Greece collected an eye-watering total of 21.7 billion euros (£18 billion) in tourism revenues in 2024, up from 20.6 billion (£17 billion) in 2023, new data has revealed.
This increase of 5.3% means that the southern European country has smashed its own record and shows a significant recovery after two years of struggle in the wake of the pandemic.
In 2019, the last year before global travel was interrupted due to Covid-19, Greece recorded revenues of 18.2 billion euros (£15 billion) and 31.3 million tourist arrivals.
Tourism accounts for over a quarter of Greece’s economic output, and some two million residents derive their annual income from the sector.
Despite this, anti-tourism protests have become more common in Greece. Last May, a demonstration was held in Athens where banners saying “Tourists go home” and “No Tourists No Hipsters” were displayed.
The country’s ombudsman says that the current tourism model is unsustainable and is in dire need of reform to ensure the sector is protected.
In the June 2024 report, the first report of its kind since the authority was founded over 25 years ago, the ombudsman warned of the growing environmental risks, including the added strain on water supplies for drinking, swimming pools and water parks.
“Our country’s economy relies heavily on tourism, which makes the need to manage it in a sustainable way even more urgent,” the ombudsman said.
Greece must not “exhaust its potential, wasting it and making our tourist destinations unattractive over time”, he added.
The report also said that Greece must reduce rampant construction and protect water resources and coastal areas if it wants to maintain a healthy tourism industry.
Various hotspots across the country have launched limits and even bans in an attempt to get a grip on the crisis.
Last month, Athens enacted a one-year ban on registering new short-term rental properties in several of its most popular districts, including Kolonaki, Koukaki, Pangrati, and Exarchia.
The measure aims to curb the explosive growth of platforms like Airbnb, which in 2024 saw the number of available short-term rental beds surpass those in Greece’s hotels for the first time.
In response to what has been dubbed the “worst ever” summer of overtourism at some of Greece’s prime holiday hotspots, plans have also been made to impose a new €20 (£16) tourist fee.
Beginning this summer, British tourists will face this additional charge when visiting places including the stunning but swamped island of Santorini.
Last year, a furious resident also revealed she is considering selling her home on Mykonos and leaving the island due to mass tourism and building developments.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Chrysiida Dimoulidou said: “It’s no longer the Mykonos I loved – they are building everywhere and it’s losing all its charm.”