Overtourism anger spreads to Greece as worker protests loom

Labor unions are organizing protests in ports, airports, and archaeological sites to raise awareness about the poor wages paid to industry workers. 

“We are asking for an increase of 12% for the next two years, that is 6% for each year. We are also asking – in 2024 – that the 5-day/40-hour working week also be applied to us,” Giorgos Hotzoglou, president of the Hellenic Federation of Tourism Employees, told Euronews in a report published Monday.

If the protests occur, they will be the first in Greece following a summer of anti-tourism backlash across Europe. This summer, Barcelona and Tenerife saw a wave of anger erupt on city streets after an influx of tourists pushed visitor numbers to a record high. 

Greece has probably witnessed the worst side of tourism, an industry its economy has come to rely on heavily. Between 25% and 30% of the country’s GDP now comes from tourism-linked activities; in some islands, that proportion spikes to 90%. 

Still, it’s hard to overlook mass tourism’s impact on Greece in recent years. It has been blamed for exacerbating a housing and resource shortage. 

Last year, the country welcomed nearly 33 million foreign visitors—over three times the size of Greece’s population.  

Despite that staggering figure, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis insists the country isn’t facing overtourism. Instead, it needs to improve its management of areas that have become tourist clusters. 

“It is very dangerous to present Greece as a place that is not welcoming to tourists,” Mitsotakis told the Financial Times last month.

Tourism clearly has shown no signs of abating. Recent government data in Greece shows that revenues from the industry have ticked down this year despite an increase in arrivals. 

If it were up to the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), it would turn the country’s “sun-and-sea” appeal and focus instead on offering experiences that truly help it improve. 

SETE didn’t immediately return Fortune’s request for comment. 

Europe’s battle over tourism

Residents of the towns that have been dealing with a swell in tourists have argued that the once-positive force is now hurting citizens’ quality of life by pushing housing costs up and turning local neighborhoods into tourist attractions.  

Greece is far from alone in the crisis it faces, and many countries have taken matters into their own hands.

Hungary is considering measures to pause the issuance of short-term Airbnb licenses in its capital city of Budapest.

Meanwhile, Venice has introduced a so-called tourist tax, banned loudspeakers, and capped visitor groups at 25 this year in the hopes that it would keep the impact of mass tourism under control. Not too far away, Amsterdam plans to halve the number of cruises docking in the town to limit tourist nuisance.