Athens only made 42 cents per visitor last year

I want to start with two revealing, and I would say disturbing - in their combination - set of numbers. The only income that the Municipality of Athens had from tourist activity in 2023 - by all accounts one of the best years for tourism - was just 2,714,664 euros. This revenue is approximately 50% less from what the city had collected 17 years ago, in 2007, when the corresponding revenue had reached 5,183,640 euros.

During the same period (in the last decade, to be precise) the number of hotels and hotel rooms in the central sector of Athens increased by 26% and 21% respectively, while there was an increase of 475% in short-term rental accommodation, according to the data of the Research Institute for Tourism. Also, according to data from the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency as well as hotel operators, it is estimated that Athens welcomed 6.5-7 million...