Overtourism: coordinated protests across southern Europe
Coordinated protests against overtourism are due to take place in at least 15 southern European holiday destinations including Venice, Lisbon, Barcelona and the Balearic Islands this Sunday. Resistance against the impact of mass tourism on local populations has been growing for years, especially in Spain. At the same time, tourism provides the majority of jobs in the affected regions. So what needs to be done?
Make holidays more social
In an article in The Conversation France, a group of academics advises a dialogue-based approach:
“These protests should no longer be viewed as mere localised nuisances, but as symptoms of a broader struggle for social justice. They show that it is possible to work together to develop alternatives that focus more on the needs of residents than on growth at any price. Rethinking urban tourism means rethinking the city as a dignified living space for its inhabitants – not just a backdrop for visitors. This requires tackling the inequalities at the core of the touristification process.”
Halt construction mania once and for all
Le Temps is convinced that tough action on a key aspect is the only way forward:
“The current dilemma is tricky for the government authorities in these regions. On the one hand, they cannot survive economically without the manna provided by tourism. On the other, they must listen to their citizens' anger, otherwise the situation could escalate. ... Everything is being done to promote mass tourism: cheap flights, all-inclusive holidays, hotels lined up along the coast. ... The demonstrators are right. The tide can only be stemmed by implementing serious measures in the property sector. Measures such as fines for urinating in public or going shirtless on the streets are just political cosmetics.”
Congestion as a permanent state
Author Juan Tallón reflects in El Periódico de Catalunya on a general sense of bloated reality:
“The present is full of news, the discourse full of lies, the debates full of aggression, our diaries full of appointments. ... When something full suddenly empties, it creates an indescribable feeling of pleasure. ... Just look at the sense of relief felt by Barcelona residents who take the 116 bus. Tourists had taken it over to save themselves the uphill walk to Parc Güell. But the buses emptied when the route stopped showing up on Google Maps. It's no wonder being invisible is something we dream of from early childhood, as it means having the world to ourselves. Perhaps that's not too much to ask.”