Greece does not have a problem with excessive tourism, but only faces an issue of excessive concentration of tourists in some areas, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday in a tourism-related event at the Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos".
Specifically, the premier held a discussion with 'Kathimerini' newspaper Executive Editor Alexis Papachelas as part of the newspaper's "Reimagine Tourism in Greece" initiative.
The aim is to increase tourism revenues, Mitsotakis said, not just the number of tourists. He added that Greece must not acquire a problem with too many tourists, while adding that infrastructures at some islands in the Aegean are severely stressed during the summer influx of visitors. He noted that with better infrastructure Greece could receive more visitors, and among the former he cited the management of household waste, water reserves, and traffic on the streets.
"The question is whether we want visitors who want to spend more money," the PM said, while cautioning against raising of prices for tourists, because it could lead to Greek tourism's loss of competitive ability.