Protesters in Greece dealt huge blow as airports welcome 400k more tourists

Anti-tourism protesters in Greece are reeling from a major setback as visitors continue to flock to the holiday hotspot in increasing numbers, new data shows.

According to provisional figures for January to August 2024, passenger traffic in all 24 airports managed by the Civil Aviation Authority in Greece has increased by 5.4 percent.

The numbers, unveiled on Monday, also showed that the airports of Kasos, Milos, and Sitia had the largest increases since last year, respectively seeing 60.4, 36.3 and 29.8 percent more passengers in 2024.

There have also been over 400,000 more passenger arrivals and departures on both foreign and domestic flights this year compared to 2023.

This comes as Greek residents have been growing frustrated with the overwhelm of tourists flooding their country over the summer, with reports that some Santorini locals have even grown "hostile".

While boosting certain local economies, the overtourism issue has created issues around the country. House prices have increased accordingly to demand, making it more diffifult for locals to buy.

In Santorini, residents are having to allocate more than 40 percent of their disposable income to housing, the highest rate in Europe.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Mykonos resident Chrysiida Dimoulidou said of living on the island: “It’s no longer the Mykonos I loved – they are building everywhere and it’s losing all its charm."

Since 2019, figures show that there has been a 24 percent increase in air traffic in Greece, putting pressure on infrastructure.

This has made deputy CEO of Aegean Airlines, Michalis Kouveliotis, call for an expansion of Athens Airport to deal with the increasing influx of tourists.

Government officials are also working to curb the issue, with ban on new licences for short-term rentals in three districts in Athens announced just this Monday.

Tax is also said to be raised for these holiday lets, and the ban, expected to start on 1 January 2025, is set to apply for at least a year, with a possibility to extend it.

"We have found that they (short-term rentals) operate somehow as hotels, while there is also a lot of pressure on society,"Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said.