The city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. (Photo by Alexi Tauzin / Adobe Stock)
Many European destinations are switching up their tourism campaigns and luring tourists to visit with strict anti-tourism measures. Mass tourism has actually turned the tourism industry on its head.
Housing and traffic crisis, noise, pollution, household waste… Several destinations in Europe have become almost uninhabitable for residents because many tourists flock there every year.
The World Tourism Organization, quoted on Monday, January 29, by the Express newspaper, predicts that the flow of international tourists will exceed two billion by the end of the decade.
Overtourism has forced local authorities in several tourist hotspots to take strict measures to limit its impact on both locals and the environment.
Spain
In Spain, Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, one of the country's most popular pilgrimage destinations, is considering introducing a tourist tax to combat overtourism.
Although the city welcomes more than 300,000 tourists and pilgrims every year, it no longer wants to be perceived as a simple “theme park”. The authorities also intend to regulate the number of tourists in the historic center of Santiago de Compostela.
Anti-tourist sentiment is also growing on Mallorca, the flagship destination of the Balearic Islands. According to the local press, locals can no longer stand nearly naked tourists strolling through shops and city streets.
The city of Calvia has passed an ordinance prohibiting walking “naked or half-naked” on the streets. This regulation also applies in Palma, the capital of Mallorca and on Playa de Palma.
Croatia
The very popular city of Dubrovnik has introduced a bag drop system as part of the “Respect the City” initiative to reduce the noise caused by wheeled suitcases on the cobblestone streets of the city center.
Starting next November, the municipality will set up mandatory lockers in various locations around the city where luggage transport is prohibited.
The measures taken to manage tourist arrivals also concern other behaviors: sleeping or urinating in public spaces, climbing monuments, being intoxicated, drinking alcohol near protected public spaces, etc.
Violations of these regulations result in high fines and imprisonment.
Amsterdam
The city of Amsterdam, often crowded with visitors, has decided to ban cruise ships from entering its main port. The measure is part of a broader deterrence campaign known as the “campaign of discouragement.”
This initiative includes several other measures, including a ban on outdoor marijuana smoking in the red light district. Official poster campaigns also encourage certain categories of tourists to “stay away”.
The mayor of the city specified that these measures aim to discourage visitors from indulging in “holidays without morals” and to curb the mass arrivals of tourists.