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Σάββατο, 26 Ιουλίου, 2025
ΑρχικήEnglish EditionSummer holidays for Greeks: From habit to privilege

Summer holidays for Greeks: From habit to privilege


By Dimitris Kouvaras,

Summer is here and, arguably, appetites for leisure grow as Athens and other big cities wheeze under the scorching Greek sun. As beaches swell with visitors yearning for a swim or a tan, everyone’s minds are geared towards these special days of the year we call holidays. However, while some Greeks may be waiting for the day of their trip to arrive or making some last-minute plans for a summer escape, many are those for whom holidays will just mean days off work, without travel. That is because in a country synonymous with sun, sea, scenic islands and centuries of history, the modern Greek holiday is turning into a privilege rather than a given. As inbound tourism swells to record highs, the cost of enjoying a traditional “Greek summer”, which typically meant a week or two on the islands, is pushing local families out. What follows is not just a shift in markets, but a transformation of who gets the chance to escape within their very country.

For decades, Greece has been a top-notch tourist destination, attracting millions of tourists a year. Arguably, this was no accident as the state itself had consistently supported the growth of the tourism sector, with mantras such as “live your myth in Greece”. Now, however, the extent of this inbound flow is reaching critical levels. To put matters into perspective, Greece is expected to receive nearly 40 million international tourists in 2028, four times its resident population, given an annual growth rate of 3.7%. Islands like Zakynthos, in the Ionian Sea, already have 150 visitors per resident, while the iconic Cycladic hotspots of Santorini and Mykonos strain under cruise-ship swarms, whose scale exceeds the limits of local infrastructure and has led to consideration of arrival quotas and fees per passenger disembarking. Even Athens, once a hidden stopover where visitors would hardly spend a day or two, is now a primary destination, drawing 10 million visitors in 2024, just shy of the country’s total population.

Image Rights: Shutterstock/ credits: Anna Yordanova

This surge has been accompanied, for years, by heightened opportunities for profit in the tourism industry, thus incentivising locals to invest in the hospitality market and share its lucrative pie. As a result, holiday rentals have popped up in every corner of the country, including downtown Athens, but especially on touristy island destinations such as Santorini, Mykonos, or even Chania in Crete. However, prices in most of these hotspots, as well as in ascendant destinations such as Milos and Koufonisia, have reached astronomical levels for the average local. According to a recent survey, the average price of an Airbnb in Greece is 250 euros per day. Meanwhile, the minimum salary after tax for a full-time worker is only 743 euros per month, barely enough to cover the expense of 3 nights at the average rental price. If one also considers the cost of ferry tickets, which can reach up to and above 500 euros for a family of 4 travelling in the Cyclades with a vehicle, it becomes apparent that salaries have fallen far behind the rising cost of leisure travel. As for the final blow (although thankfully an unnecessary one), it comes to the absurdities of the sunbed market. Although in many beaches they remain reasonably priced, or at least accessible, even the coast of Athens has seen the average price exceeding 20 euros, depending on the day.

The effect on locals’ travel plans is obvious. A survey of 800 people showed that 51% are not planning holidays for the present summer. Of the 49% that have travel plans, two-thirds have limited their holiday, while only 1% of the total is expected to travel for a longer period than last year. A growing tendency is for people to opt for their family homes or summerhouses as their go-to places, so that they can save on the purchase of accommodation and afford a longer stay while also being close to family and friends. Nevertheless, it is not only people’s holiday plans that are affected. Various sorts of infrastructure, such as sewage, waste, water and transport systems, buckle under pressure from overtourism. The short-term housing market, meanwhile, creates new challenges. In Plaka and other neighbourhoods of Athens, rising rents as a result of apartments turning into holiday rentals have prompted the city to stop issuing short-term rental permits to keep the market at bay. The side effects of such tendencies are multiple, extending to the daily lives of people well beyond the tourism industry. For example, islands receive many temporary professionals every year, including teachers and medical personnel, who need to secure housing during their stay. With holiday rentals dominating the market, however, their chances shrink drastically. Furthermore, many face eviction during the summer months, so that their apartments can be transformed into holiday homes.

Image Rights: Unsplash/ credits: Eean Chen

Therefore, although tourism is undeniably crucial to the Greek economy, comprising around 25–30% of Greece’s GDP and serving as its post-pandemic economic engine, this dependence breeds vulnerability. Tourism is a volatile field greatly dependent on changing tastes and external demand, whose yields are also focused on a specific period of the year. As a result, it cannot be the base of the national economy without the risk of serious ramifications, many of which are already visible. On the one hand, some measures are being taken to restrict excessive visitor flows in crowded Aegean islands or tame the housing market. However, a deeper mentality change is needed for local economies to prosper without the burden of too many people. If alternative forms of tourism are developed and arrivals spread more evenly throughout the year, not only will locals have access to working infrastructure, but also tourists will enjoy a far more relaxed holiday experience. Meanwhile, some islands are taking an alternative track: courting wealthier tourists to reduce volume while maintaining revenue. Corfu is investing in upscale hotels and high-end hospitality, seeking to attract a smaller but richer visitor base. However, with prices already high, this strategy preserves the issue of unequal access for residents.

No matter what strategy each destination follows, this summer will be different for many, given that the statistics paint a clear picture. Greece has to seriously consider this alarming trend, which points to the deficiencies of its economic layout, both in terms of the tourist industry and as a whole. Holidays are only one sector in which locals’ purchasing power has plummeted. Yet, as everyone seeks the feeling of an Aegean sunset on a wuthering island, it is a somewhat bitter one.


References
  • Half of Greeks May Skip Summer Holidays Due to Costs, Poll Finds. To Vima. Available here
  • This Greek Island is Europe’s most overtouristed destination, according to new report. Deutsche Welle. Available here
  • Forty million arrivals in 2028. eKathimerini. Available here 

 

TA ΤΕΛΕΥΤΑΙΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ

Dimitris Kouvaras
Dimitris Kouvaras
He was born in 2003. He studies History and Archaeology at the University of Athens. His fields of interest include European and gender history, on which he has completed seminar work. He is also enthusiastic about Philosophy, having represented Greece in the 2020 and 2021 International Philosophy Olympias and received relevant awards. Ethics and epistemology are his favourite areas of exploration. He loves expressing himself through writing and commenting on sociopolitical issues and current affairs. Besides Greek and English, he also speaks French and is learning Spanish, which he adores. His non-academic hobbies include painting and folk dancing.