Quoted by ISNA; Athens, formerly known as the poi of moving to the Greek islands, has now become one of the most visited cities in the world. According to statistics, the number of tourists in the city increased compared to the previous year, and the Parthenon Temple in Acropolis alone had nearly 1.5 million visitors last year.
The Plaka neighborhood, known as the “Khodian Neighborhood” and has been constaly residing in Europe as the oldest resideial area of Europe since ancie times, is now considered “unmistakable” by tourists, café and restaura terraces, music and crowded alleys.
Lydia Caras, head of the area’s environme and cultural heritage, warned:
We cannot see Plaka lose its soul.
Tourism is still one of the main pillars of the Greek economy, and after the financial crisis, it has helped improve the economic situation and create employme. Local vendors say tourism boom has coributed to the return of economic stability, but local resides complain about its consequences, such as the astronomical increase in res and the change of home use to short -term real units.
Harris Dukas, the mayor of Athens, speaks proudly of the city’s world position, but says Plaka is saturated with tourists. He adds:
We have not yet reached the crisis of the city of Barcelona, but we have to take action before it is late.
An ierveion unit to monitor violations, such as the occupation of sidewalks by the terrace of restauras and car parks, is formed, according to AFP. The conservative governme of Greece has also banned new apartmes on short -term real platforms in ceral Athens for a year.
Dimitris Melisas, a lawyer in urban planning, believes that many buildings have been illegally transformed io multi -real apartmes and act as a hotel. He has filed a complai against four buildings to the Supreme Administrative Council of the coury, which can create an importa record in legislation.
However, he doubts about the true impact of the ban and says that the problem of Greece is not in the law, it is implemeing them.
Plaka also faced the rush of nightlife and recreation ceers in the 1980s uil the presideial decree in year 2, and resideial uses and construction restrictions were implemeed. Now, with the new wave of mass tourism (eerobhism), the risk of destroying the social structure and cultural heritage is once again threatening the area.
