In a statement, the Association of Short-Term Rental Companies - STAMA Greece, focusing primarily on the new provision that includes available Airbnb-style beds in the calculation of each region’s tourism carrying capacity, alongside hotel infrastructure.
For STAMA, this choice is not a technical detail, but a methodologically problematic framework for assessing tourism pressure. As noted, equating two completely different accommodation models—hotels and short-term rentals—risks creating a picture that does not reflect reality in many parts of the country.
The Association’s president, Vasilis Argyrakis, emphasizes that this logic can lead to incorrect conclusions about “how full” a destination is, especially on islands and in areas with strong seasonality, where pressure on infrastructure is not linked exclusively to the number of beds, but to the overall operation of the destination.
“Comparing short-term rentals to hotel beds is unfair and will make Greece more expensive. The main problem is that two different things are being lumped together. A hotel operates differently than a home listed on a platform. If you measure them the same way, you end up with a false picture of what’s really happening in a destination,” he notes.
According to him, this becomes even more critical in areas already under intense tourist pressure, as decisions based on this methodology may lead to excessive or misguided restrictions, without taking into account the real causes of the problems, such as infrastructure and the management of public space.
At the same time, STAMA revisits the discussion surrounding the term “overtourism, ” emphasizing that its generalized use does not help in understanding the true picture. As highlighted, Greece does not face a uniform phenomenon of overtourism, but rather different conditions by region and by season, which cannot be addressed with a one-size-fits-all approach.
Particular emphasis is also placed on the issue of carrying capacity studies provided for in the new framework. Stama warns that the outcome of these studies will depend entirely on which data are used.
He also highlights the decisive role of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (IAPR), as the only entity currently possessing complete, detailed, and reliable data on short-term rentals in Greece. As noted, without a commonly accepted database, any assessment of tourism pressure risks being fragmented and inaccurate.
Finally, Stama clearly disagrees with the possibility that these studies—and, by extension, decisions regarding potential restrictions—would fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of municipalities. As noted, such an approach carries the risk of fragmented assessments and varying paces from region to region.
The Association proposes that carrying capacity studies be commissioned to independent, reliable bodies, using a uniform methodology and clear criteria, to ensure the objectivity and comparability of the results.
The Association calls on the government to ensure a unified and rigorously documented framework for recording tourism activity, which will be based on actual data and will treat different forms of hospitality equally but not in a one-size-fits-all manner.
Finally, Stama states that he remains committed to institutional dialogue aimed at establishing a stable and functional framework for short-term rentals that will meet the actual needs of the market and the destinations.