Greece is in the middle of an anti-cruise rebellion, with locals complaining about over-tourism and trashed streets

There are also not enough establishments to accommodate all the people, which has boosted the short-term rental market.

“That has caused a big disruption for the locals,” Antypa said. “People cannot find apartments for long-term renting, and the ones that can be rented are usually extremely overpriced and in poor conditions.”

According to the Greek news outlet Kathimerini, investors are turning entire apartment blocks in Athens’s districts of Pangrati and Koukaki into short-term rental units.

Rental rates in Pangrati have increased by 14.3% compared to last year, the Greek newspaper To Vima reported. House prices are also soaring, according to Bloomberg.

Tourists and locals are equally disappointed in the ramifications of over-tourism, Antypa said, which “sets the standards of the Greek hospitality way back.”

On TikTok, there’s a heated debate between vacationers and locals at top tourist sites. Visitors complain about crowds and dirty streets and share their disappointment about their trip not meeting their expectations. In response, locals call them out for being “ungrateful” and implore them to consider their part in it all.

Tourist activities make up 25-30% of the Greece’s GDP. Harris Doukas, the mayor of Athens, told Euro News that “Each visitor brings €0.40 to the city.”

“And we haven’t seen this money yet,” he said. “We need sustainable tourism that doesn’t worsen city inequalities.”

A crackdown on cruises

Antypa said cruise ships are a big part of the problem. People aboard follow “a very specific pattern” in Athens, where they arrive very early in the morning and head straight to the landmarks. This causes traffic, queues, and “horrific crowds,” she said.

The islands are also impacted. Nikos Drosos, a tour guide who owns the Santorini-based travel company Santo Luxury Escape, told BI, “This is one of the worst seasons that the island has had right now.”

“There are a lot of cruise ships and a lot of people, like 15,000 per day,” Drosos said.

When they arrive, the main streets are packed with buses, and people leave behind “a lot of garbage,” Drosos said.

“Because they eat on the ship, they don’t buy any souvenirs or eat in the restaurants,” he added. “That’s the problem for us here.”

Krieger said implementing fees that support the tourism infrastructure and promoting the entire country as a destination is part of the solution.

“Our collective effort is needed to ensure that the beauty of the country remains unharmed and that by visiting in a responsible manner, we support local communities and help them thrive,” he said.

In June, Greece’s prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told Bloomberg the country was moving to limit the number of cruise ships allowed to stop at the most popular islands.

Drosos said this will be “good in some ways.”

“It’s going to be better for some people,” he said. “The big tour companies with the big buses, I don’t think they’re going to like it, but it’s for their own good, for everyone.”

Antypa said a response “is just a response,” and she wants to see the government take the next step by committing to sustainable growth and protecting Greece’s environment and culture.

“This has been the goal of many European countries for years,” she said. “If the government takes action toward the right direction, we can make tourism better for the tourists and the locals.”