Athens clamps down

Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said he wants to stop new tourism investment in Plaka, arguing the historic center has no room for more hotels or rentals. (ekathimerini.com) Doukas told The Guardian, in comments republished Saturday by Kathimerini, that Athens drew more than 8 million visitors last year despite having roughly 700,000 residents. He said the surge is straining housing, electricity, water and transport systems. (ekathimerini.com) The proposed clampdown goes beyond the city’s existing freeze on new short-term rental permits in three central neighborhoods. Doukas said a tourism land-use bill now under debate could be used to block new hotels and rentals in the historic center. (euronews.com) (ekathimerini.com) City officials say Plaka shows the pressure most clearly. Kathimerini reported that short-term rental stays there have more than doubled since 2018, while Doukas said rising rents are pushing residents out of central districts. (ekathimerini.com) The hotel industry is not rejecting the discussion outright. At the “This is Athens Agora” event, Athens-Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association president Evgenios Vassilikos said the city needs a broader plan for how many tourist beds it can support. (news.gtp.gr) (euronews.com) The numbers are large even before new limits. Euronews, citing INSETE data, reported 68,934 hotel beds in Attica, including about 35,000 in greater central Athens. (euronews.com) Doukas and Vassilikos both pointed to Barcelona as a warning. Barcelona already bans new hotel licenses and plans to phase out short-term rentals by 2028, a model Athens officials say they are studying for saturated districts. (euronews.com) (news.gtp.gr) The pressure is not only urban. Greece on Friday expanded its “untouched beaches” registry by 13 sites, raising the total to 251 beaches where commercial concessions, sunbeds, umbrellas, vehicles and other infrastructure are banned. (in.gr) (euronews.com) Those beaches include Natura 2000 areas and other ecologically sensitive coastlines used by protected species. The Environment Ministry said the tighter rules are meant to preserve habitats and keep those shores in their natural state. (euronews.com) (in.gr) For now, Athens is still debating how far it can go. But the mayor’s position is now explicit: Plaka is full, and the city does not want to become a “giant hotel.” (ekathimerini.com)