Crowd of tourists on Barceloneta beach, Barcelona, Spain
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Fed up with housing shortages, traffic, noise, pollution and trash, many of Europe’s popular destinations are switching from “Come” tourism campaigns to “Don’t” anti-tourism strategies. Dissuading visitors is very strict.
Many of the most iconic destinations that were literally overrun with tourists have become uninhabitable for locals and overcrowded, unsafe and uncomfortable for tourists. The beauty, tranquility and simplicity of many of Europe’s most idyllic and popular destinations cannot withstand the millions of people who visit them each year.
Although it has not yet reached the level of a formal problem for European Union governments, discussions have begun about how to deal with the influx of tourists. The huge numbers of tourists, once the golden goose for these hotspots, are the very cause of the current backlash.
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“Overtourism is already so severe that popular destinations are now doing the unthinkable, actively trying to deter travelers or prevent them from entering the country,” the Guardian wrote. “The world’s most perfect places are now the backdrop for tourists’ selfies. Mass tourism is turning destinations into the opposite of what they once were.”
The legendary Damrak street in the center of Amsterdam on a typical summer day
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Across the continent, especially in popular cities and towns, locals say they can no longer take on the devastating effects of overtourism. For example, Venice was overwhelmed by the number of tourists and introduced an entrance fee of 10 euros from 3 euros for access to the city and its islands. To manage crowds, Greece introduced a time slot system for tourists. To the Acropolis.
Nor is the swarm no reward for the tourists themselves, who are stuck in long lines just to get to the sidewalk, buy a drink, enter a restaurant, or just to board a train, plane, or bus. Natural and man-made wonders, even churches, are being monetized.
“Tourists wait more than two hours to visit Athens’ Acropolis,” the Associated Press recently reported. “Taxis lines at Rome’s main train stations are just as long. And so many tourists are concentrated around Venice’s St. Mark’s Square that even on weekdays crowds back up to cross the bridge. So much so.”
The pristine forests, beaches, and quaint small towns are sometimes crowded with people, forcing tourists to follow the lead of the crowd. Museums can get very busy, and you’ll need to book several months in advance to see popular exhibits. Still, it’s difficult to see and appreciate works of art because there are so many people around.
The World Tourism Organization predicts that international tourist flows will exceed an astonishing 2 billion by the end of this decade.
Local and national governments are under pressure to find solutions to the mass tourism boom, with some recently imposing restrictions.
Millennium, one of the world’s largest cruise ships, enters the Port of Amsterdam.
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Amsterdam
Amsterdam has voted in favor of banning cruise ships from its main ports. This comes on the heels of a wide-ranging crackdown that city authorities have dubbed a “deterrence campaign”, which banned outdoor marijuana smoking, particularly in red-light districts, while an official digital and poster campaign targeted young British men. They encourage them. “Stay away”.
As Mayor Femke Halsema explained, the measure will deter tourists from taking “amoral vacations” and will encourage tourists to visit the beautiful city, with its picturesque architecture, unparalleled museums and tranquil canals. The aim is to control the influx of tourists into the city and the disruption it causes. Things like red light districts and coffee shops that sell marijuana.
With a population of less than 1 million, Amsterdam attracts an average of more than 1 million tourists per month.
Despite the controversy over banning cruise ships, the government said the giant ships in the city center were “unfit for the task of combating mass tourism and do not meet the city’s sustainability goals”.
Lonely Planet says that although Amsterdam is hailed as a very tolerant and liberal city, it has become “increasingly restrictive in recent years.” Officials say moral judgment is not involved in curbing the disproportionate number of “males between the ages of 18 and 35 who just come to party and use the city as a stage,” said city spokeswoman Karina Norder. Mr. Brito told the guide. “This discouragement campaign targets people who generally do not contribute positively to the city.”
The road signs are part of the ‘Stay Away’ campaign to deter unruly visitors to Amsterdam. … [+] “No alcohol on the streets” and “Don’t buy drugs from street dealers.” It’s illegal,” “Drugs can be poisonous.”
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Italy
Italy has banned large cruise ships from Venice’s historic lagoon starting in 2021, and Rome has also implemented measures restricting access to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. It also began charging an entrance fee to the Pantheon to curb crowding and protect the famous architectural wonder.
This week, the United Nations Cultural Affairs Agency warned of the dangers facing the city from mass tourism and climate change, recommending that Venice be included on the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger.
Since June, the city of Florence has banned new short-term private vacation rentals in its historic center, a UNESCO-protected heritage site.
In Portofino, one of the country’s most charming seaside towns on the Italian Riviera, the local government has announced a move to discourage tourists from taking selfies in a “no-waiting zone” that includes some of the most photogenic spots. introduced the bill. The BBC reports that the fine will amount to 275 euros.
“Portofino’s mayor, Matteo Viacava, said tourists stopping to take photos caused ‘disorderly chaos’, resulting in massive traffic jams and road closures.”
As the Guardian explained, these measures are “one of the latest in a series of tough decisions taken by Italy’s parliament to deal with the hordes of holidaymakers. ) in flip-flops or flip-flops. Prohibition of outdoor snacking in the center of Venice and on the four central avenues of Florence. Fine of 250 euros just to sit on the Spanish Steps in Rome.
On some beaches in Erraclea, the construction of sandcastles is prohibited as they are considered an “unnecessary obstruction”, with a maximum fine of 250 euros.
Florence on a typical summer day
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France
Nice, on the Côte d’Azur with the azure waters of the French Riviera at its feet, recently installed unusual street art in areas frequented by tourists. It’s a giant mousetrap “to eradicate and eliminate tourist pests.” Feed with a giant ice cream. “To curb mass tourism, street artist ‘TooLate’ proposes a radical solution,” writes FranceInfo.
The giant trap is both a humorous approach and a clear demonstration of the city’s sentiments against over-tourism.
At the government level, plans were announced last month to “better regulate the flow of tourists and support local governments facing a surge in tourist numbers.” Le Monde said: “The French Tourism Union, which brings together companies in the sector, pointed to “a belated recognition in France” and said that France is now one of the destinations accused of “overtourism.” It was reported that.
In addition to pooling information through digital platforms such as best practices and regulations, guides and observatories, the government will aim to increase the number of 100 people in March 2024 to encourage domestic and international tourists to “adapt their destination choices and schedules.” We are planning to launch a campaign worth 10,000 euros.
Spain
One of the most popular pilgrimage destinations, Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, plans to introduce a tourist tax as a way to combat overtourism. “The authorities no longer wish to turn Santiago de Compostela into a ‘theme park’, as more than 300,000 tourists and pilgrims visit Santiago de Compostela each year,” Schengen Visa reported. There is.
Local authorities also plan to limit the number of tourists to the city’s historic center.
Mallorca’s overcrowded island of Ibiza, the hottest spot in the Balearic Islands, has become a hotbed of anti-tourism protests.
“Mallorca has hit rock bottom!” The Mallorca Daily Bulletin wrote in an article about local residents’ outrage at the nearly naked tourists wandering the picturesque town’s shops and streets.
“Calvia’s city ordinance currently prohibits walking naked or semi-naked” on the streets. “The same applies to Palma (the capital of Mallorca) and Playa de Palma, and other resorts such as Magaluf have also been repeatedly fined in recent years,” the newspaper writes.
Similar measures have already been introduced in Barcelona, where a recent local graffiti campaign has kept tourists away from the crowded Gaudi-designed Park Güell.
Levante Beach in Benidorm, a seaside resort on Spain’s east coast, part of Valencia. [+] The famous Costa Blanca in this area. (Photo: Jose Jordan/AFP via Getty Images)
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Earlier this month, a group of activists from the Futuro Vegetal movement targeted a 300 million euro superyacht in Ibiza. They sprayed red paint on the megayacht Chaos, owned by Nancy Walton Lowery, the billionaire heiress of Wal-Mart.
They also daubed the famous discotheque Pacha’s Cherry with black paint, stormed Cala Jondal’s exclusive beach club Blue Marlin with banners, targeted a private jet at Ibiza airport and spray-painted a Lamborghini. .
Portugal
In Portugal, playing loud music on many of the most popular beaches can result in fines ranging from 200 euros to 36,000 euros. For example, the Algarve coast alone receives more than 1 million tourists, mostly British, during peak season. Fines range from €200 to €4,000 for individuals and €2,000 to €36,000 for groups.
Prohibitions and restrictions that travelers may face on beaches in Portugal include unauthorized ball games, camping outside campsites, fishing on beaches, except for surveillance and rescue operations; This includes overflights by aircraft below 1,000 feet.
The old town in central Dubrovnik, Croatia is filled with tourists
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Croatia
As part of its “Respect the City” campaign, the super-popular city of Dubrovnik has launched a luggage drop-off system to minimize the noise of wheeled suitcases on the cobblestone streets of the city center featured in picture books. According to SchengenVisaInfo, “From November, mandatory lockers will be installed by the municipality in several parts of the city and traveling with luggage will be prohibited.”
New measures to curb overtourism include sleeping in public areas, urinating in public spaces, climbing to the top of monuments, drinking alcohol, drinking alcohol near protected public spaces such as schools, and taking drugs. It also includes prohibitions on related crimes, all of which are punishable. Heavy fines and prison sentences are imposed.
Since the beginning of this year, Dubrovnik has already recorded 289,000 arrivals and 763,500 overnight stays.
