Greece joins Lanzarote and Tenerife in calling for a ‘ban’ on British tourists

Greece now wants to ban British tourists as it joins Tenerife, Lanzarote, Mallorca and Menorca in protests against tourism and holidays. Greece’s Athens has called for an end to “excessive tourism” through harsh graffiti messages.

Huge signs plastered on the sides of buildings and other walls in the sun-soaked city feature a chilling warning to visitors, reading: ‘Tourists go home! The Greek state kills”. Slogans including “No Tourists No Hipsters” and “Burn Airbnb” were also seen on the streets of Athens.

Anna Theodorakis, a local resident who was forced to leave 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 out into the streets and block everything and just not do something because people are losing their homes,” she said.

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Locals are worried about the rise of Airbnbs in the historic city, as tourists are accused of “wiping out traditional places”. One real estate developer said, “Eighty percent of this neighborhood is Airbnbs. Tourists who come here want to see Greek culture, so if there are no more Greeks living here, tourists will not want to come.”

In April, Greece launched “free” week-long holidays for around 25,000 mainly British tourists fleeing the 2023 Rhodes fires as part of its “Rhodes Week” initiative. In response to the story, one Briton said: “Spain will suffer heavy losses without tourism. Greece could not survive. Be careful what you wish for.”

A second said: “Well if this spreads to all European holiday destinations it will be the end of overseas holidays unless you are rich and can afford to go long-haul. These countries will have their economies ruined, but it would also mean mass redundancies here, when travel agents, airlines and the rest, will no longer be needed.”

And a third typed: “I think the problem is with Air b&b. In the past, tourists stayed in hotels or rented villas through reputable companies. Now, anyone can…and does…rent anywhere, so there are a lot more places for people. to stay cheaper than in hotels.