken out due to the effects of overtourism on Greek locals.

Birmingham Live reports that graffiti, vandalism and arson have all been used as a form of protest against tourists, and one rally which took place last week saw people chanting: "They are taking our houses while they live in the Maldives".

Anna Theodorakis told France24 that she was forced out of the Metaxourgio in Athens. She explained: "I think the answer is to go in the streets and block everything and just not do something because people are losing their homes. It is very depressing."

She also highlighted how the amount of Airbnbs in Athens was "wiping out the traditional places", admitting that she felt like "a foreigner in my own country".

This was echoed by property developer Dimitri, who is currently working on transforming a former warehouse into Airbnbs. He agreed that overtourism was 'damaging' Athens, saying: "Tourists who come here want to see the Greek culture, so if no more Greeks are living here, tourists won't want to come."

It comes as a new scheme kicked off this week for tourists forced to flee the Rhodes wildfires last year to book another week-long stay for free.

Rodos Week was launched by Greece's tourism authorities in a bid to entice back holidaymakers who had to evacuate their hotels as a result of the devastating wildfires in July 2023.

Anyone registered on the evacuations lists are being offered an e-voucher to put towards a stay in a hotel of a similar category as that they stayed in during the fires. Depending on the category of hotel, you can get between €300-€500 for the entire stay.

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