Beach on a budget: Greeks settle for day trips, priced out of iconic destinations

PORTO RAFTI, Greece (AP) — Bus coupon in hand, Diamantoula Vassiliou headed for the sea, determined to make the most of her brief beach excursion.

The Athens resident was among thousands who took a four-hour tour this month to Avlaki Beach, one hour north of Greece's capital, many hauling plastic coolers and homemade lunches — the accoutrements of summer holidays in leaner times.

“We come here because there’s no money,” said Vassiliou, for whom day trips have replaced weeklong vacations for four years.

Greece’s tourism industry is booming and the crystalline waters along its vast, rugged coast have transformed the nation into a source of envy-inducing Instagram posts. Foreign arrivals this year are expected to be up to four times the country’s population of 10 million, according to industry estimates, matching 2024 data. But many Greeks are watching from the sidelines — the result of both surging prices and slow wage growth.

According to European Union data, almost half of Greeks were unable to afford a one-week holiday last year, the second-highest rate in the bloc after Romania. This compares with about one in three for Italy and one in five for France and represents only a modest improvement from 2019, the year after Greece’s crippling financial crisis ended.

Luxury resorts have crowded out the budget guesthouses and campsites that once made pricey destinations like Santorini, Mykonos and Paros accessible to Greek families.

Tourism is the bedrock of Greece’s economy, directly supplying around 12% of the country’s output. But as businesses increasingly cater to foreign visitors, many no longer close during the summer, preventing local workers from taking a break.

Among them is Iosif Solanakis, who on a windless August afternoon waited at the foot of Athens' Acropolis for customers to take a tour on his electric buggy.

“The money I make in the summer has to keep me going in the months when there isn’t much work," he said, laughing. “I only get to sample the sea whenever I can grab a few hours off.”

Concern about “holiday poverty,” a term coined by labor unions, is spreading across Europe as rising costs sour summer plans.

Beachgoers in Italy have taken to social media to complain about soaring prices for a standard umbrella and two lounge chairs, the centerpiece of an Italian seaside holiday. A spot with a sun lounger at popular beaches along the Italian Riviera can run up to 80 euros ($93) a day, while luxury spots charge several hundred.

In Greece, many are packing their own umbrellas, carrying plastic containers of homemade food — in scenes reminiscent of the 1980s — and relying on buses instead of ferries or flights.

A six-day island trip for a family of four costs some 3,500 euros ($4,070) in a country where the average monthly income barely tops 1,000 euros ($1,160), according to Giorgos Lehouritis, head of Greece’s Consumer Protection Institute. Rising rent and utility costs consume almost all of that.

“You have to live on the rest — and that’s poverty," Lehouritis said.

Nikos Margaritis, a retiree, said on his way to Avlaki that holiday accommodation is out of reach on his tight budget.

People enjoy the sea in Avlaki beach about 42 kilometers (26 miles) east of Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

People enjoy the sea in Avlaki beach about 42 kilometers (26 miles) east of Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A family enjoys sunset in southern Athens, Greece, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A man borrows a book from a lending library at Avlaki beach about 42 kilometers (26 miles) east of Athens, Greece, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A woman applies sunscreen to a man at Avlaki beach about 42 kilometers (26 miles) east of Athens, Greece, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

People arrive by bus at Avlaki beach about 42 kilometers (26 miles) east of Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

People arrive by bus at Avlaki beach about 42 kilometers (26 miles) east of Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

People gather at Kavouri beach as the sun sets in southern Athens, Greece, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

KOHALA, Hawai‘i--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--

Kuleana Rum Works, the Hawai‘i-based distillery known for its additive-free, award-winning rums, today announced the release of “An Open Letter on Additive-Free Rum,” written by Founder & CEO Steve Jefferson, addressing why rum is now facing the same scrutiny and market shift that reshaped tequila a decade ago.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107792953/en/

Consumers across spirits are demanding more honesty about how products are made. Additive-free labeling has already transformed tequila and is reshaping whiskey and RTDs. Drinkers now expect producers to protect natural flavor instead of masking it, and bartenders increasingly use transparency as a measure of quality. The letter positions rum as the next category entering this accountability cycle, as more consumers begin to question undisclosed sweeteners, flavorings and added color.

Tequila provides the clearest precedent. Producers who embraced additive-free methods helped premiumize the category, while brands relying on undisclosed additives now face growing skepticism. According to the letter, rum is approaching the same turning point. Jefferson explains that Kuleana Rum Works was founded on additive-free principles: growing heirloom Hawaiian kō (sugarcane), fermenting and distilling fresh juice at lower proof to preserve natural character, adding nothing after distillation and holding all blending partners to the same standards. Every rum — whether distilled in Hawai‘i or sourced — is verified additive-free through independent lab testing and supplier documentation.

“Consumer expectations are changing fast across spirits,” said Steve Jefferson, Founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works. “People want honesty in what they drink, and they’re rewarding producers who protect natural flavor rather than covering it up. Additive-free isn’t a trend — it’s becoming the standard, and rum is now facing that shift head-on.”

Additional detail in the letter underscores how production choices such as fresh juice fermentation, low-proof distillation and a strict no-additives policy create transparency and flavor integrity that align with what the market is valuing.

About Kuleana Rum Works

Founded on the island of Hawai‘i in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works crafts award-winning, additive-free rums — led by its signature Hawaiian Rum Agricole® — from fresh kō (heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane) grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Now available in 17 states and Japan, Kuleana Rum Works champions excellence, transparency and community stewardship. Visit kuleanarum.com to learn more.

https://kuleanarum.com/additive-free/