Overtourism Protests Could Affect More Of Europe Besides Spain

From Barcelona to Mallorca residents are protesting overtourism, fed up with no housing and crazy crowds. However, it seems the trend is likely to spread to other popular destinations in Europe.

Overtourism protests spreading through Europe

According to Peter DeBrine, UNESCO’s Senior Project Officer for Sustainable Tourism, the protests are likely to spread as the imbalance is suffered by residents of popular locations.

Speaking to the Guardian, DeBrine said:

What we’re seeing is that we’re breaching a threshold of tolerance in these destinations. It’s really trying to rebalance the situation. It’s totally out of balance now.

So far, the protests have been widespread, with hundreds of thousands of residents protesting a housing crisis caused by too many short-term rentals. However, they are also protesting the many selfie-obsessed tourists and the increasing effect of the unsustainability of too many tourists.

Back in July, overtourism protests were held across Spain, with thousands protesting in Barcelona with signs that encouraged tourists to leave, with some protesters even squirting tourists with water.

Referring to the volatile real estate market for locals in Mallorca, 50,000 residents protested in Palma de Mallorca with signs reading, “Tourists, we love you when you don’t buy our land.” Moreover, Granada and the Canary Islands have seen residents out in protest.

Meanwhile, Venice introduced a tourism fee for day-trippers which has brought in millions to the city. What was set to reduce the number of day-trippers ended up being a cash cow for the popular Italian city. Moreover, on a different note, Amsterdam started protesting against drunken young British tourists by creating videos to tell them to behave or go home.

Overtourism leads to housing crisis

DeBrine pointed to many factors to explain why Spain, one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, is feeling backlash against the tourism industry. He said that chief among the reasons is the housing crisis which he described as the “straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

Tourism has led to concerns over the affordability of housing as more short-term accommodations squeeze residents out of the market. DeBrine added:

I think that added a lot of anxiety and frustration for people who are living in these destinations.

The Guardian reports that residents in places like Ibiza find themselves with no choice but to live in caravans, tents and vans. Meanwhile, in Malaga on the Costa del Sol a “sticker rebellion” saw locals placing stickers through the city, reading, “Go home,” and “A family used to live here.”

Why are protests coming to a head this summer?

But why are the protests coming to a head this year and how many European residents will push back on the tourism crowds?

Partly this is due to the major, post-pandemic international travel boom. This has seen more Americans choosing to travel internationally this year than in previous years. Moreover, this has created a record-high US-Europe tourism trade gap. More Americans are spending time in Europe than Europeans heading to the US. Meanwhile, many popular destinations across the world are attracting record visitor numbers.

According to DeBrine, the solution is for officials and lawmakers to turn the focus from promoting tourism to making those destinations better places to live.

“It’s a bit of a cliché, but I always say better places to live are better places to visit,” said DeBrine.

There is also the question relating to tourists themselves – do they find the destinations too crowded, especially in the heat of summer? Is there a way to balance things out? One suggestion would be for travelers with no school-going children to travel outside of the summer months, choosing spring or the fall instead.