Greece’s Tourism Faces Challenges as Heat Waves Persist

A Tourist Boom in Europe

Greece is not the only country facing adverse weather conditions this year. “Europe saw yet another year of increasing temperatures and intensifying climate extremes – including heat stress with record temperatures, wildfires, heat waves, glacier ice loss, and a lack of snowfall,” said Elisabeth Hamdouch, the deputy head of unit for Copernicus at the EU’s executive commission.

This summer is coming on the heels of increased opposition to rapidly growing tourism and its burden on local communities. We are currently seeing a post-pandemic surge in travel following the pent-up desires of the COVID period, with total tourist numbers expected to surpass 2019 levels, according to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. However, places like Venice, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands are among a growing list of places asking for restrictions on tourism.

Between images of crowded canals in Venice, a long queue to summit Mount Everest, and a couple carving their names on the 2,000-year-old Colosseum amphitheater, there is no shortage of headlines that showcase why locals in tourism hotspots might be looking for relief.

There’s yet one more factor to consider; beyond the direct strain on local populations, how we travel considerably impacts the environment. A recent report by the Travel Foundation, an independent organization that aims to create better, more equitable, climate-friendly tourism, points out that tourism already accounts for 8 to 11% of global CO and CO2 in direct and indirect emissions. If we continue at this pace, all emissions will rise steeply, with direct emissions alone increasing by 73% from 2019 to 2050.

“Travel is touted as a quasi-spiritual experience, and we internalize this idea that having visited as many places as you can makes you a fundamentally more interesting person and is a virtue, but that bucket list travel mindset is kind of the same thing as the more is more mindset of overconsumption in all areas of life,” said a user on TikTok.

While it’s one of many factors affecting the environment, how we travel is part of a cycle that has contributed to recent climate conditions. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that tourism is the bedrock of the Greek economy, compromising a third of Greece’s GDP. A study from the Institute of the Hellenic Tourism Business Association (INSETE) estimates that tourism contributes between €62.8 billion and €75.6 billion, corresponding to between 28.5% and 34.3% of GDP, in direct and secondary benefits. In light of this economic dependence, the problem requires a different solution than simply turning people away.