Here’s What You Need to Know About Overtourism in Europe

Recently, protests and walkouts have defined some of Europe’s most popular cities.

Employees at the Louvre Museum in Paris walked off the job, causing it to close. Protestors gathered en masse in Barcelona, cheering and holding signs that said things like “mass tourism kills the city,” and wielding water guns—the images have become synonymous with the movement against overtourism. In Lisbon, people staged an “eviction” from a church as a way to highlight the dramatically increased cost of living caused by the short-term rental market that springs up in popular tourist destinations. 

For travelers who have been planning, saving, and eagerly awaiting their European summer vacations, the demonstrations feel like the opposite of a warm welcome, and they can make a vacation seem like an ethical dilemma. This framework, local versus tourist, is nothing new, though. It’s why some people try to draw the distinction between being a “tourist” and a “traveler.” Getting to the bottom of these protests, and the feelings behind them is vital—for tourists, locals, and the cities at the center of the conversation. 

Here’s what you need to know about overtourism.

What is overtourism?

“Overtourism is almost like too much of a good thing,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, to Travel + Leisure. “We tend to forget as travelers that these incredible places we love to visit have locals who live their day-to-day lives there. Communities have been cemented here long before these places gained popularity.” 

Once a location becomes a “can’t miss” destination, it can be hard to prepare for just what that means. “In the case of these famous cities and sites, they unfortunately were not set up centuries ago to handle the type of traffic year after year,” Nastro said. 

The negative effects of a city becoming popular to visit are not as obvious as it is in natural environments, where you can see traces of trash or decimated wildlife. While beaches and forests might be obviously suffering from a lack of proper conservation, it can be harder to spot the stress that too many visitors can cause in cities. Helene Møgelhøj, a sustainable travel and regenerative tourism expert says that while locals will feel the impacts first, they will affect everyone—including tourists. 

“In big cities, the effects of over tourism are not necessarily immediately obvious to the visitor, apart from perhaps congestion and overcrowding,” Møgelhøj said. “However, for local people, a large increase in visitor numbers can lead to a shortage of affordable housing and general price increases at, for example, local restaurants.”

In addition to increased costs and a decreased ability for locals to enjoy their own cities, overtourism puts an added burden on public infrastructure, which is usually funded by taxes. So, locals end up footing the bill for maintenance of a place they aren’t able to enjoy fully because it is too expensive and too crowded to do so.

However, locals often get messaging that tourism is good for the local economy, so they should be grateful, in a way. That’s not inherently true—oftentimes, multinational corporations are the primary beneficiary of tourism spending, explains Møgelhøj.

“In today’s global economy, many tourism and hospitality businesses are owned and run by multinationals,” she said. “The vast majority of people do not benefit directly from an increase in visitor numbers. However, they may benefit from tourism indirectly through the so-called ‘multiplier’ effect, which means increased spending in the local economy overall due to tourism.”

None of this means that tourism is inherently bad. Asier Basurto, a member of the “tourism degrowth” group that helped organize some of the protests in San Sebastián, Spain, told The Guardian in a June 2025 article that tourists aren’t the enemy. 

“People who go on vacation to one place or another are not our enemies, nor are they the target of our actions,” Basurto said in the article. “Let me be clear: our enemies are those who speculate on housing, who exploit workers, and those who are profiting handsomely from the touristification of our cities.”

Tourists aren’t the bad guys.

Møgelhøj believes that tourism can actually have a powerful, positive impact on local communities. “I’m a great believer in tourism as a force for good,” she said.

But she also thinks that responsible tourism cannot rest solely on the individual shoulders of visitors.  

“It is crucial to have an effective destination management organization in place that represents the interests of local people as well as large multinational stakeholders,” Møgelhøj says. “The local government should be part of this, as well as the national government, which has an important role in terms of creating a positive and beneficial tourism policy and strategic framework.”

There are examples of efforts like this, even in Spain, where some of the biggest anti-overtourism protests have taken place.

“Today in our most visited cities and resorts, we need measures in place so that we can maintain the balance between a thriving tourism industry and the wellbeing of residents, ensuring that tourism remains a positive force for good for all,” Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office in London, told T+L in a statement. “Proposed legislation such as Barcelona’s clampdown on privately let tourist apartments and … adjustments to tourist taxes outside of the winter months, reflect Spain’s ongoing efforts to build a responsible and sustainable tourism model.”

Nastro agrees and says that tourism needs to be a “a fine balance of supporting the local economy, [and] keeping locals able to operate in their local economy.” 

Here’s what travelers should know about overtourism.

Making more intentional choices as a traveler not only benefits locals—it also means you’re less likely to spend your trip in sweaty crowds and long lines. Here are Møgelhøj’ and Nastro’s tips for thoughtfully vacationing in ways that won’t contribute to (or be ruined by) overtourism. 

Steer clear of protests and demonstrations. 

“Stay away from any protests and demonstrations so as not to aggravate the situation,” Møgelhøj said. 

Take detours and visit less popular attractions. 

“In general, walk or cycle around and take the opportunity to explore the lesser-known areas of any destination that you visit,” Møgelhøj said. “The most memorable experiences tend to be least planned and unexpected.”

Act responsibly.

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but being courteous and respectful of local culture and customs can go a long way in improving the experience of both tourists and locals. 

Stay informed. 

The best way not to be surprised by protests is to keep up with the news in the places you’re traveling to.

“First and foremost, be aware if the city you are traveling to has planned or has had protests recently,” Nastro said. “… Follow local news organizations to stay the most up-to-date on when and where they may take place. [That’s] going to give you more accurate and timely info than U.S.-based outlets.”

Know who to contact if you run into trouble. 

It’s always a good idea to have some emergency contacts on hand in case things go wrong on your trip—and it’s never a bad idea to know where the local U.S. embassy is.

Avoid traveling in the high season. 

Both Nastro and Møgelhøj advise planning trips in the “off season” of your destination. “Traveling in the shoulder season, or even better, in the off-season, can be a great way to lessen the likelihood of encountering long lines at some of the world’s most iconic sites,” Nastro said. 

Plan trips to popular attractions smartly.

If you’re planning on visiting a popular attraction, try visiting during less busy times. Or, if you want to visit a popular tourist destination, Nastro recommends staying in a nearby town and making a day trip to the city to see the sights.

Buy local.

Perhaps one of the direct and most impactful ways that you can be a “good” traveler is being intentional about where you spend your money. Nastro recommends staying in locally owned and operated hotels, buying from small vendors and artisans, and venturing outside of busy city centers to more rural, off-the-beaten-path destinations.