Greece’s summer of 2025 is unfolding as a paradox. Tourism booms to record levels, drawing millions of visitors to sun-kissed islands and historic towns. Yet for half of Greeks, the annual August holiday has become a distant dream. Wages have stayed flat for years, while the price of travel—from ferries to hotel rooms to meals—has surged beyond what many households can bear.
Across Athens and the Aegean, the story is visible in the queues at the port, the empty sunloungers on beaches that would normally be packed by now, and the dissonant chatter of families weighing the cost of an island escape against other essential expenses. One ferry clerk in a busy port booth captures the mood: ticket sales are down by about 50 percent from last year. The anecdote echoes through coastal towns where tourism should fuel livelihoods, but the daily math on a family budget often refuses to cooperate with the dream of a seaside break.
The data behind the human feeling are stark. The European Statistics agency and local consumer groups have been tracking a widening affordability gap. It is not simply about luxury escapes for the few; a substantial segment of the population says they cannot afford even a short holiday within their own country. The most cited barriers are soaring accommodation costs, ferry fares, and the price of meals and activities that used to be considered part of a modest summer retreat. A family of four with a car can face ferry costs that stretch to hundreds of euros, a sum that consumes a noticeable slice of the monthly take-home pay for many Greek households. In some cases, people are choosing to stay closer to home—or retreating to villages on the mainland—because the island experience, once affordable, now sits out of reach for ordinary budgets.
This is not only about numbers; it’s about a shift in a culture. Greece has long been celebrated as a destination where the sea, the islands, and the religious and cultural rhythms of summer shaped a national mood. The Dormition of the Virgin Mary festival in August is a time when many families would traditionally gather for a long-planned break. Today, those traditions collide with the reality of rising living costs. For many Greeks, the August holiday has become a symbol of the broader squeeze on household finances, where the joy of travel competes with the need to save for energy bills, groceries, and medical costs.
The economics behind the predicament are multifaceted. Tourism is a cornerstone of the Greek economy, contributing a sizable chunk of national revenue and supporting tens of thousands of jobs. Pre-pandemic trends showed Greece widely celebrated for its hospitality and competitive prices compared with many Western destinations. But recent years have brought inflation pressure, stagnant wages, and a housing market that makes summer stays more expensive. In 2024, the country welcomed tens of millions of travelers, underscoring the sector’s vitality. Yet domestic affordability struggles persist, and many Greek households report that the cost of living is eroding the ability to participate in their own country’s holiday culture. The tension is most visible in the accommodation sector, where price spikes and limited supply during peak season push families toward more affordable options—yet even these “budget” choices can be out of reach for some.
Experts who study tourism and labor markets see this gap as a warning sign about how economic growth translates into everyday well-being. A leading financial adviser of a consumer union notes that disposable incomes have not kept pace with the price of basic travel expenses. The result is a fraying of the social contract around leisure: the public story of a country that welcomes visitors with open arms while many of its own citizens struggle to take a break on a yearly basis. It is a reminder that growth in one sector does not automatically translate into broader prosperity for the residents who live with the consequences of that growth.
The Greek experience carries stark lessons for other economies with high tourism dependence, including Thailand. Thailand has long celebrated tourism as a major driver of development, job creation, and regional growth. In many coastal provinces, tourism funnels money into local businesses, fuels hotels and transport networks, and helps fund public services. Yet the Thai context also echoes themes seen in Greece: rising prices in tourism-related sectors, wage stagnation in other parts of the economy, and a widening gap between what visitors are willing to pay and what locals can afford for everyday needs. The tension between promoting a vibrant tourism industry and preserving affordability for domestic residents is not unique to Europe; it is a matter of balancing economic priorities with social equity.
Thai observers will recognize patterns here. In recent years, Thai coastal towns have seen a surge of budget travelers and international visitors. This influx has boosted local livelihoods—restaurants, boats, tour operators, and souvenir shops. At the same time, it has raised living costs in some communities, contributed to housing pressure near popular beaches, and forced local residents to reassess traditional holiday habits. There are parallels in wage dynamics, inflation rates, and price signals in transportation and hospitality. Thailand’s policy makers face similar questions: how to sustain an broadly inclusive tourism economy while ensuring that families, not just visitors, can enjoy the benefits of proximity to the sea, cultural heritage, and the social rituals that come with leisure time.
From a Thai cultural perspective, the Greek case resonates with long-standing values around family, community, and respect for elders and tradition. Buddhamic-inspired notions of balance and detachment from excessive materialism can offer a framework for public discourse. In Bangkok and provincial cities, families often navigate a crowded calendar of temple fairs, school activities, and family duties. The challenge is not only to grow the economy but to ensure that a Sunday family trip, a weekend market outing, or a month-long holiday remains accessible to parents, grandparents, and children alike. The risk of a two-tier holiday culture—where some can export themselves to foreign markets while others cannot import the same leisure into their own lives—feels inconsistent with the broader social aim of shared prosperity.
What does this mean for policy and practice in Thailand? First, it highlights the importance of targeted support for domestic tourism among middle- and lower-income households. Policies could focus on affordable transport, subsidized hotel stays in less congested regions, and price controls or caps on essential services during peak seasons. Second, it underscores the need for transparent pricing and consumer protections in the hospitality and transport sectors. When price signals drive away local families, a tourism-led recovery can stall at the margins of social inequality. Third, it points to a broader approach to wage growth and social safety nets. If living costs rise but wages do not keep pace, the domestic economy loses a vital source of demand: households that can participate in the local tourism economy.
Thai researchers and policymakers may also consider how to translate Greece’s lessons into a cultural and policy framework that fits Thai realities. In many coastal provinces, family-owned guesthouses, local floating markets, and community-based tourism projects offer an alternative model—one that emphasizes affordability and community benefit alongside visitor experience. The Thai approach could blend public investment with private sector incentives to expand access to holidays for families who have traditionally managed with limited time off and modest budgets. In temples, schools, and local markets, communities have long organized collective activities around seasonal celebrations. Expanding such community-centric tourism could help maintain cultural vitality while distributing benefits more evenly.
The broader takeaway is nuanced. Tourism can be a powerful engine of growth, but it must not price out the very people who keep the economy resilient through low debt, steady consumption, and social cohesion. The Greek example shows that a country can attract visitors from around the world while its own citizens feel the pinch of rising costs and stalling wages. The Thai public and policymakers can study these dynamics and pursue a balanced path: growth that includes everyone, not just international guests.
There is no single remedy. The path forward involves a mix of macroeconomic discipline, targeted social support, and pragmatic tourism management. It requires meaningful dialogue among government agencies, unions, business associations, and civil society to safeguard access to holidays for ordinary families while continuing to welcome travelers from abroad. Thai families may find reassurance in a sense of national solidarity—honoring the value of leisure as part of a healthy, balanced life, while recognizing that tourism is a shared national asset that also carries responsibilities to local communities.
For Thai households, the practical takeaway is clear. When planning holidays, consider diversification: explore inland destinations away from crowded beaches, leverage off-peak travel windows, and engage in community-run experiences that support local livelihoods without exorbitant markups. For policymakers, the lesson is to couple growth with affordability: invest in transport links to secondary destinations, regulate seasonal pricing where appropriate, and strengthen wage growth alongside cost-of-living supports. For society at large, the message is to preserve the social fabric that makes travel meaningful in the first place—the chance to reconnect with family, honor community traditions, and enjoy the blessings of a country’s natural and cultural beauty without sacrificing long-term well-being.
The Guardian’s reporting on Greece’s August holiday affordability offers a mirror for Thailand: a reminder that prosperity should be shared. If Thai communities can translate this insight into concrete reforms, the country can sustain a vibrant tourism sector that broadens opportunity—where both visitors and locals have reason to celebrate the country’s rich beaches, temples, and landscapes. It is a challenge that requires leadership, empathy, and a commitment to keeping holidays within reach for the very people who sustain the heart of the economy—the Thai families who keep visiting, working, and dreaming together.