“Insurrection is not a spectacle”: experiencing and contesting touristification in Exarcheia, Athens

Abstract

During the last few years, Athens is experiencing a substantial increase in tourist inflows, while transforming from a one-day stop destination during summer to a year-round, city-break destination. Through a multi-method qualitative research, this paper explores the role of the aforementioned developments in the emergence of Athens as a city-break destination and explores ongoing processes of touristification. The study focuses on the district of Exarcheia, where grassroots political activity and creativity co-exist in high densities. Due to the increased touristic traffic in the area, specific, often inter-related problematic conditions emerge concerning housing, residents’ everyday life and local businesses’ activity. At the same time, political groups and precarious creative professionals are facing substantial threats due to touristification. Building on the case of Exarcheia, this paper contributes to the ongoing discussion concerning touristification, highlighting its heavily context-dependent character to gentrification and the multiple ways social movements operate in tension with relevant processes.