Jewelry shop owner Ioanna Velentza, 26, noted that metal costs have doubled, forcing price increases.
In the winding streets of Athens’ historic Plaka district, beneath the Acropolis, business owners are bracing for an uncertain tourist season amid regional conflicts and rising costs.
“We’re caught between two wars,” said Pantelis Vassilakos, a 30-year restaurant veteran. “The upward trend that existed before the war no longer exists.” He warned that many businesses may be forced to close if hostilities don’t stop soon.
Jewelry shop owner Ioanna Velentza, 26, noted that metal costs have doubled, forcing price increases, while rents in the area reach as high as €10,000. “I think there will be a reduction, even from markets that reliably send tourists,” she said.
Andromahi Diplaridi, with 48 years in Plaka, takes a bleaker outlook: “Everyone’s in debt,” she said, adding she might last another year at most.
Yet tourists continue arriving. An American theater teacher from South Carolina was leading 22 students through ancient sites, calling the experience “unbelievable.”