Welcome To The Magical City Of Athens…

This compilation of shots were captured by my wife Alex and I when we went to Greece in 2021…and the people there are so friendly – but now, the Mayor of Athens says “enough is enough.”

I found this story about housing shortages in Athens caused by over-tourism.

The city’s Mayor Haris Doukas warns that with 700,000 residents and 8 million tourists, people are being pushed out of their neighborhoods – and he wants that stopped!

As you can see, the city is massive, perched along the edge of the Aegean Sea…and with tourism up, people who live there are feeling the squeeze – and the Mayor is fighting back.

According to the story in The Guardian:

“Doukas told the Guardian he would use a tourism land-use bill, currently under debate, to call for a blanket ban on new business activity in the city’s historical centre.”

“We’ll be stopping all tourist investment in Plaka, which I am on a mission to save. There’s no more room. Not for short-term rental, not for serviced apartments, not for hotels, or any other tourism use. The area is over-saturated,” he said. “We want to say ‘enough is enough’ in a bill that is enshrined in law.” Investors, he said, should head to other “less congested” areas of the capital.

The Mayor wants people to support the rest of the city, and not just the tourist sites, which are always crowded.

I understand finding a balance: the central city, with ancient sites like the Parthenon, are packed – while the rest of the city is for the most part ignored.

According to The Guardian:

“Doukas has clearly been emboldened by Jaume Collboni, his left-wing counterpart in Barcelona, who recently announced a complete ban on short-term rentals from November 2028, when permits for more than 10,000 apartments will be rescinded in an attempt to make the city more livable for its residents. Both Athens and Barcelona are among 15 cities whose mayors have joined a European housing action plan that has urged the EU to take bold initiatives to address the crisis.”

Read the whole story here:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/25/athens-cannot-operate-as-a-giant-hotel-mayor-vows-to-rescue-capital-from-overtourism

I understand the Mayor’s concern, and am not a fan of short-term rental companies disrupting neighborhoods…hopefully he can find a balance so we can still see things like this:

Here’s a closeup look at some of the incredible sites to visit in the city:

It’s equally important to visit some of the Greek Islands as well…here’s why:

The sunsets here are perhaps the most beautiful in the world – I captured this shot from our hotel room on the island of Santorini:

Here are more incredible greek island adventures:

The Athens Mayor spoke about some of the plans that Barcelona has to limit short-term rentals as well…we saw some of that up close when we visited…and yes, you can take an aerial tram to see the city from the air as well:

Here’s a look at this incredible city, making big changes to limit the negative impact of tourism on the local citizens:

Another city dealing with over-tourism is Venice Italy:

Yes, it is packed in the main tourist areas!

There needs to be a balance so that we can explore the world without disrupting those who live in these magical places.

One thing you must do when you are in Venice: take a boat to the magical island of Murano, to see this up close:

This glass sculpturing goes on all day, and these Artisans let you watch – and of course buy! It’s just one of the things we love about Venice, but I also shared their concern about this:

Look at how that mega-cruise ship dwarfs St. Marks! Here’s a closer look at the damage being caused by too many tourists!

Finally, here is another city that is always crowded:

Yes, go to the Louvre Museum in Paris and see massive crowds – to not only “see” the Mona Lisa, but get a selfie with her!

Still, it’s worth it to find art like this:

These floating bowls were actually works of art! See where they were and listen to the music they make as well….the story is here:

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Categories: Art, Exotic Travel, Italy, Memoirs, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir

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