Tourism activity in Athens has grown sharply in recent years, while the expansion of short-term rentals has slowed in neighbourhoods where new permits have been suspended, according to the first update of the Tourism Carrying Capacity Study conducted for the Sustainable Tourism Observatory, operated by Development Athens.
The data covering 2018-2025 show that, following the temporary downturn caused by the pandemic, tourism has rebounded at particularly strong rates, now significantly surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
In 2025, the Municipality of Athens had 19,071 tourist accommodation units, up from 14,288 in 2018, while the number of available beds exceeded 105,000, representing a 24.3% increase. Short-term rentals (STRs) have been particularly dynamic, reaching 18,769 units—33.5% more than in 2018 and nearly 60% higher than in 2021, when the market was still affected by the pandemic. At the same time, the hotel sector has continued to expand, with the number of hotels rising by 29.1% over the same period.
Beyond the growth in accommodation capacity, however, the updated study shows that the actual pressure generated by tourism is rising even faster. Overnight stays per resident have nearly tripled over the past eight years, increasing by 183.7%, while the number of tourists per resident has risen by 142.2%.
The figures indicate that the intensity of tourism activity across Athens neighbourhoods is increasing at a much faster pace than the simple growth in accommodation capacity, underscoring the importance of continuously monitoring its impact on housing, infrastructure and residents’ daily lives.
The analysis confirms that the greatest concentration of tourism remains in the 1st Municipal District, which accounts for nearly 60% of the municipality’s total tourist beds. The city’s long-established tourism hotspots continue to include the Commercial Triangle, Monastiraki-Plaka, Psyrri, Makrygianni, Thissio and Pangrati.
