Across Europe, protests against overtourism have become increasingly visible. From the Canary Islands and Málaga to Venice, Lisbon and Athens, citizens have taken to the streets to express concern about the social, economic and environmental impacts of mass tourism. While such protests are not new, post-pandemic tourism recovery has intensified concerns, sparking renewed demonstrations across the continent.

In a scholarly book chapter which I recently co-authored with Karl Agius, we analyse these protests and examine how European institutions are responding to them.

Tourism remains one of Europe's most important economic sectors. In 2024 alone, the European Union recorded almost three billion overnight stays in tourist accommodation, confirming tourism's central role in employment, regional development and economic growth. Yet this success also generates tensions. In many destinations, the rapid growth of tourism has intensified pressures on housing, infrastructure, public spaces and natural ecosystems.

Our research uses Protest Event Analysis, a sociological method employed in the study of social movements. By examining media coverage of protests across Europe, we mapped where protests took place, who organised them, and what issues were raised. The findings indicate a noticeable increase in protests in 2024, particularly in Mediterranean destinations, with demonstrations emerging as the predominant form of collective action.

These protests are primarily organised by local residents, housing movements, environmental NGOs and workers' organisations. Their concerns go beyond simple opposition to tourism itself. Rather, protesters are questioning the distribution of tourism's costs and benefits. While tourism generates revenue and employment, many residents feel that the gains are unevenly distributed, while the burdens fall disproportionately on local communities.

Three issues feature particularly strongly.

First, housing affordability. In many cities, the rapid expansion of short-term rental platforms has reduced the supply of long-term housing and driven up property prices and rents. Residents increasingly feel that their neighbourhoods are being transformed into tourist accommodation zones.

Second, quality of life. Overcrowding, congestion, noise and the loss of everyday spaces have become common grievances. Historic city centres, some argue, risk becoming tourist playgrounds rather than living communities.

Third, environmental pressures. Tourism places significant demands on water, waste management and fragile ecosystems, particularly in island and coastal regions where infrastructure capacity is limited.

These dynamics resonate strongly with the Maltese context. Malta has experienced sustained growth in tourism over recent years, accompanied by increasing pressure on housing, infrastructure and public space. Concerns about affordability, congestion and environmental stress are now part of everyday public discourse. While Malta has not witnessed protests specifically about overtourism on the same scale as some larger European destinations, similar underlying tensions are evident and increasingly debated.

Interestingly, despite the rise in protests across Europe, tourism numbers continue to grow. This suggests that protests alone are unlikely to resolve the problem. Rather, they should be understood as a signal of deeper tensions within tourism-dependent economies - tensions that are also relevant for small island states like Malta.

At policy level, European institutions have begun to recognise these challenges. However, EU policy documents rarely use the term "overtourism", instead referring to "unbalanced tourism". This reflects an emphasis on managing tourism flows more effectively rather than reducing visitor numbers outright.

Recent EU initiatives include new regulations on short-term rentals aimed at improving data collection and supporting local authorities in decision-making. At the same time, the EU's role remains limited, as tourism is a supporting competence. Looking ahead, the forthcoming EU sustainable tourism strategy seeks to enhance sustainability through data-driven and digital tools designed to redistribute tourist flows to less crowded destinations and promote what is termed "balanced tourism".

For Malta, this raises important questions. Can growth in tourism continue without exacerbating existing social and environmental pressures? How can policy ensure that tourism benefits are more equitably distributed? And to what extent are local communities meaningfully involved in shaping tourism development?

From a sociological perspective, these protests raise a broader question: what does sustainable tourism actually mean for local communities?

If tourism is to remain socially legitimate, it must balance economic benefits with the quality of life of residents and the protection of local environments. The protests taking place across Europe are therefore not simply antitourist reactions. Rather, they represent citizens' attempts to reclaim influence over how tourism shapes the places where they live.

In this sense, protests against overtourism form part of a wider conversation about urban justice, environmental sustainability and democratic governance in an increasingly mobile world - a conversation in which Malta is very much implicated. It is heartening to see an increasing number of political and civil society voices who are taking note of this challenge.

The book chapter can be found in the following publication:

Agius, Karl & Briguglio, Michael (2026): Protests against Overtourism across Europe and EU Policy Response, in Briguglio L., Avellino M., and Butcher, J. (Eds) Overtourism in Cities and Small Islands