In southern Europe, Rome, Barcelona and Athens are facing a local revolt against over-tourism. Locals, unhappy with rising house prices, acute drought and congested streets, are protesting using water guns and stickers to send tourists home.
Tourists are urged to go home – Photo Turism Analitica GRUP
After a welcome break due to the pandemic, tourists are back and causing discontent in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece. Locals and activists protest overtourism, which drives up housing prices, accelerates gentrification (the process of replacing original residents with higher-income residents) and worsens the drought by consuming more water than residents, POLITICO writes.
Armed with water guns, locals tell tourists to go home.
Southern European governments are reluctant to implement sustainable measures to manage the impact of tourism, which is central to their economies, accounting for between 6 and 11.3% of GDP. After two years of stagnation due to the pandemic, tourism has returned strongly, contributing to the economic growth of Spain, Portugal and Greece, which saw GDP growth rates of more than 2% in 2023, compared to 0.5% in EU level.
Campaigns against over-tourism are back in force
“What we see in the media is what we started to see even before the pandemic. Even then, we saw a movement and protests against tourism in destinations, and we see it coming back,” said Sandra Carvão, director of market intelligence, policy and competitiveness at the United Nations tourism agency, according to the source cited.
At the end of July, around 20,000 anti-tourism activists gathered in Palma de Mallorca, demanding reform of the tourism model that they say is harming the Balearic Islands.
In 2023, the number of tourists to these islands has increased to 14.4 million, although the local population is only 1.2 million.
In Barcelona, activists sprayed foreign visitors with water guns in a smaller protest, a move criticized by Spain’s tourism minister. In Spain, stickers and graffiti have appeared denouncing tourists, known locally by the derogatory term “guiris”, for disobeying local laws and culture.
Similar anti-tourism protests took place this summer in cities across Spain, including Madrid, Malaga, Granada and Alicante. Outside of Spain, tourist areas such as Portugal, Italy and Greece have faced protests of varying degrees.
Cities are testing various measures to combat overtourism
European cities are implementing various measures to control excessive tourism: from fines, taxes to bans, with mixed results.
Among the rules introduced are selfie bans in Portofino, access restrictions on steps in Rome, a ban on large cruise ships in Dubrovnik and Santorini, and a ban on wearing flip-flops in Cinque Terre.
In Venice, the €5 entrance fee has sparked protests, with locals considering the city has turned into a theme park. In Barcelona, the mayor announced a ban on short-term rentals until 2028 to combat the housing crisis, and similar measures have been adopted in the Canary Islands, Berlin and Lisbon.
According to Carvão, an effective strategy in tourism must find a balance between economic, social and environmental impact. It must also take into account tourism demand and the destination’s ability to handle it, including the size of the city, infrastructure and available resources. Carvão cited Amsterdam as an example of success in tourism management.
The city, known as Europe’s party hub, has banned weed smoking in its red light district and launched a “stay-away” campaign to discourage young Brits who come just for fun. Recently, Amsterdam also introduced a ban on the construction of new hotels.
In contrast to destinations that impose strict rules on tourists, some cities take a more open approach. For example, Copenhagen incentivizes green behaviors through rewards. Tourists who use bikes, public transport or participate in the city clean-up can receive everything from a free coffee to free museum tickets.
“The strategy must consist of three aspects. You need traffic data, governance by actively listening to residents, and the third aspect is a combination of different policies”, stated Carvão.
The most popular tourist destinations are in Europe
Europe dominates the global ranking of tourist destinations, with France, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Germany and Austria in the top 10 most visited countries in the world. Only the United States, Japan and Thailand remain on the list.
Turkey saw the biggest increase in visitors compared to 2019, with a 73% jump in tourist numbers in 2023. France and Spain continue to be the most popular holiday destinations, each attracting more than 70 million visits, while Turkey ranks third, with over 45 million visits in the last 12 months.
