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.