Mass tourism sparks rise in locals' resentment
July 25, 2024
Protesters recently sprayed unsuspecting tourists with water guns in Barcelona during anti-tourism demonstrations in Spain. However, it wasn't the only Spanish destination to boycott mass tourism. Recently, protests have taken place on the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and in Andalusia, each attracting thousands of demonstrators.
In 2023, Spain saw more than 85 million tourists, making the country the world's second-most popular tourist destination after France. However, Spain isn't alone in its resentment toward mass tourism — tourist hot spots in Europe, including Italy and Greece, are also considering ways to limit the number of visitors.
Barcelona: End of holiday rentals
The prevalence of apartments and properties being turned into short-term vacation rentals in Catalonia has had an especially drastic impact on the local housing market. Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni recently announced plans to get rid of all short-term vacation housing within five years.
The city's administration is hoping that more than 10,000 apartments which have been legally rented out to holidaymakers will be put back on the long-term rental market.
During the most recent anti-tourism protests in Barcelona, protesters criticized the increase in rental prices in recent years, which have made life significantly more expensive for many residents. Collboni said during a press conference that rents had risen more than 70% in Barcelona over the last decade.
Last year, Catalonia topped the Spanish tourism statistics with 18 million visitors.
Mallorca: Limits for property buyers?
The Spanish island of Mallorca has also seen a number of protests against mass tourism in recent months. As in Catalonia, a lack of affordable year-round housing is a major source of discontent.
The island's lawmakers are debating limiting property sales to Mallorca residents, although it's not yet clear how this could be reconciled with EU law. However, controls on the holiday rental sector have also been tightened.
The island's capital Palma, for example, created an action plan to hunt down and fine illegal tourist accommodations. Last year, almost 12.5 million tourists came to the island, setting a new record. However, the city has already imposed limits on the number of cruise liners that can dock at Palma's port.
Canary Islands: Low salaries
The Canary Islands have also seen a record numbers of vacationers — approximately 14 million tourists. However, discontent on the Atlantic archipelago is growing.
In April, thousands of people took part in a demonstration that kicked off the protests against mass tourism around Spain. Among other demands, demonstrators called for a more fair distribution of the revenue generated by the tourism industry.
Average salaries in the Canary Islands remain particularly low, despite the growing number of tourists. Nevertheless, in contrast to the vast majority of mass tourism destinations, there is still no tourist tax on the Canary Islands.
However, a new "eco tax" for tourists will be introduced on the island starting in January 2025, according to the council of Tenerife.
Paris: Tourists will have to pay a lot more
Anyone visiting the French capital must be prepared to pay the city's tourist tax that is charged per person on overnight stays in Paris and the municipalities and communities of municipalities in the Ile-de-France region. The money generated from the tax is used for investments intended to benefit those living in the affected areas.
However, in light of the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games, France has announced a 200% increase on the preexisting tourist tax. Depending on the hotel category, visitors must pay up to €14.95 (about $16) per day for the most expensive accommodations.
France had previously limited short-term rentals to 120 days per year after registration. However, hosts on platforms such as Airbnb are expected to cash in as more than a million visitors are set to visit the city during the Games.
In 2019, the company signed a nine-year partnership with the International Olympic Committee that runs through the 2028 Summer Games, in hopes of gaining new hosts in Paris and in future host cities.
Amsterdam: No more new hotels
Amsterdam plays a leading role when it comes to limiting mass tourism. In contrast to other destinations, authorities in the Dutch capital have already set the city's maximum tourist capacity at 20 million overnight stays per year.
The move was triggered by Amsterdam's "tourism in balance" policy, which was created in 2021 after 30,000 residents called for tighter control of the tourism industry.
New hotels can only be built if another one shuts down, and the city is urging developers to choose sites outside of the city center. Ιn the future, the number of cruise ships coming into the port will also be limited.
Greece: Cruise ship limits?
Greece could be poised to introduce similar cruise ship limits, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis telling Bloomberg that both Santorini and Mykonos are "clearly suffering" from overtourism. He added that a decision to cap cruise visits can come as early as next year.
According to Greece's Federal Statistical Office, the southern Aegean has the EU's highest proportion of vacationers per inhabitant — more than 100 tourists stay overnight per local.
Earlier this year, Greek authorities also introduced the "climate crisis resilience fee" which adds an extra cost to overnight stays in tourist accommodations, including Airbnb rentals. The government said the fee, which can be up to €10 ($10.80) for the most expensive hotel category, will help tourism professionals in the event of a climate emergency such as a fire or earthquake.
Venice: Admissions tickets for day visitors
Starting this year, anyone not staying overnight in Venice's old town must pay admission on certain days of the year. Previously, the fee was €5 ($5.43), but the amount could double on certain days next year, according to media reports.
The aim of the measure is to curb the number of day trippers who only come for a few hours and spend little money in the city, but still contribute to issues of overtourism.
Venice attracts about 20 million tourists annually.
Edited by: Elisabeth Yorck