Passengers on an EasyJet flight cheered, clapped, and chanted as police escorted two disruptive fellow fliers off the plane.
24.04.2024 - 14:29 / euronews.com / Rebecca Ann Hughes
As Europe nears peak summer season, tourist hotspots are increasingly feeling the strain.
In some places, like Spain, locals have long been growing weary of the ‘sun, sex and sangria’ tourism certain destinations attract.
But now the issue is more than just nuisance behaviour. Rising visitor numbers are putting pressure on health services, waste management, water supplies and housing at the expense of residents.
Increased construction of hotel and housing developments is endangering historic sites, biodiversity and natural resources.
Recently, frustrations have boiled over in several European honeypot destinations compelling local authorities to address and reassess the relationship between tourists and residents.
From outspoken graffiti to hunger strikes, here’s how overtouristed places are pushing back.
One of the most pressing impacts of overtourism in Spain now is the lack of housing and soaring rent prices for residents.
Málaga locals have expressed their frustration by plastering the centre of the Spanish city with stickers on walls and doors, telling visitors what residents think of them.
They range from the fairly mild “this used to be my home” (antes esta era mi casa) and “this used to be the city centre” (antes esto era el centro) all the way to “go f*cking home” (a tu puta casa), “stinking of tourist” (apestando a turista).
The city on the Costa del Sol has long been a popular destination for foreign visitors, thanks to its sunny climate and relatively low cost of living. But with digital nomads now also piling in, the housing situation has become critical.
The ‘sticker initiative’ was started by bar owner Dani Drunko. Speaking to a local newspaper Diario Sur, Drunko explained that he began the campaign after he was “kicked out” of the home he’d lived in for a decade.
He claimed that the landlord refused to negotiate the rent or even sell him the property because he wanted to turn it into a short-term rental for tourists.
It is a story echoed throughout the country, where landlords have evicted long-term residents in favour of holidaymakers or pushed rents up so only high-earning digital nomads can afford them.
The Canary Islands are experiencing a similarly drastic situation.
Activists say the over 10 million foreign visitors that holiday on the archipelago each year are ruining life there. Locals are reportedly sleeping in cars and caves due to soaring house prices.
One local organisation said the islands are “collapsing socially and environmentally” under the pressure from mass tourism.
A report from Ecologists in Action warned that almost 34 per cent of the local population - nearly 800,000 people - is at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
Constructing accommodation and services for the floods of
Passengers on an EasyJet flight cheered, clapped, and chanted as police escorted two disruptive fellow fliers off the plane.
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Thinking about travel to Europe this summer? I’ll whisper this two-word, game-changing suggestion in your ear: Swiss Bliss. Switzerland is a spectacular vacation escape, promising plentiful pampering, playful diversions, culture (music festivals, art experiences, unique museums—from sports to science, film to food) and stellar gastronomy. Taste Chasselas wine; its white grapes are grown in the terraced Lavaux vineyards along the south-facing northern shores of Lake Geneva, where vintners produce artisanal batches that are rarely exported, so 98 percent of their singular sips can only be savored within the country. Discover abundant natural beauty and peaceful hideaways. Hike Alpine mountains. Swim in glistening lakes. Picnic amid wildflower meadows. For high-speed outings, ample opportunities abound: boating, road cycling, mountain biking, paragliding, skydiving and white-water rafting. Transportation within this tidy nation, especially via its SBB trains, is smooth and swift, accessing scores of destinations. (For itinerary details and surprising delights: My Switzerland Tourism.) Internationally renowned for training extraordinary hoteliers, hospitality is a revered profession, which adds smiles to your stay. Choose from a wide variety of accommodations—campgrounds to chalets to castles. If your vacay preference tends toward one-of-a-kind, five-star hotels, this article shines on three favorites, which are among French entrepreneur and winemaker Michel Reybier’s impressive collection of wellness-promoting properties.
As the sun descended into the horizon, a Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island speedboat whisked us to a secluded sandbank that, at first sight, was deserted. Our arrival, however, revealed a solitary pergola draped in gauzy fabric and adorned with fresh flowers, moving in the breeze.