Vacation destinations facing unwelcome overcrowding due to surge in tourist numbers
Managing Overtourism in Europe: A Comprehensive Approach
Europe, a continent known for its rich history, vibrant cultures, and stunning landscapes, is grappling with the challenges posed by overtourism. From the sun-drenched islands of Greece to the bustling streets of Spain, destinations are struggling to balance the needs of tourists with those of local residents.
In Greece, super-destinations like Santorini and Mykonos are overwhelmed by thousands of cruise tourists daily during peak season. To address this issue, authorities are cracking down on unmanaged beaches, enforcing violations that involve beach bars and sun loungers taking up public space. However, a 20 euro entrance fee for these popular destinations may not make a significant difference.
Spain, on track to set a new tourist record by 2025, is another country feeling the strain. Measures against mass tourism include significantly increasing the accommodation tax and phasing out holiday rentals in Barcelona, with plans to ban tourist rentals by 2028. Spain is also promoting sustainable and eco-tourism to reduce environmental impact and encouraging more even tourist distribution throughout the year.
Italy, home to overcrowded destinations like Rome, is implementing policies to diversify tourist routes, regulate short-term rentals, and develop eco-tourism. Infrastructure development outside historic centers aims to reduce pressure on key tourist spots, while measures to limit mass tourism in highly congested areas support alternative routes and accommodations.
Switzerland and Austria focus on eco-tourism, sustainable tourism development, and managing visitor flow, especially in nature-sensitive areas like the Alps. Infrastructure modernization to reduce environmental strain is a common approach.
Scandinavian countries, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, also emphasize sustainable tourism and distributing tourist visits more evenly throughout regions and seasons. Strategies include enhancing infrastructure and promoting less-crowded destinations to ease pressure on popular cities.
However, the trend towards "Coolcation" - vacationing in cooler regions instead of overheated southern Europe - is gaining momentum due to the climate crisis, which is unlikely to decrease tourist numbers in Scandinavia. Cities like Copenhagen and the fjords along Norway's west coast are being overwhelmed by tourists, with small towns visited by cruise ships often exceeding the local population.
In Mallorca, Germany's favorite holiday island, 13.5 million people visited in 2023, less than one million residents. This high volume of tourists has led to housing shortages, environmental pollution, traffic chaos, noise pollution, rising prices, and destruction of nature. In response, authorities are encouraging tourists to travel off-peak to reduce seasonal pressure.
The General European Context involves several overcrowded destinations implementing policies to regulate short-term rentals, develop eco-tourism, and diversify tourist routes. Authorities encourage tourists to travel off-peak to reduce seasonal pressure and invest in infrastructure to sustainably handle visitor volume. Smart policies involving regional balance in tourism development are emphasized to avoid overtourism backlash seen in some cities.
In the end, managing overtourism in these European regions combines regulatory measures, infrastructure upgrades, encouragement of sustainable tourism practices, temporal and spatial distribution of visitors, and active engagement with local communities to reduce social tension and environmental pressures.
- To mitigate overtourism in Europe, authorities in various countries are promoting a shift towards sustainable and eco-tourism, such as in Greece, Spain, Italy, and Scandinavian countries, to reduce environmental impact and encourage more even tourist distribution.
- In an effort to strike a balance between supporting local communities and catering to tourists, European destinations have implemented measures like enforcing regulations on short-term rentals, managing visitor flow, and developing alternative tourist routes, as seen in Greece, Spain, Italy, and Mallorca.
