Fears of 'cancellation' of Greek holidays with warning 'Spain could be next'
Scots tourists planning a summer holiday to Greece are facing a warning that they may need to reconsider or cancel their holidays thanks to over tourism in the country.
The country is grappling with escalating numbers of tourists which is placing pressure on housing, local infrastructure and resources. It has implemented a ban on new tourist rental homes in certain neighbourhoods in Athens for 2024 to combat overcrowding and address housing crises.
And there are fears popular destinations in Spain could follow suit throwing hundred of thousands of holidaymaker's plans into chaos, reports Birmingham Live.
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The resorts of Crete, Corfu, Kos and Rhodes are perennial favourites with tourists who flock to them year on year. But now the authorities have taken action to halt overcrowding with the ban on new rentals in some Athens neighbourhoods. The city receives the most tourists of the 32.7 million annually (record for 2023) and suffers with the greatest overcrowding.
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Last year, the Mayor of Santorini warned that the island is 'jam packed'. The Instagrammable spot, famed for it's white buildings with bright blue roofs, has become Greece’s most popular destination. But Nikos Zorzos told The Guardian, that it will not be able to “save itself” if runaway development – the most tangible effect of overtourism – is not instantly curbed.
Santorini expected an influx of 3.4 million visitors in 2024.
There are fears Spain could be next, recent figures from the National Institute of Statistics, from 2023, show there was a supply of just over 340,000 tourist homes in the country, compared to 1.7 million hotel beds.
The new regulation also requires that all homes be declared and threatens large fines for all illegal ones. Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakishis's measure is beginning to be applied in Greece with the intention of "relieving the pressure on rents and increasing the availability of housing."
He said: "Many cities and countries are already discussing how to regulate the short-term rental market. We are taking some important first steps in that direction. If we believe that more are needed, we will not hesitate to take them."
It has also been warned the "crisis" sweeping the Med country could also impact Spain and spread across the continent amid fears more and more Brits are venturing to sun-kissed hotspots.
Travelandtour.com report that some British tourists are facing the reality of needing to reconsider or cancel their holidays to Greece, with warning signs indicating that Spain could face similar challenges in the near future.
There have already been protests in several tourist hotspots in Spain over issues of overcrowding and lack of housing for locals.
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