Anti-tourist sentiment has reached Greece as graffiti in Athens calls for an end to “over-tourism”.
A message left on a wall appeared to reflect the views expressed by many residents in the Greek capital.
The graffiti said: “No tourists. No hipsters.”
Another added: “Tourists go home! Greek state kills.”
Graffiti has sprung up across Athens as anti-tourist sentiment reaches Greece
LNP
A third bit of graffiti reflected the concerns shared by many about the growing tourist culture.
“Tourists enjoy your stay in the cemetery of Europe,” it read.
Protests even took to the streets of Athens last month to claim tourists were both overcrowding and taking houses in the Greek capital.
Demonstrators chanted: “They are taking our houses while they live in the Maldives.”
Anna Theodorakis, a local resident who was forced out of her home in Metaxourgio, Athens, told France24 at the time that the situation in the bustling city was becoming “very depressing”.
“I think the answer is to go in the streets and block everything and just not do something because people are losing their homes,” she said.
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Greece has scores of destinations to choose fromGETTYDimitri, a property developer converting a former warehouse into Airbnbs, added: “80 per cent of this neighborhood are Airbnbs.
“Tourists who come here want to see the Greek culture, so if no more Greeks are living here, tourists won't want to come.”
However, the Greek Government is keen to attract tourists due to the impact on the nation’s beleaguered economy.
Greece is the third most popular tourist destination for British holidaymakers, with 4.2 million visitors in 2022.
The holiday hotspot of Spain, which witnessed 16.5 million visitors in 2022, is also experiencing a backlash against tourists.
Thousands of protestors took to the streets of the Canary Islands last month to protest against the problems caused by mass tourism and demand their politicians take action.
Anti-Airbnb graffiti in can be spotted in the neighbourhood of Exarcheia and surrounding areas
GettyProtests spread across Menorca, Tenerife and Majorca.
The Balearic Islands has since introduced a ban on the sale of alcohol between 9.30pm and 8am.
The decree bans late night sales of booze from commercial establishments in Llucmajor, Palma and Calvia in Mallorca and Sant Antoni in Ibiza.
Xaquelina Ana Perry, a spokeswoman for an activist group by the name of Prou Eivissa, said: “We welcome anybody who wants to enjoy our local culture, gastronomy, local traditions, beautiful beaches and covers.”
She added: “We are only against the massification of the type of tourism attracted to our island.
“The island is saturated, especially with illegal renting and our 572 square kilometres cannot take anymore.”
