As Covid-19 restrictions lifted across Europe, tourism returned close to the levels seen before the pandemic - but some locals have had enough.
As Covid-19 restrictions lifted in recent years across Europe, tourism has returned close to the levels seen before the pandemic - but some locals have had enough.
Angry protests and demonstrations against tourism have sprung up in Spain, while officials in Italy, France and Greece - among others - have begun to implement limits on visiting sightseers, or are considering their options. The likes of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza in the Balearics and Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote in the Canary Islands are all incredibly popular among tourists from the likes of the UK, France and Germany looking for affordable holiday destinations.
'Tourist Go Home' is seen scrawled in English over a wall underneath a real estate promotion billboard in Nou Llevant, Mallorca, a neighbourhood that has seen a massive influx of foreign buyers over the past few years. It is one of many instances of anti-tourism graffiti Similar messages appeared in Tenerife, with one message telling tourists that the island had become 'my misery, your paradise'.
The activists and their supporters said they wanted regional governors to adopt a more sustainable model of tourism to combat problems including pollution, traffic gridlock and a lack of affordable housing which they have linked to mass tourism. Thousands of people demonstrate against tourism policies on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain on April 20, 2024A rental car is seen sprayed with 'Go Home' in Tenerife
This is part of the Balearic government's new revised law on responsible tourism which aims to outlaw excessive drinking on the island, as well as Playa de Palma and San Antonio in Ibiza. Penalties for non-compliance with the prohibition of alcohol consumption on public roads will range from €500 to €1,500 .
The need for stricter measures have also spread to neighbouring Palma as Marga Prohens, the president of the Balearic government said in a statement last week that 'the Balearic Islands have reached their limit'. Locals have been coming up with alternatives revolving around the AT signs on the front of holiday apartment blocks, short for Apartamento Turistico in Spanish, in a play on words gameMajorca has also seen an anti-tourism campaign which urges locals and tourists not to tag beauty spots they visit on social media in an attempt to limit visitors.
Further down the Costa Del Sol, an anti-tourism campaign in Marbella targeted cars with UK number plates by slashing their tyres and daubing them with graffiti.In Catalonia, the mayor of Siurana village declined for his town to be featured in an annual list of the country's prettiest villages in 2022, fearing that by being included, the small settlement could be overrun with tourists.
Amid its own tourism crisis, the Italian city of Venice has taken what may be the most high-profile measure to limit its number of visitors. A number of tourists were pictured riding in a gondola and taking photos of the protests as the new policy charging a fee for day-trippers took effect Locals have long been urging Venice officials to tackle tourism, also citing the environmental impact on the famous metropolis that is slowly sinking.
In October last year, Florence's council banned short-term lets from the city's historic centre from platforms like Airbnb. France - 100+ million visitors France is the world's most visited country. In 2022, it saw almost 80 million visitors - while estimates suggested that more than 100 million visited in 2023 - more than Spain and significantly more than the US, Turkey and even Italy.
She said France needed to better manage the peak-season influxes that threatened 'the environment, the quality of life for locals, and the experiences for its visitors'. 'This massive influx ends up trampling and eroding the cliffs and endangers the beach cliffs,' Shai Mallet, co-head of the local residents' association, told AFP.
Like many cities in Europe, the French capital of Paris is also grappling with a housing shortage - something many blame on short-term lets.One suggestion put forward by officials is to ban key boxes on the outside of buildings to discourage people from putting their homes on Airbnb.In Nice, a local artist installed giant rat traps - with a giant ice cream as bait - 'to eradicate and eliminate the tourist pest'.
Slogans including 'No Tourists No Hipsters' and 'Burn Airbnb' have also been spotted in the streets of Athens. 'I think the answer is to go in the streets and block everything and just not do something because people are losing their homes,' she said. This initiative aims to provide tourists with a more intimate and less crowded experience of the historic landmark before thousands of sightseers arrive.However, the proposed price tag of £4,285 for a small group has sparked outrage among travellers.
The idyllic Austrian mountain town of Hallstatt - said to have inspired Disney's Frozen - prompted ridicule online when pictures emerged online showing that it had erected a fence to block a popular tourist viewpoint in 2023. The idyllic Austrian mountain town of Hallstatt - said to have inspired Disney's Frozen - prompted ridicule online when pictures emerged online showing that it had erected a fence to block a popular tourist viewpoint in 2023
The Netherlands also hit the headlines last year when officials in Amsterdam urged British tourists to 'stay away' from the city.
News Greece Spain Germany The Netherlands Italy Coronavirus France
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Map shows London Marathon route map and road closures for 2024There will be disruptions and closures staggered throughout the day.
Read more »
Map shows London Marathon route map and road closures for 2024There will be disruptions and closures staggered throughout the day.
Read more »
Map shows '100-day cough' hotspots as UK cases surge 40% in a weekThe highly contagious bacterial disease, also known as whooping cough, has had a major comeback this year.
Read more »
Map shows '100-day cough' hotspots as UK cases surge 40% in a weekThe highly contagious bacterial disease, also known as whooping cough, has had a major comeback this year.
Read more »
Interactive map reveals average house prices next to Ofsted's best-rated primary schools in BritainHouse hunters seeking to buy a property in an area with better than average primary schools can pay on average 23 per cent more than locations with poor Ofsted standards, new research has shown.
Read more »
London Marathon 2024 route map: Interactive guide including best places to viewThe 44th London Marathon is expected to break the race's own fundraising record of £66.4m as an estimated 50,000 take to the streets.
Read more »