As summer travel ramps up, residents in European vacation hotspots across Spain, Portugal and Italy are making it clear they’ve had enough of what they consider out-of-control tourism.
Locals took to the streets this past weekend in places like Barcelona and Mallorca, armed with protest signs and even water guns. Such gatherings also occurred in Lisbon, Venice and other popular southern European cities.
Demonstrators in Spain marched with messages like “Tourist Go Home” and “One more tourist, one less resident,” calling for changes to how tourism is managed. Some squirted unsuspecting visitors with water pistols—a gesture meant to get tourists’ attention without causing harm.
“Barcelona has been handed to the tourists. This is a fight to give Barcelona back to its residents,” protester Andreu Martínez said in an interview with the Associated Press.
He explained that his rent has jumped more than 30 percent, with more and more homes being turned into short-term vacation rentals. “Our lives, as lifelong residents of Barcelona, are coming to an end,” he said. “We are being pushed out systematically.”
Martínez also said many neighborhood businesses have been replaced by souvenir shops, bubble tea stands, and burger joints catering to visitors rather than locals.
Spain’s government is trying to tackle the issue. In May, it ordered Airbnb to remove around 66,000 listings that didn’t follow local regulations.
Airbnb, however, pushed back. “I think a lot of our politicians have found an easy scapegoat to blame for the inefficiencies of their policies in terms of housing and tourism over the last 10, 15, 20 years,” Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, Airbnb’s general director for Spain and Portugal, said, according to a Fox News report.
Barcelona has also announced plans to phase out short-term tourist rentals by 2028. Still, city data shows only about 10,000 homes out of roughly 850,000 total in the city are being used for that purpose.
Other cities across Europe are facing similar challenges. In Venice, officials have started charging day-trippers a small entry fee during high-traffic dates. Greece is considering a $22 tax on cruise ship visitors heading to islands like Santorini and Mykonos. The Washington Post reported that Athens has also begun issuing timed-entry tickets to the ancient Acropolis.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) responded to the protests with a statement defending the industry. “Travel & Tourism brings significant economic benefits, not just for large travel corporations, but for local businesses and small companies that supply them,” the group said.
“The sector creates employment and revenue from international and domestic visitors. It should not be blamed for wider issues like housing shortages, which often have complex, deep-rooted causes beyond the sector’s influence.”
The WTTC also noted that tourism generates jobs and tax revenue that can be reinvested in communities. “Governments must engage with communities to ensure these funds are reinvested to meet local needs like improved infrastructure.”
The organization concluded, “WTTC supports responsible Travel & Tourism that benefits people and works with governments to help achieve it.”
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