Now Greece Joins Spain, Italy, Germany, United States And More In Introducing New Rules To Control Overcrowing

Published on September 5, 2025

The Greek superior of Athens, 1 of Europe’s astir beloved vacation destinations, is grappling pinch nan increasing pressures of overtourism, peculiarly from nan surge successful short-term vacation rentals. With millions flocking to nan metropolis each year, section authorities are now implementing a scope of stricter regulations to reside some lodging affordability issues and nan effect of excessive tourism connected nan city’s infrastructure.

Across Europe and beyond, cities for illustration Barcelona, Florence, Berlin, Vienna, and New York person introduced measures to curb short-term rentals and mitigate nan societal and biology costs of tourism. Countries for illustration Spain, Italy, Germany, and Canada are starring nan complaint pinch caller laws designed to sphere nan integrity of their astir cherished cities and communities.

In Australia, protests person emerged successful consequence to nan unchecked maturation of platforms for illustration Airbnb. These actions bespeak a increasing world activity to equilibrium tourism pinch nan needs of section residents. Amid these world efforts, Greece’s response—particularly successful Athens—is garnering important attraction arsenic nan metropolis grapples pinch a lodging situation fueled by surging visitant numbers and short-term rental platforms.

In consequence to these challenges, Athens’ Mayor Haris Doukas has indicated that tighter restrictions, perchance including a prohibition connected caller short-term rental licenses, could beryllium connected nan horizon. This comes arsenic nan metropolis braces for a monolithic influx of tourists, pinch estimates suggesting that Athens will big much than 10 cardinal world visitors successful 2025. The measures purpose to trim nan unit connected section lodging markets and guarantee a sustainable tourism exemplary that tin equilibrium nan needs of residents and visitors.

A Rising Tide of Overtourism

Tourism has agelong been a captious portion of Athens’ economy. However, pinch nan metropolis quickly becoming a apical destination, its charm has besides travel pinch unintended consequences. According to nan mayor, Athens saw much than 4.5 cardinal UK visitors successful 2024 alone, and nan number of visitors continues to climb twelvemonth aft year. This surge successful tourism has led to a melodramatic summation successful nan request for short-term rentals, specified arsenic those listed connected platforms for illustration Airbnb. These rentals, while providing affordable accommodation options for visitors, person contributed to nan rising costs of lodging for locals.

The proliferation of short-term rentals has further strained nan city’s lodging market, pinch galore imperishable residents being pushed retired owed to skyrocketing rental prices. This has sparked a statement wrong nan city’s leadership, arsenic officials measurement nan imaginable for implementing caller policies to mitigate these issues earlier they worsen. Mayor Doukas expressed his concerns, emphasizing nan value of sustainability successful tourism, stating that while Athens remains 1 of nan astir celebrated destinations globally, section authorities must return urgent action to protect nan city’s lodging banal and nan value of life for its residents.

Global Efforts to Combat Overtourism

• Spain: Cities for illustration Barcelona and Málaga person introduced stringent regulations connected short-term rentals. Barcelona plans to prohibition each short-term rentals by 2029, while Málaga has imposed a three-year frost connected caller vacation rental registrations successful 43 districts.
• Germany: Berlin requires permits for short-term rentals, pinch unauthorized listings facing fines up to €500,000, aiming to protect lodging for locals.
• Austria: Vienna has capped short-term rentals astatine 90 days per twelvemonth citywide, expanding erstwhile limits that applied only to residential areas.
• United States: New York City has implemented Local Law 18, efficaciously banning astir short-term rentals.
• Canada: Montreal has introduced strict regulations, including hefty fines for forbidden listings, pursuing a important occurrence successful Old Montreal linked to unregulated short-term rentals.
• Finland: Rovaniemi, known arsenic nan “official hometown of Santa Claus,” has seen important overtourism, starring to section protests owed to nan strain connected lodging and rapid, uncontrolled maturation of tourism.
• Australia: In Australia, Airbnb listings person surpassed 300,000, starring to nationalist protests and calls for further regulation, including banning corporations from converting homes into rentals.

Short-Term Rental Restrictions: A Step Toward Housing Affordability

In consequence to these challenges, nan metropolis has taken respective captious steps to present short-term rental regulations. Beginning successful October 2025, stricter wellness and information rules will beryllium enforced for each short-term rental properties successful Athens. These caller regulations will require each rental accommodations to meet circumstantial criteria, including due ventilation, earthy lighting, and aerial conditioning, on pinch information measures specified arsenic fume detectors, occurrence extinguishers, and emergency exit signage. Properties failing to comply pinch these standards will look dense fines of up to €5,000 (£4,334).

These regulations are designed to reside concerns astir nan value of accommodation disposable to tourists, while besides ensuring that short-term rentals do not exacerbate nan lodging crisis. By enforcing these standards, nan metropolis hopes to guarantee that tourism is some enjoyable and responsible, without compromising nan well-being of residents who person been priced retired of their neighborhoods.

The Role of nan Sustainable Tourism Observatory

To amended negociate nan effect of tourism, Athens has created nan Sustainable Tourism Observatory. This inaugural is tasked pinch monitoring tourism flows, peculiarly successful areas that person seen important increases successful short-term rentals. The Observatory tracks various indicators, including nan number of rental units per resident and nan density of short-term rentals wrong circumstantial neighborhoods. If a vicinity becomes overcrowded — referred to arsenic “turning red” — nan Observatory alerts metropolis officials, who tin past return action successful collaboration pinch short-term rental platforms for illustration Airbnb to set rental readiness aliases instrumentality impermanent restrictions.

This strategy is simply a cardinal portion of Athens’ strategy to support a equilibrium betwixt welcoming visitors and preserving nan city’s residential character. Mayor Doukas highlighted nan value of proactive guidance and noted that nan metropolis is perpetually successful connection pinch platforms for illustration Airbnb to guarantee that tourism does not overwhelm nan section infrastructure. He hinted that depending connected nan information collected, Athens whitethorn request to enforce moreover stricter controls successful definite areas.

A Ban connected New Short-Term Rentals

One of nan astir important measures projected by metropolis officials is nan imaginable preamble of a prohibition connected caller short-term rental licenses. Mayor Doukas has stated that nan authorities is expecting captious information later this month, which will thief find whether further restrictions are basal to safeguard nan city’s lodging market. While nan politician has expressed concerns astir nan effect of excessive tourism, he has besides emphasized nan value of preparing for early challenges without resorting to utmost measures for illustration imposing introduction taxes connected tourists, arsenic seen successful cities specified arsenic Venice and Barcelona.

The metropolis is besides considering different measures to limit nan maturation of short-term rentals, specified arsenic zoning regulations that could restrict nan number of rental properties successful definite areas. These measures purpose to forestall nan metropolis from becoming a tourist-driven system astatine nan disbursal of its residents, who are progressively uncovering it difficult to unafraid affordable housing.

Striking a Balance: Ensuring Sustainable Tourism

For Athens, nan situation lies successful balancing nan economical benefits of tourism pinch nan request to support a livable situation for locals. Overtourism has already led to protests successful respective European cities, and experts pass that nan business could worsen if action is not taken. The lawsuit of Barcelona, which precocious ordered Airbnb to region thousands of listings, serves arsenic a cautionary communicative for Athens, which is keen to debar akin societal unrest.

Kaitlyn Brajcich, a recreation master astatine Sustainable Travel International, pointed retired that galore locals successful tourist-heavy destinations consciousness alienated from nan economical benefits of tourism. While visitors move money into nan economy, galore residents are forced to unrecorded successful progressively unaffordable conditions, creating a consciousness of societal tension. As Athens continues to turn arsenic a tourer destination, nan metropolis must find ways to guarantee that tourism benefits some visitors and nan section community, alternatively than creating disparities.

Tips for Tourists

For those readying to sojourn Athens successful nan coming years, it’s important to enactment informed astir nan city’s evolving regulations and policies. Here are immoderate tips to consider:

1. Book Early: As short-term rental readiness whitethorn alteration owed to nan caller regulations, it’s advisable to unafraid your accommodation arsenic early arsenic possible.
2. Consider Alternative Locations: Explore neighborhoods that whitethorn connection much availability, arsenic cardinal areas could look restrictions connected rental properties.
3. Stay Informed: Keep up to day pinch immoderate caller regulations connected Athens’ charismatic tourism websites to guarantee your travel goes smoothly.
4. Support Local: Consider staying successful locally-owned hotels aliases apartments, which lend to nan city’s semipermanent sustainability and supply much nonstop benefits to section communities.

Looking Ahead

Athens’ proactive attack to regulating tourism reflects a broader inclination of cities crossed Europe seeking to reside nan challenges of overtourism. By balancing maturation pinch sustainability, Athens hopes to sphere its taste heritage, protect its residents, and supply an enriching acquisition for visitors. These measures, while still evolving, correspond a important measurement successful shaping a sustainable early for Athens’ tourism industry.

As nan metropolis prepares for different engaged tourer season, it will stay vigilant successful monitoring nan impacts of tourism and taking basal steps to guarantee that Athens remains a vibrant, welcoming metropolis for some residents and travelers alike.

Key Points:

• Regulations: New wellness and information measures for short-term rentals to beryllium enforced from October 1, 2025, pinch fines for non-compliance.
• Short-Term Rental Ban: Potential prohibition connected caller rental licenses successful cardinal Athens to reside lodging shortage.
• Sustainable Tourism: Athens’ efforts to equilibrium tourism maturation pinch nan needs of its residents.
• Data Monitoring: The Sustainable Tourism Observatory tracks overcrowding and short-term rental information for amended management.