[Louvre Museum in France. Photo Credit to Pixabay]

On June 15, 2025, thousands of residents in Southern Europe gathered around the streets, protesting against the growing crisis of overtourism plaguing their communities. 

The largest demonstration occurred in Barcelona, where protesters used water pistols to target shop windows and deployed colored smoke bombs, according to the New York Times.

The Elton B. Stephens Company (EBSCO) defines overtourism as the concept whereby the sheer number of tourists disrupts or even harms the destinations these tourists visit. 

In many cases, this number of tourists far exceeds the local population. 

Europe has experienced a large surge in tourism recently, resulting in numerous protests in cities like Barcelona and Venice. 

Greece is one of the most extreme cases, in which the ratio of locals to tourists reaches  approximately 100:400. 

AP News has claimed approximately 747 million international travelers visited Europe in 2024. 

The breakdown by country shows: France welcomed 100 million visitors, Spain 94 million, Italy 74 million, Greece 41 million, the Netherlands 21 million, and Portugal 19 million.

When compared to 2024 population figures, the disparity becomes stark.  

France has 66M residents compared with its 100M visitors, Spain has 49M residents against 94M visitors, Italy has 59M against 74M, Greece has 10M against 41M, the Netherlands has 18M against 21M, and Portugas had 11M against 19M. 

Greece faces the biggest challenge, with 391 visitors for every 100 residents, marking an immense surge that has raised numerous concerns among European locals. 

These mounting pressures and public outcry have resulted in governments across the region to take decisive action to address the crisis.

Authorities have begun implementing new regulations in high-traffic areas.

In Cannes, France, city councillors have imposed new limits on cruise ships.

Under the new rules, “only ships fewer than 1,000 passengers will be allowed in the port, and a maximum of 6,000 passengers will be allowed to disembark daily,” reports Al Jazeera.

Although the direct causes of overtourism cannot be pinpointed precisely, AP News identifies factors such as affordable travel, social media, economic conditions , and entertainment industry influence as contributors to this surge.

This includes the rise of budget airlines, online booking platforms, Instagram’s influence, favorable global economic forecasts, and increased media exposure. 

The consequences of overtourism are far-reaching, encompassing environmental, social, economic, and cultural impacts.

Resource depletion and general environmental degradation rank among two major environmental consequences.  

In Greece, tourism on the country’s most popular islands has been linked to water scarcity during ongoing drought conditions.

Meanwhile, in France, the Louvre museum shut down earlier in June due to a workers’ strike, with employees claiming the “facility was crumbling beneath the weight of overtourism,” according to AP News. 

EBSCO claims that additional impacts include increased housing costs, displacement of local residents, overcrowding at heritage sites, and even strain on local communities.

There have been numerous protests and riots thus far in Southern Europe, heavily impacting the tourism industry, local residents, and visitors themselves. 

Potential solutions being explored include implementing AI technology for ticketing systems, following Italy’s lead, and limiting the number of visitors permitted at any given time. 

The protests in Southern Europe highlight the urgent need for sustainable tourism that respects both local communities and the environments they inhabit. 

Developing effective and responsible travel practices is key to preserving these destinations for future generations.