The advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, while devastating on many fronts, unexpectedly granted locals a brief reprieve from the relentless influx of tourists. Yet, with the resurgence of global travel, the familiar irritations caused by inconsiderate visitors have returned, sparking frustration among residents. This discontent has reached a boiling point, with citizens and activists taking to the streets in several southern European countries, namely Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece. In extreme cases, these demonstrators have resorted to using water guns and plastering signs urging tourists to return home.
Protesters argue that the phenomenon of over-tourism is exacerbating critical issues such as skyrocketing housing costs, accelerated gentrification and the depletion of already scarce water resources. In urban areas plagued by drought, like Barcelona, tourists have been shown to consume significantly more water than the local population. In some parts of Sicily and the Greek islands, the situation has become so dire that towns have begun turning away tourists to conserve their dwindling water supplies.
However, governments seem reluctant to enforce substantial and lasting changes. For many European nations, particularly those in the south, tourism remains a crucial economic pillar - contributing 11.3% to Croatia's GDP and between 6% and 8% to the economies of Portugal, Greece, Spain and Italy. In Malta, tourism accounts for approximately 11-12% of GDP.
After the pandemic severely curtailed travel, the resurgence of "revenge tourism" has fuelled economic recovery in these regions. In 2023, countries like Malta, Spain, Portugal and Greece outperformed the broader EU, where GDP grew by just 0.5%. Malta's economy, in particular, expanded by an impressive 5.6%, with Portugal, Greece and Spain also seeing growth rates exceeding 2%.
Despite these economic benefits, the pressure on local infrastructure and resources has not gone unnoticed. In Palma de Mallorca, a massive demonstration in July saw 20,000 anti-tourism activists rallying for a rethink of the Balearic Islands' tourism model. The island, with a population of around 945,000, was inundated with 12 million tourists in 2023 alone - an unsustainable number by any measure.
Barcelona, too, has witnessed smaller-scale protests, where activists used water pistols to douse foreign tourists - an act that politicians were quick to condemn as unrepresentative of the nation's tradition of hospitality. Similar protests have been recorded in other tourist-heavy areas like Portugal, Italy and Greece, highlighting the growing tension between residents and the tourism industry.
In response, various cities have implemented measures to curb over-tourism with varying degrees of success. These range from imposing fines and fees to outright bans on certain activities. For example, Portofino has prohibited selfies in specific areas, Rome has banned sitting on the Spanish Steps, and both Dubrovnik and Santorini have restricted large cruise ships. Venice, in a controversial move, introduced a €5 entry fee, which has only further fuelled local unrest as residents accuse the authorities of turning their city into a theme park.
More drastic steps are being considered as well. Barcelona's mayor announced a plan to phase out short-term tourist rentals by 2028 to mitigate the housing crisis. Similar strategies have already been adopted in the Canary Islands, Berlin and Lisbon over the past decade.
Ultimately, a successful tourism strategy must strike a delicate balance between economic benefits, social impact and environmental sustainability. This includes not only managing tourist numbers but also ensuring that the infrastructure and resources of the destination can support them.
I recently visited Amsterdam, an example of a city on a good path to getting tourism under control.
The city, which has gained a reputation as Europe's party capital, banned smoking weed in its red-light district, and launched a stay-away campaign targeting young, noisy British men only visiting to party. Most recently, it also announced a ban on the construction of new hotels. I also spent a day in Bruges, a small but bourgeoise town in northern Belgium that packs more than 8 million visitors per year.
In contrast, some destinations are opting for a more positive approach. Copenhagen, for example, has introduced rewards to promote eco-friendly tourist behaviour. Visitors who choose to cycle, use public transport or engage in activities like trash collection can earn perks such as a free coffee or museum entry. Additionally, major cities across Northern Europe are setting high parking fees, starting at €5 per hour, to discourage excessive car use.
Malta's 3 million visitors in 2023 have not yet sparked any anti-tourism sentiment, though the Malta Tourism Authority plans to gauge public opinion on the matter. One may ask where does Malta sit in the over-tourism rank? I took the liberty of calculating a ratio of visitors per inhabitant in tourism hotspots using 2023 data.
Considering this indicator only, things are not exactly bad. What is concerning though is the lack of vision for the future: one cannot only just build hotels without planning for complementary utilities such as energy consumption, water usage, drainage and parking lots. How about the capacity of large infrastructure such as the airport, roads and the ferries? There's a lot of work to be done from a wide range of government stakeholders and private operators, unless we want to read in the news about tourists being water-gunned while having dinner in Valletta or being "welcomed" with tomatoes at Mdina Gate.
Dr Ovidiu Tierean is a senior advisor at PKF Malta