ATHENS – Four years after nearly praying for the return of tourists following the COVID-19 pandemic, many Greeks are now expressing concern over the record-breaking numbers of visitors, particularly from cruise ships, and are calling for limits to be imposed.

The complaints center around the fact that many cruise passengers contribute little to the local economy, as their ships provide meals and other amenities, while they also place an additional strain on already stressed infrastructure, especially water systems during droughts.

The issue is most visible on Santorini, a social media favorite known for its breathtaking sunsets. The island, which once welcomed the influx of tourists, is now struggling to manage the crowds. On one day alone, Santorini saw 17,000 visitors from cruise ships. In response, local authorities are seeking to cap the number of arrivals, although any changes won’t be implemented until 2025. The tourist season, once limited mostly to summer, now stretches from spring through autumn.

A review by Business Insider highlighted the shift in Greek sentiment towards cruise ship tourism. Once seen as a boon, bringing in more than €20 billion ($21.85 billion) in 2023 with 33 million visitors—three times the country’s population—many Greeks are now advocating for stricter controls on the industry.

Ironically, the Chinese management firm COSCO, which operates the major port of Piraeus, has made the port accessible to larger vessels with more passengers, exacerbating the issue. Piraeus now sees daily arrivals of thousands of tourists, many of whom head straight into Athens.

Vivian Antypa, an archaeologist and tour operator in Athens, told Business Insider that while she loves working in tourism and meeting people from around the world, her job has become increasingly challenging. “The government hasn’t put any limitations on the number of people who can visit the monuments,” she said, except for the 20,000-person cap at the Acropolis, which was implemented in 2023.

Other archaeological sites in the city are “extremely crowded,” she added, which affects the quality of her work and the experience of visitors. “It can be dangerous due to the hot Greek weather,” she warned.

The number of tourists visiting Greece increased by 120 percent between 2019 and 2023, according to Fortune. This explosion, temporarily set back during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, has resumed with the lifting of health restrictions.

Antypa noted that overtourism in Athens is a significant problem, as the city struggles to accommodate large numbers of visitors during the high season, which disrupts daily life for residents. The demand for accommodations has led to many homes and apartments being converted into short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb, driving out long-time residents and causing rents to skyrocket.

“This has caused a big disruption for locals. People cannot find apartments for long-term renting, and those that are available are usually extremely overpriced and in poor condition,” she said.

Rental rates in Pangrati have increased by 14.3 percent compared to 2023, according to To Vima, while Bloomberg reported that home prices have become unaffordable for many after being depressed during the 2010-2018 economic crisis.

There’s also growing dissatisfaction among visitors, with many taking to social media to complain about the overcrowding in Athens and the city’s perceived cleanliness issues. Some have even suggested that the trip wasn’t worth it, despite the hype, as Greece ranks 13th in the world for tourist arrivals, according to WP Travel.

Athens Mayor Haris Doukas has acknowledged the problem, stating that the city, once overlooked in favor of the islands, isn’t benefiting sufficiently from the surge in tourism. “Each visitor brings 40 euro cents to the city. And we haven’t seen this money yet. We need sustainable tourism that doesn’t worsen city inequalities,” he told Euronews.

Antypa emphasized that cruise ships are a significant part of the problem. Tourists aboard these ships follow a “very specific pattern” in Athens, arriving early in the morning and heading straight to landmarks, causing traffic, long queues, and “horrific crowds.”

They also tend to visit the same popular islands, such as Santorini and Mykonos, but are now increasingly seeking out quieter alternatives like Hydra, which are also becoming overcrowded.

Nikos Drosos, a tour guide and owner of the Santorini-based travel company Santo Luxury Escape, described this season as one of the worst the island has experienced. “There are a lot of cruise ships and a lot of people, like 15,000 per day,” he said, adding that Fira and Oia are overwhelmed.

When the tourists arrive, the main streets are packed with buses, and “a lot of garbage” is left behind, Drosos said. “Because they eat on the ship, they don’t buy souvenirs or eat in the restaurants,” he added. “That’s the problem for us here.”

Richard Krieger, Director at Sky Vacations, highlighted the dilemma facing locals: “There is a real problem when locals, both those that live in a place year-round or wish to visit family and friends, are priced out.” He pointed to the high cost of hotels and accommodations in Greece’s most well-known destinations, which have become increasingly expensive as the government pursues more luxury resort developments.

Krieger also noted that cruise ship passengers are not just swarming Piraeus or the islands but are now discovering destinations on the Peloponnese, like the small town of Katakolon, which he said can become “a nightmare when ships pull in and the crowds pour into the streets.”

In June, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told Bloomberg that Greece is moving to limit the number of cruise ships allowed to stop at the most popular islands, although this won’t happen until after 2024 due to existing bookings.

Drosos believes the proposed restrictions will benefit some, though not all. “The big tour companies with the big buses might not like it, but it’s for their own good, and for everyone,” he said, suggesting that it could be a way to alleviate some of the pressure.