Anti-tourism protests are continuing across southern Europe, with countries including Spain, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands and Portugal protesting what they call the damaging effects of overtourism in the regions.
The movement, which started mid-2024, is protesting the negative effects of tourism such as the displacing of local residents, the driving up of housing costs, and the straining of cities’ infrastructures. The riots across several major European cities including Barcelona, Venice and Lisbon are united under the banner ‘Southern Europe against overtourism’. In the most recent riots on Sunday, water guns were fired at tourists and coloured smoke bombs were set off near hotels.
In a statement released this morning, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said, “Travel and tourism brings significant economic benefits, not just for the large travel corporations, but for local businesses and small companies that supply them. The sector creates employment and revenue from international and domestic visitors.
“It should not be blamed for wider issues like housing shortages, which often have complex, deep-rooted causes beyond the sector’s influence.
“Travel and tourism generates substantial tax revenues. Governments must engage with communities to ensure these funds are reinvested to meet local needs like improved infrastructure.
“WTTC supports responsible travel and tourism that benefits people and works with governments to help achieve it.”
However, many travel communities believe that the pros of tourism need to be more carefully weighed against the cons. Some organisations such as Intrepid and Adventure.com believe that while “the answer isn’t less tourism globally. It’s better, more equitable and more evenly distributed tourism”, they both shared recently in an Instagram post.
In a recent opinion piece by Intrepid Travel CEO James Thornton, he discusses the need for the industry to do better.
“I’m not over tourism,” Thornton said, “but I am over tourism that ignores how many visitors a destination can comfortably welcome. I am over extractive models of tourism that benefit a few shareholders while inconveniencing, ignoring or even impoverishing others.
“As an industry, we also have a responsibility to do better. We need to work with local communities to develop tourism in a way that serves their needs and aspirations. We need to promote lesser-known destinations, pay fair wages, support locally owned businesses and be mindful of our footprint.”
What this agent is telling clients
Holly Velardo from Hollyday travel said she had been dealing with clients on the issue regularly of late.
“I completely agree that the solution isn’t reducing tourism globally – it’s about better, more thoughtful distribution,” she said. “For our clients who are well-travelled we’re seeing this shift happen organically with our Spain bookings.
“We still have strong demand for Spain, but our clients are approaching it very differently. Rather than the traditional city hopping itinerary, they’re choosing smaller towns and genuinely immersing themselves in the culture. They’re staying longer in each place – sometimes a full week in a single village – and taking time to connect with local communities.
“Many are hiring cars to explore at their own pace or using local transport to travel like locals do. The feedback has been brilliant. They’re experiencing the genuine warmth and hospitality Spain is known for, but in settings where locals have time for proper conversations and authentic interactions and actually appreciate the tourists.
“The food experiences have been incredible – clients are discovering family run restaurants, local markets with regional specialities, and home-cooked meals at small guesthouses that you simply don’t find in tourist areas. We’ve just had clients return from an amazing time where they hired bikes and rode around Formentera Island, then hired a car and drove the coast visiting towns and coves such as Calpe, Cala Moraig Benitatxell, Altea and Matarana. They said the combination of stunning scenery and genuine local interactions made it unforgettable.
“Most still want a day or two in Madrid or Barcelona upon arrival, but then they’re venturing to lesser-known coastal villages or inland regions – places where tourism enhances rather than overwhelms local life. Whether it’s quiet fishing villages or traditional wine towns, they’re finding a Spain that feels genuine and unhurried.
“This approach benefits everyone. Travellers get that authentic Spanish experience, and smaller communities receive economic benefits without the strain of overtourism. The recent protests have certainly made people more conscious about their travel choices, which I think is ultimately positive.”
Authorities have begun taking action in response to the protests by banning or restricting short-term rentals and removing illegal Air BnB listings. In Barcelona, Mayor Jaume Collboni announced plans to eliminate all tourist-orientated short-term rentals by 2028. The city aims to reclaim over 10,000 rental properties and provide them to residents struggling to find affordable housing. The Italian hotspot Venice also began charging tourists entrance fees last spring in an effort to combat overtourism. Pompeii, meanwhile, began limiting the number of tourists who could visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site in November 2024, capping the limit at 20,000 people per day.
Read Intrepid CEO James Thornton’s timely opinion piece on overtourism here:
OPINION: We are not “over” tourism, says Intrepid Travel CEO James Thornton
