From Venice to Amsterdam, bus bans and TikTok influencers are contributing to a drop in tourist numbers.
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Europe’s ETIAS online travel authorization has been postponed until 2025.
The requirement limits travelers from non-EU countries to 30 European countries, including France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. The application fee is 7 euros per application, which adds up to a considerable amount.
Popular European cities will choose to move beyond the financial solution of tourism taxes as they continue to face the challenge of overtourism in 2024.
These destinations are now deploying unprecedented and innovative strategies aimed not only at crowd management, but also at preserving cultural heritage, protecting the environment, and maintaining the quality of life for their residents.
Multiple new anti-tourism measures in Amsterdam
Amsterdam will increase its tourism tax to 12.5% of accommodation costs in 2024. This means that a room that costs an average of 120 euros could cost you 15 euros per night. This will be the highest rate in Europe, up from the current 7%. The increase will apply to all facilities, from hotels and guesthouses to campgrounds.
2024 also means further action against overtourism in Amsterdam. The city has banned buses weighing more than 7.5 tons from entering the city center, except for buses that have been granted special exemptions, and reduced the daily tax for cruise ship passengers visiting the city from 8 euros to 14 euros per person. raised to the euro.
The Dutch capital has also banned the opening of new B&Bs within certain central areas in a bid to solve the growing housing problem.
Paris imposes unprecedented tourism tax hike
Paris’ tourist tax will increase by 200% in 2024. According to the France 24 news network, the increase is part of a government plan to fund strengthening public transport.
The city will host the 2024 Olympic Games from July 26 to August 11, attracting worldwide attention. Hotels in Paris have already increased prices during the event. The tax increase will make staying in Paris even more expensive. But can it combat overtourism?
France plans to take a proactive approach rather than restrictions, restrictions or bans. “If we want to reduce congestion, we need to attract other destinations and other tourist routes,” Olivia Grégoire, representative of France’s minister for small and medium-sized enterprises, trade, crafts and tourism, said in an interview with newspaper Le Le Figaro. Ta.
The country is taking a new approach to combat overtourism in 2024. By leveraging social media influencers to highlight lesser-visited regions, the company hopes to reduce interest in more well-known destinations. Understanding that these people have great influence, the French government leverages its extensive network to drive tourists to unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences such as ecolodges and glamping sites in France. I am very passionate about this.
Venice tightens group travel regulations
Venice, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is still feeling the pressure of overtourism despite banning large cruise ships from operating in 2021.
To combat the daily influx of tourists, Italian cities are piloting a new access tax for visitors who don’t stay overnight. Visitors pay 5 euros per day from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The city hopes to test the tax for 10 days in May, June and July 2024 and implement changes in 2025 based on the results.
Venice also announced on its official website that it would limit tourist walking groups to 25 people and ban the use of loudspeakers because they cause noise. The scheme is likely to come into force on June 1st and is in line with the Detourism campaign to promote Venice, which is less well-known to tourists.
Venice, like Rome and Florence, may also limit the number of short-term rental properties, which would be in line with Italy’s broader national efforts. In June 2023, the Italian Ministry of Tourism published the first draft of a bill to regulate short-term tourist rentals across Italy, including Airbnb listings.
Daily visitor limit to the Acropolis of Athens
In September 2023, Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni announced that the Acropolis Museum in Athens would be capped at 20,000 visitors per day. Previously the average number of visitors was 23,000 people per day. The new program will be piloted until April 1st.
This follows the example of many other European places, such as the Louvre in Paris, France, which introduced daily tourist caps in the previous year. Calanques National Park in Marseille, France. Villa de Balbianello near Lake Como, Italy. Or the old town of Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Portugal considers further action against violating cruise lines
At the end of December 2023, Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas announced a new tourist tax of 2 euros per person for all cruise ship passengers, the same rate paid by hotel guests.
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He added that the revenue from this tax “will be used to clean the city, secure green space and represent the city’s future strategy.” The new rates will apply from January 1, 2024.
Portugal News reported that the mayor indicated he was prepared to use his powers to make it more difficult for cruise lines to enter the country if they did not comply. This could mean further measures will be taken in 2024, including restrictions on bus movement.
This coincides with Turismo de Portugal’s (Portuguese Tourism Board) end-of-year announcement, which puts sustainability and authenticity at the forefront of its 2024 promotional strategy. This approach includes emphasizing sustainable and authentic travel experiences such as Portuguese ecolodges and many others.
We are also using TikTok for the first time, and aim to move beyond Lisbon’s urban charm and encourage people to explore Portugal’s diverse regions through multiple channels.
Dublin keen to increase tourist numbers
While certain cities in Europe continue to be popular destinations, it’s worth considering other cities that offer equally great but less crowded experiences. These alternative destinations offer unique opportunities to explore and enjoy without suffering from overtourism. Measures have also been taken to attract even more tourists in 2024.
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In December 2023, Dublin Airport took a significant step towards expanding its capacity for a growing number of travelers. The airport has submitted an application to increase its annual passenger capacity from 32 million to 40 million. The move signals Dublin’s hopes of increasing visitor numbers to the Emerald Isle.
