Meet the locals trying to stop overtourism in Europe

This year was marked by a string of anti-tourism protests across Europe.

Locals and residents fought back to regain their cities with marches, campaigns, slogans and even water pistols.

From Amsterdam and Athens to Venice, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, and Málaga to the Balearic Islands, residents rose up and spoke out about overtourism.

But when it comes to handling increasing visitor numbers as we enter 2025, are authorities and protestors on the same page? Here’s what both groups say – and are planning.

Authorities responded with different overtourism measures

In Barcelona, the city council vowed to get rid of all Airbnb-style accommodation by 2028, and in December 2024, they took the first step when the Urban Planning Commission initially approved an amendment for stricter limits that can now be placed on short-term rentals.

Venice, meanwhile, limited tour groups and banned megaphones back in August. Málaga barred new holiday flats in 43 city neighbourhoods, and the Canary Islands decreed that 90 per cent of residential areas must be allocated to permanent residences within the next five years.

Amsterdam, on the other hand, launched a ‘Stay Away’ campaign, as well as an interactive quiz to test visitors on behavioural etiquette.

But this is more than simply about crowds and noise.

In Spain, where most of the demonstrations have taken place, most of the anti-tourism protests have been about accommodation. Many believe that the current housing crisis is in part due to the increase in tourist accommodation over the last few years.

Are the protests and the new measures working, or do these cities still have a long fight ahead of them?

“We need tourism to decrease”, says Barcelona protestor

The country welcomed 82.8 million international travellers in the first ten months of 2024, beating all previous records, according to the latest statistics from the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Tourism.

And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down: tourism is expected to grow by 25 per cent in the winter of 2024/25 compared with last year, the Spanish Tourism Board recently revealed.

A spokesperson for the Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic (Assembly of Neighbourhoods for the Decline of Tourism or ABDT) in Barcelona, who organised some of the protests there, shares their thoughts ahead of the New Year.

“We want to work in ever-larger networks, as well as undertake our usual tasks of mobilisation, political advocacy and pedagogy regarding the nature of the tourism industry,” they say. “We need tourism to decrease”.

They believe that the city authorities are not seeking to reduce the problems but the mobilisation against tourism – while promoting tourism growth at the same time. They believe overtourism is contributing to climatic, social, and environmental issues, as well as the housing emergency.

The authorities, they add, “should abandon any policy of tourism promotion and mega-events and urgently embark on the path of tourist decline and eco-social transition”.

Although the ABDT don’t have any concrete plans for more protests, they are resolute that more changes need to happen.

The spokesperson argues that the city council’s intention to ban all tourist apartments in Barcelona appears uncertain. “At the moment, there is no plan, just a public announcement. Even if it were to become reality, it would be too late and insufficient”.

They maintain that all types of tourist accommodation should be decreased, including hotels, which are “also responsible for the reduction of the housing stock”.

The Canary Islands will hold more anti-tourist protests

Nestor Marrero Rodríguez, secretary of ATAN (the Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature), who helped to organise Tenerife’s overtourism protests in October, also believes that the authorities are not doing enough to help the situation.

“In fact, it’s the opposite,” Rodríguez says. “New projects are still being planned which contribute to the current situation of degradation of the territory and perpetuate the poverty of Canarian society.

But he does concede that a manifesto has been created with a series of measures, such as the creation of a tourist eco-tax, limitation of new constructions in favour of the renovation of existing hotels, and improvement of the purification systems.

“In 2025, there will be several demonstrations in tourist areas, among other protests that are being planned by different groups,” Rodríguez confirms, although he does not reveal any specific dates.

Rodriguez has a message for anyone thinking of taking a holiday in the Canary Islands next year.

“As long as the situation remains the same, you should choose other more sustainable destinations, with less polluted seas and where their money does not contribute to the impoverishment of the local population and the overexploitation of their resources,” he says.

He also adds that there are several local companies where tourists can vacation in a more sustainable way.

Should visitors still ‘stay away’ from Amsterdam?

In Amsterdam, city councillor Sofyan Mbarki speaks to Euronews Travel about how they plan to tackle issues of overtourism for the coming year.

Mbarki explains that over the past years, more than 75 measures have been implemented to combat the negative effects of overtourism – from rules to regulate the capacity of B&Bs and vacation rentals to relocating and reducing sea and river cruises and banning coaches in the city centre.

“We see that previous measures have had an effect. However, we also know that more is needed to address the nuisance caused by tourism and cope with the increasing number of visitors in the future,” he explains.

Mbarki confirms that one of the ways they’ll do this in 2025 is by continuing to ban the addition of beds in hotels in the city, as well as the ban on the creation of new hotels.

“We are also bringing forward closing times for more cafes and restaurants and working on spreading out coffee shops across the city,” he adds.

“These measures have had a positive impact on livability,” but more is needed, he assures, confirming that additional measures to regulate the growing number of visitors and further reduce disturbances would be taken in 2025.

“Visitors remain welcome,” Mbarki says. “But not if they misbehave or cause disturbances”.

“If you plan to visit Amsterdam, be mindful of the rules. We are taking measures to ensure neighbourhoods popular with tourists remain liveable for residents and overcrowding is reduced”.

He also reminds tourists that they can help by exploring areas outside the city centre, as well as “incredible places throughout Amsterdam and the surrounding region”.