how the country is trying to adapt

Lhe photo has gone around the world, a symbol of overtourism and its excesses. A compact and dense crowd, crushed by heat under a blazing sun, crowding the Acropolis of Athens. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of visitors to the most famous ancient site jumped by 80%, reaching 23,000 visitors per day on the hill, 12 million people each year to admire the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike. For a year, a regulation system has been put in place to limit the flow. 20,000 people per day are authorized to climb and it is better to have reserved your slot in advance, especially in the morning between 9 and 11 a.m. when the large cruise ships docked in Piraeus pour out their streams of tourists from all over the world, the time to ‘a selfie in front of the columns.

The overflow does not only threaten Athens. In the Cyclades archipelago, access to the Mykonos and Santorini islands will also be limited. Greece has decided to impose a tax of 20 euros on cruise passengers making a stopover, although the date of entry into force of this measure has not yet been set. Victim of its success, boosted by the development of low-cost flights from all over Europe, the country is confronted with the paradox of the need to curb overtourism to preserve its environment, while continuing to encourage a sector which represents 25% of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs nearly one in five workers.

Acropolis closed

32.7 million tourists visited Greece in 2023. A record that could well be broken this year. But most residents, who know the importance of the sector for the country’s economy, do not see it as a problem. The “Tourists go home” banners that flourish on the walls of cities that have become too attractive like Barcelona do not exist in Athens. In the bustling capital, from the taxi driver to the baker, everyone speaks English and strives to praise the beauty of their country to visitors, despite the fires and heatwaves that follow one another.

“The climate is changing abnormally, it’s true,” observes Dimitria Papadopoulau, an Athenian guide, “but we have to adapt. I find it unfair, for example, to close the Acropolis when it is too hot. Sometimes visitors only have a few hours to see the city and they can’t take advantage of it, while some people tolerate the heat very well. » On several occasions this summer, the authorities chose to close the archaeological site between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. when the thermometer rose to 40°C. A decision taken more to protect the civil servants who work on site than the tourists.

“The island is classified by UNESCO, I thought there were perhaps restrictions on attendance”

To avoid these crowds gathering at major sites at the height of summer, Greece wants to encourage the development of off-season tourism. This approach is recommended in a report from the Union of Tourist Businesses published at the end of last year, but professionals in the sector did not wait for this study to advise visitors to postpone their trip. “The best time to come to Athens is November,” continues Dimitria, the guide. From the end of October to the end of November, the weather is still good and the temperatures are very pleasant, while in spring it can rain. » Cool in his taxi, the air conditioning set to 20°C when the outside air is close to 30°C, Costa, who has been driving tourists for forty-five years, says nothing else. “Summers are terrible now. It’s often 40°C. So, the season stretches until Christmas and resumes in April. »

To avoid these crowds, Greece wants to encourage the development of tourism out of season

Saturated islands

Spread the flow of tourists over time, and also over space. While the Cyclades are overcrowded, the Ministry of Tourism is keen to promote slightly less popular destinations such as the Saronic Islands, located in the Gulf of the same name and easily accessible by boat from Piraeus. Barely disembarked on Hydra, Valérie, a French tourist, critically observes the parade of ferries or express ships, from which hundreds of tourists disembark and crowd the cobbled paths of the small port. Under the spell of this village where the white houses tumble down the hill towards the azure cove, she hoped here to escape the crowds. “The island is classified by UNESCO, I thought there were perhaps restrictions on attendance,” she explains, visibly a little disappointed. Despite its higher prices than elsewhere, little Hydra, where cars are prohibited and which has 2,500 inhabitants living mainly from fishing and tourism, is already close to saturation on certain summer days. Her chic and authentic side ignited social networks. A few miles away, Aegina kept a more modest appearance. The island is best known for its production of pistachios, but it is also home to the temple of Athena Aphea, an important archaeological site that the Greek government would like to see more frequented by tourists.

This trip was covered by Easyjet but did not give rise to any editorial compensation.