Here is What You Must Know About Overtourism in Europe

Not too long ago, protests and walkouts have outlined a few of Europe’s hottest cities.

Staff on the Louvre Museum in Paris walked off the job, inflicting it to shut. Protestors gathered en masse in Barcelona, cheering and holding indicators that stated issues like “mass tourism kills town,” and wielding water weapons—the photographs have turn out to be synonymous with the motion towards overtourism. In Lisbon, individuals staged an “eviction” from a church as a strategy to spotlight the dramatically elevated value of residing brought on by the short-term rental market that springs up in common vacationer locations. 

For vacationers who’ve been planning, saving, and eagerly awaiting their European summer time holidays, the demonstrations really feel like the alternative of a heat welcome, they usually could make a trip seem to be an moral dilemma. This framework, native versus vacationer, is nothing new, although. It is why some individuals attempt to attract the excellence between being a “vacationer” and a “traveler.” Attending to the underside of those protests, and the emotions behind them is significant—for vacationers, locals, and the cities on the middle of the dialog. 

Here is what it is advisable to learn about overtourism.

What’s overtourism?

“Overtourism is nearly like an excessive amount of of a great factor,” stated Katy Nastro, a journey professional at Going, to Journey + Leisure. “We are likely to neglect as vacationers that these unimaginable locations we love to go to have locals who stay their day-to-day lives there. Communities have been cemented right here lengthy earlier than these locations gained reputation.” 

As soon as a location turns into a “can’t miss” vacation spot, it may be exhausting to arrange for simply what meaning. “Within the case of those well-known cities and websites, they sadly weren’t arrange centuries in the past to deal with the kind of visitors 12 months after 12 months,” Nastro stated. 

The detrimental results of a metropolis changing into common to go to usually are not as apparent as it’s in pure environments, the place you possibly can see traces of trash or decimated wildlife. Whereas seashores and forests could be clearly affected by an absence of correct conservation, it may be tougher to identify the stress that too many guests could cause in cities. Helene Møgelhøj, a sustainable journey and regenerative tourism professional says that whereas locals will really feel the impacts first, they are going to have an effect on everybody—together with vacationers. 

“In massive cities, the results of over tourism usually are not essentially instantly apparent to the customer, other than maybe congestion and overcrowding,” Møgelhøj stated. “Nonetheless, for native individuals, a big enhance in customer numbers can result in a scarcity of reasonably priced housing and normal worth will increase at, for instance, native eating places.”

Along with elevated prices and a decreased potential for locals to take pleasure in their very own cities, overtourism places an added burden on public infrastructure, which is often funded by taxes. So, locals find yourself footing the invoice for upkeep of a spot they aren’t capable of take pleasure in absolutely as a result of it’s too costly and too crowded to take action.

Nonetheless, locals typically get messaging that tourism is sweet for the native economic system, so they need to be grateful, in a approach. That’s not inherently true—oftentimes, multinational companies are the first beneficiary of tourism spending, explains Møgelhøj.

“In as we speak’s international economic system, many tourism and hospitality companies are owned and run by multinationals,” she stated. “The overwhelming majority of individuals don’t profit immediately from a rise in customer numbers. Nonetheless, they could profit from tourism not directly by means of the so-called ‘multiplier’ impact, which implies elevated spending within the native economic system general on account of tourism.”

None of because of this tourism is inherently unhealthy. Asier Basurto, a member of the “tourism degrowth” group that helped manage a number of the protests in San Sebastián, Spain, advised The Guardian in a June 2025 article that vacationers aren’t the enemy. 

“Individuals who go on trip to 1 place or one other usually are not our enemies, nor are they the goal of our actions,” Basurto stated within the article. “Let me be clear: our enemies are those that speculate on housing, who exploit staff, and people who are profiting handsomely from the touristification of our cities.”

Vacationers aren’t the unhealthy guys.

Møgelhøj believes that tourism can even have a strong, constructive impression on native communities. “I’m a fantastic believer in tourism as a drive for good,” she stated.

However she additionally thinks that accountable tourism can not relaxation solely on the person shoulders of holiday makers.  

“It’s essential to have an efficient vacation spot administration group in place that represents the pursuits of native individuals in addition to giant multinational stakeholders,” Møgelhøj says. “The native authorities ought to be a part of this, in addition to the nationwide authorities, which has an essential function by way of making a constructive and helpful tourism coverage and strategic framework.”

There are examples of efforts like this, even in Spain, the place a number of the largest anti-overtourism protests have taken place.

“At the moment in our most visited cities and resorts, we’d like measures in place in order that we will keep the steadiness between a thriving tourism trade and the wellbeing of residents, making certain that tourism stays a constructive drive for good for all,” Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Vacationer Workplace in London, advised T+L in a press release. “Proposed laws reminiscent of Barcelona’s clampdown on privately let vacationer residences and … changes to vacationer taxes outdoors of the winter months, replicate Spain’s ongoing efforts to construct a accountable and sustainable tourism mannequin.”

Nastro agrees and says that tourism must be a “a advantageous steadiness of supporting the native economic system, [and] conserving locals capable of function of their native economic system.” 

Here is what vacationers ought to learn about overtourism.

Making extra intentional decisions as a traveler not solely advantages locals—it additionally means you’re much less prone to spend your journey in sweaty crowds and lengthy strains. Listed here are Møgelhøj’ and Nastro’s ideas for thoughtfully vacationing in ways in which will not contribute to (or be ruined by) overtourism. 

Keep away from protests and demonstrations. 

“Avoid any protests and demonstrations in order to not worsen the scenario,” Møgelhøj stated. 

Take detours and go to much less common sights. 

“Typically, stroll or cycle round and take the chance to discover the lesser-known areas of any vacation spot that you just go to,” Møgelhøj stated. “Essentially the most memorable experiences are typically least deliberate and sudden.”

Act responsibly.

This one is fairly self-explanatory, however being courteous and respectful of native tradition and customs can go a great distance in bettering the expertise of each vacationers and locals. 

Keep knowledgeable. 

The easiest way to not be shocked by protests is to maintain up with the information within the locations you’re touring to.

“In the beginning, remember if town you might be touring to has deliberate or has had protests just lately,” Nastro stated. “… Comply with native information organizations to remain probably the most up-to-date on when and the place they could happen. [That’s] going to offer you extra correct and well timed data than U.S.-based shops.”

Know who to contact in the event you run into hassle. 

It is all the time a good suggestion to have some emergency contacts readily available in case issues go fallacious in your journey—and it is by no means a foul thought to know the place the native U.S. embassy is.

Keep away from touring within the excessive season. 

Each Nastro and Møgelhøj advise planning journeys within the “off season” of your vacation spot. “Touring within the shoulder season, and even higher, within the low season, could be a good way to minimize the probability of encountering lengthy strains at a number of the world’s most iconic websites,” Nastro stated. 

Plan journeys to common sights well.

When you’re planning on visiting a preferred attraction, attempt visiting throughout much less busy instances. Or, if you wish to go to a preferred vacationer vacation spot, Nastro recommends staying in a close-by city and making a day journey to town to see the sights.

Purchase native.

Maybe one of many direct and most impactful methods which you could be a “good” traveler is being intentional about the place you spend your cash. Nastro recommends staying in domestically owned and operated motels, shopping for from small distributors and artisans, and venturing outdoors of busy metropolis facilities to extra rural, off-the-beaten-path locations.