Vacationers Unwelcome: Overwhelmed Destinations Struggle to Cope with Mass Tourism
Managing Overtourism in Europe: A Balancing Act
European destinations are grappling with the challenges of overtourism, as they strive to preserve their cultural and natural heritage while catering to the growing demand for travel. From the picturesque Dolomites to the bustling streets of Barcelona, cities across the continent are implementing solutions focused on sustainability, diversification, technology integration, and regulatory measures.
In the heart of the Dolomites, the demand is not for profit, but a statement against litter, stressed livestock, trampled alpine pastures, and the impact of tourists. Four landowners have even demanded a five-euro fee for access to Seceda, a popular viewpoint. Meanwhile, Austria's Hallstatt welcomes over a million visitors annually, many from Asia, drawn by the town's picturesque backdrop.
Barcelona, on the other hand, has significantly increased the tourist tax, up to 15 euros per night, which generates substantial revenue but also creates political complications. The city aims to completely phase out holiday rentals by the end of 2028.
Scandinavia, including Copenhagen and Norway's west coast, is being overwhelmed by tourists due to the trend towards "Coolcation." Unmanaged beaches in Greece are disappearing due to beach bars and sun loungers taking over, despite Greek law stating that beaches are public and at least half must always be accessible to everyone. Authorities in Greece are now strictly enforcing the law and penalizing violations.
Cities like Turin and Benidorm have expanded beyond traditional summer tourism by promoting wellness, gastronomy, cultural heritage, eco-tourism, and active tourism to reduce congestion and seasonality impacts. Smart tourism technologies, such as AI and mobile apps, are being employed to improve accessibility and reduce environmental footprints.
Infrastructure modernization and urban regeneration projects are also helping to distribute tourist flows more evenly. Enhancing less crowded areas and developing cultural venues outside historic centers, as seen in Turin’s regeneration projects, is a key strategy.
Regulatory measures, such as limiting mass tourism in sensitive zones and enforcing stricter rules on short-term rentals, are being implemented to mitigate housing pressures and overload in city centers. Robust policy instruments, including zoning laws and environmental protections, are advocated to safeguard cultural and natural heritage from overtourism’s negative effects.
However, these solutions come with significant challenges. High tourist volumes in cities like Rome and Paris cause traffic congestion, housing shortages, and declining life quality for locals. Environmental degradation, particularly in Mediterranean islands and alpine regions, is another pressing concern. Seasonality, with concentrated visitor flows during peak seasons, leads to sharp infrastructure and service overloads, making balanced year-round tourism difficult.
Social conflicts, such as resident protests and negative perceptions of tourism impact, create political and social barriers to tourism development strategies. Balancing economic benefits with sustainability is a complex task that requires integrated policies and innovation.
Mykonos, once a popular destination for Greeks, has become so expensive that few can afford to holiday there. The problem of overcrowding, irritated residents, and fading daily life persists in Venice despite the entry fees. Spain is on track to break its tourism record in 2025, potentially exceeding 100 million foreign visitors. Housing shortages, environmental pollution, traffic chaos, noise pollution, rising prices, and destruction of nature are consequences of mass tourism in Spain.
Some locals in Spain are resorting to creative forms of protest, such as placing fake signs to deter tourists from beaches. In Greece, super-destination islands like Santorini and Mykonos now charge a 20-euro entrance fee for cruise ship tourists, although this is unlikely to significantly improve the situation.
Switzerland's Iseltwald on Lake Brienz charges five francs (about 5.40 euros) for entry to a wooden jetty, famous from a South Korean Netflix series. The influx of visitors in Iseltwald hasn't stopped, raising 244,000 francs last year for cleaning, maintenance, and staff.
In summary, European destinations combat overtourism by integrating smart technologies, diversifying tourism products, enforcing policy measures, and encouraging spatial-temporal visitor redistribution. However, they continue to face significant challenges in infrastructure capacity, environmental conservation, and maintaining residents’ welfare.
In their pursuit of sustainable tourism, cities like Turin and Barcelona are promoting various lifestyles by focusing on wellness, gastronomy, cultural heritage, eco-tourism, and active tourism, thus aiming to spread tourism beyond traditional seasons and reduce congestion. On the other hand, other destinations, such as Mykonos and Venice, grapple with high tourist volumes that negatively impact their residents' quality of life, leading to social conflicts and political barriers to tourism development strategies.
