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We’d like tourism to diminish’: Will there be more anti-tourist protests in Europe in 2025?

December 31, 2024

Tourism in Europe’s hotspots continues to rise, but after protests in 2024, what can we expect for the approaching 12 months?

This 12 months was marked by a string of anti-tourism protests across Europe.

Locals and residents fought back to regain their cities with marches, campaigns, slogans and even water pistols.

From Amsterdam and Athens to Venice, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, and Málaga to the Balearic Islands, residents rose up and spoke out about overtourism.

But with regards to handling increasing visitor numbers as we enter 2025, are authorities and protestors on the identical page? Here’s what each groups say – and are planning.

Authorities responded with different overtourism measures

In Barcelona, the town council vowed to do away with all Airbnb-style accommodation by 2028, and in December 2024, they took step one when the Urban Planning Commission initially approved an amendment for stricter limits that may now be placed on short-term rentals.

Venice, meanwhile, limited tour groups and banned megaphones back in August. Málaga barred latest holiday flats in 43 city neighbourhoods, and the Canary Islands decreed that 90 per cent of residential areas should be allocated to everlasting residences inside the following five years.

Amsterdam, alternatively, launched a ‘Stay Away’ campaign, in addition to an interactive quiz to check visitors on behavioural etiquette.

But that is greater than simply about crowds and noise.

In Spain, where many of the demonstrations have taken place, many of the anti-tourism protests have been about accommodation. Many consider that the present housing crisis is partly because of the rise in tourist accommodation over the previous couple of years.

Are the protests and the brand new measures working, or do these cities still have an extended fight ahead of them?

“We’d like tourism to diminish”, says Barcelona protestor

The country welcomed 82.8 million international travellers in the primary ten months of 2024, beating all previous records, in line with the most recent statistics from the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Tourism.

And it doesn’t appear to be slowing down: tourism is predicted to grow by 25 per cent within the winter of 2024/25 compared with last 12 months, the Spanish Tourism Board recently revealed.

A spokesperson for the Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic (Assembly of Neighbourhoods for the Decline of Tourism or ABDT) in Barcelona, who organised among the protests there, shares their thoughts ahead of the Recent Yr.

“We would like to work in ever-larger networks, in addition to undertake our usual tasks of mobilisation, political advocacy and pedagogy regarding the character of the tourism industry,” they are saying. “We’d like tourism to diminish”.

They consider that the town authorities usually are not searching for to scale back the issues however the mobilisation against tourism – while promoting tourism growth at the identical time. They consider overtourism is contributing to climatic, social, and environmental issues, in addition to the housing emergency.

The authorities, they add, “should abandon any policy of tourism promotion and mega-events and urgently embark on the trail of tourist decline and eco-social transition”.

Although the ABDT don’t have any concrete plans for more protests, they’re resolute that more changes must occur.

The spokesperson argues that the town council’s intention to ban all tourist apartments in Barcelona appears uncertain. “In the intervening time, there isn’t any plan, only a public announcement. Even when it were to turn out to be reality, it could be too late and insufficient”.

They maintain that all kinds of tourist accommodation must be decreased, including hotels, that are “also accountable for the reduction of the housing stock”.

The Canary Islands will hold more anti-tourist protests

Nestor Marrero Rodríguez, secretary of ATAN (the Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature), who helped to organise Tenerife’s overtourism protests in October, also believes that the authorities usually are not doing enough to assist the situation.

“In truth, it’s the alternative,” Rodríguez says. “Recent projects are still being planned which contribute to the present situation of degradation of the territory and perpetuate the poverty of Canarian society.

But he does concede that a manifesto has been created with a series of measures, similar to the creation of a tourist eco-tax, limitation of recent constructions in favour of the renovation of existing hotels, and improvement of the purification systems.

“In 2025, there can be several demonstrations in tourist areas, amongst other protests which can be being planned by different groups,” Rodríguez confirms, although he doesn’t reveal any specific dates.

Rodriguez has a message for anyone pondering of taking a vacation within the Canary Islands next 12 months.

“So long as the situation stays the identical, you need to select other more sustainable destinations, with less polluted seas and where their money doesn’t contribute to the impoverishment of the local population and the overexploitation of their resources,” he says.

He also adds that there are several local firms where tourists can vacation in a more sustainable way.

Should visitors still ‘stay away’ from Amsterdam?

In Amsterdam, city councillor Sofyan Mbarki speaks to Euronews Travel about how they plan to tackle problems with overtourism for the approaching 12 months.

Mbarki explains that over the past years, greater than 75 measures have been implemented to combat the negative effects of overtourism – from rules to manage the capability of B&Bs and vacation rentals to relocating and reducing sea and river cruises and banning coaches in the town centre.

“We see that previous measures have had an effect. Nevertheless, we also know that more is required to handle the nuisance brought on by tourism and deal with the increasing number of holiday makers in the long run,” he explains.

Mbarki confirms that one among the ways they’ll do that in 2025 is by continuing to ban the addition of beds in hotels in the town, in addition to the ban on the creation of recent hotels.

“We’re also bringing forward closing times for more cafes and restaurants and dealing on spreading out coffee shops across the town,” he adds.

“These measures have had a positive impact on livability,” but more is required, he assures, confirming that additional measures to manage the growing number of holiday makers and further reduce disturbances could be taken in 2025.

“Visitors remain welcome,” Mbarki says. “But not in the event that they misbehave or cause disturbances”.

“Should you plan to go to Amsterdam, be mindful of the principles. We’re taking measures to make sure neighbourhoods popular with tourists remain liveable for residents and overcrowding is reduced”.

He also reminds tourists that they may also help by exploring areas outside the town centre, in addition to “incredible places throughout Amsterdam and the encircling region”.