30% cut to tourist beds in the Cyclades, clampdown on Airbnb as well

Clear limits connected the fig of tourer beds successful the Cyclades and stricter measures for short-term rental lodging successful already developed islands are being considered by the government, up of the presumption of the caller Special Spatial Planning Framework for Tourism, expected instantly aft Easter.

The caller framework, agelong awaited by some the tourism manufacture and the vigor sector—due to land-use conflicts with upwind and photovoltaic installations—is present successful its last stage. According to information, lone insignificant method and ineligible details stay earlier the regulations are finalized and officially presented. Two meetings person already taken spot betwixt the governmental enactment and officials of the Ministries of Environment and Tourism, portion a fewer days agone the contented was besides discussed astatine the Maximos Mansion, wherever last guidelines for tourism spatial readying were given. Corresponding peculiar spatial plans for Renewable Energy Sources and Industry volition travel astir simultaneously, forming cardinal milestones of the Recovery Fund.

Restrictions
The cardinal axis of the tourism spatial readying is the instauration of quantitative and qualitative limits connected tourism development, with peculiar accent connected areas experiencing aggravated overtourism. In the Cyclades, particularly connected high-pressure islands specified arsenic Mykonos and Santorini, but besides connected smaller islands connected an upward trajectory, a simplification successful tourer furniture capableness is being considered compared to erstwhile readying scenarios. According to sources progressive successful meetings astatine the Ministry of Environment and Energy, reductions volition scope from 20% to 30%.

At the aforesaid time, strict restrictions—even bans—on converting caller residences into short-term rental accommodation (Airbnb-type) successful alleged “red zones” (mature and saturated tourer destinations) are besides being discussed. In particular, it is being considered that caller gathering permits whitethorn see an explicit prohibition connected alteration of usage for tourism exploitation.

Short-term rentals (Airbnb) are a reddish emblem for tourism businesses, and adjacent the erstwhile draught of the tourism spatial program had already pointed toward limiting them, aiming to align them with the fig of beds successful tourer accommodations.

It is estimated that determination are presently implicit 1 cardinal short-term rental properties connected the market, based connected highest summertime 2025 information from the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE).

Strong pressures
At the aforesaid time, edifice beds magnitude to περίπου 913,000, excluding rented rooms. This, arsenic noted, shows that arsenic galore beds arsenic were built successful hotels implicit the past 70 years person efficaciously been created successful conscionable the past 7 years done short-term rentals.

The tourism spatial program comes astatine a clip of aggravated unit connected land destinations, peculiarly successful the Cyclades, wherever adjacent striking cases of unregulated tourism improvement are being recorded. A diagnostic illustration is Milos, wherever successful caller years full edifice units appeared without the required licensing framework, with the tolerance—or adjacent support—of authorities, lone to aboriginal look enactment stoppages and frozen concern plans.

Illegal gathering licence for edifice successful Sarakiniko

The improvement of large-scale and intensive tourism investments has triggered beardown reactions from section communities, which accent that the lone mode to efficaciously support the land scenery is done wide and binding spatial planning.

Excessive construction, the implicit deficiency of the conception of carrying capacity—meaning the fig of visitors and infrastructure an country tin sustain—as good arsenic the dominance of ample and analyzable tourer accommodations, chiefly successful off-plan areas, and the request to bounds short-term rentals, represent the main “red lines” of the country’s spatial planning.

“Red lines”
Based connected the erstwhile draught of the Special Spatial Framework for Tourism, presented successful summertime 2024—and not expected to alteration importantly regarding zoning—the spatial enactment of tourer accommodations is structured into 5 main categories: saturated (or controlled) areas, developed, developing, areas with improvement potential, and mild improvement areas.

Saturated areas, wherever strict restrictions volition apply, see Santorini, Mykonos, confederate Tinos, Malia, Rhodes, Hersonissos (Heraklion), Nea Kydonia (Chania), the coasts of Pieria, Skiathos, Corfu, Zakynthos, eastbound Kos, and Ermoupoli connected Syros.

The signing of the applicable Joint Ministerial Decision is expected wrong the adjacent month. The Special Spatial Planning Framework for Tourism has gone done galore challenges: its drafting began successful 2018, was delivered successful 2021 to the Ministry of Environment and Energy aft large delays, and was enactment to nationalist consultation successful July 2024.

It is worthy noting that erstwhile spatial plans from 2009 and 2013 were annulled by the Council of State, leaving a important organization spread for years. With the caller framework, the authorities aims to acceptable wide rules, balancing the extortion of saturated destinations with the continuation of concern activity.

Photo: Shutterstock