Overtourism is one of the key concerns in many popular destinations, and each summer the warning signs become more difficult to ignore. These beloved-by-many tourists places – from historical European cities to small tropical islands – are struggling with “too many people”, with flocks of visitors crowding streets and historical sites.
The problem in these hotspots is not only inconvenience. Overtourism brings higher housing costs, rising food prices, limited access to local services and overloaded infrastructure, making the destination look unsafe and unpleasant. As a result, residents are left feeling frustrated with tourists they once welcomed. In some areas, tourism has already exceeded pre-pandemic levels, and there is no signal of slowing down. While tourists bring much-needed revenue, the pressure can make daily life unbearable and unsustainable.
Examples of Overtourism in Summer 2025
The main hotspots over the summer of 2025 were all familiar. Venice became even more crowded thanks to social media viral “hacks” for cheap gondola rides. Mallorca faced a tourism crisis with local protests against mass arrivals, which led to a significant drop in tourist numbers and, as a short-term result, a drop in its positive reputation as a destination. Local restaurants risked closure and many found themselves in the paradox of depending on tourists but resenting their presence.
Barcelona was once again one of the most visible examples of overtourism and featured a lot in summer headlines. The city announced the closure of two cruise terminals to reduce cruise ship traffic bringing thousands of visitors a day with little economic return to local communities. This step, as the decision makers hope, can help to avoid the scenario of becoming “a ‘theme park’ without residents.”
The patterns repeated. Italy’s South Tyrol Alpine region, once known for its tranquility, struggled with record-breaking visitor numbers. Summer 2025 brought long queues, congestion, and, undoubtedly, growing frustration among residents. Authorities decided to introduce ticketed access to some areas and experiment with new control systems, including caps on daily visitor numbers and reservation requirements, trying to preserve the fragile nature.
Paris has a traditionally high influx of tourists, but Montmartre faced surges during the summer of 2025, with residents warning that tourists are “consuming” rather than experiencing their city, worried that the magical place could lose its historical charm.
A new hotspot suddenly appeared in Scotland. Scotland’s North Coast 500, designed to promote a neglected area, became the Instagram Highway, overcrowded by tourists seeking a nice photo spot, causing safety and traffic issues, and pointing to an obvious infrastructure gap.
Complexities Behind Overtourism
The pressure is real, and sometimes it comes unexpectedly to locals. Some destinations, like France, despite being the world’s most visited country, have so far avoided mass protests against overtourism. One reason is that the country has a long-standing strategy of spreading visitors across regions and seasons, and domestic tourism in France is still higher than international tourism. In contrast, Spain’s experience with the growing number of travelers has left communities less prepared – and unhappy.
Overtourism is not simply a numbers game. There is no single indicator to spot it on time and no single definition. This is a complex problem. The rise of short-term rentals (STRs) like Airbnb illustrates the challenges related to overtourism. Tourists are willing to pay more for their short vacations, inflating rents and prices for locals. Yet STRs can also be revenue streams for residents who host visitors, and while authorities often blame platforms, many residents continue to support them. At the same time, Airbnb has pushed back, arguing that hotels, not STRs, are more responsible for overtourism, claiming that home rentals help disperse tourists and decrease overcrowding. But the hoteliers do not agree. This points to the need for independent research and the importance of collaboration among stakeholders, including governance, businesses and local communities to co-design fair solutions.
Social media has further driven demand: 75% of travelers say that they choose destinations based on social media inspiration. This explains the sudden fame of previously quiet places, often without any capacity to welcome tourists.
It is also important to distinguish between overcrowding from overtourism. Major sports events or music festivals with an influx of people can make locals feel overrun. But these pressures are often temporary and the “resident-to-visitor” ratio is not always a reliable indicator of whether a destination is truly suffering from overtourism. At the same time, many destinations suffer the opposite problem – undertourism. Countries such as Albania or Moldova attract fewer visitors, often due to limited marketing or less developed infrastructure, hence, despite rich cultural offerings, they are usually overshadowed by Europe’s more popular cities.
How Destinations are Responding to Overtourism
Authorities are experimenting with a mix of policies from tourist taxes to caps on STRs. The main actions are listed below:
- Taxes and fees. Examples: The Norwegian government allowed local authorities in high-tourism areas to introduce a visitor tax which some places plan to implement to fund infrastructure. Greece is going to charge cruise visitors a fee. Small Alpine towns in Switzerland are experimenting with photo fees and site-access charges, reinvesting the revenue directly into local services.
- Quotas and reservations. Examples: South Tyrol requires tickets to access parts of its alpine region. Paris continues to expand timed-entry systems for attractions such as the Louvre. In the Swiss Alps, visitors can be required to make bookings in advance for tour buses and certain hiking trails.
- Spreading demand. Examples: The Faroe Islands limit visitor access and balance tourism with preservation by experimenting with new approaches, such as a self-guided car tour programs designed to combat overtourism by taking visitors to lesser-known paths. To support the move towards “less-crowded destinations” and off-peak travel, tour operators are also suggesting alternative destinations for those who are seeking authentic experiences – evidence that industry players are also adjusting.
- Technology. Examples: Spain is using smart monitoring tools to help track flows in real time and redirect tourists. Destinations can also use AI technology to make precise predictions of travel patterns and even experiment with VR/AR tourism, offering e-alternatives to crowded physical visits.
Thus, authorities tackle overtourism-related issues by testing various strategies and tactics highlighted in recent discussions, but effectiveness remains uncertain and debatable, especially in a long-term perspective. Many of these policies are new and have never been “proved”. In addition, overtourism can be a symptom of other problems such as strong dependence on a single industry or dominance of large companies in the tourism industry, highlighting more systemic and structural issues.
Towards a Balance
If overtourism is a symptom, the solutions must move beyond crisis responses. Destinations need to move from marketing to management. The tourism industry supports one in ten jobs globally and contributes more than 10% of world GDP. Unfortunately, if it is unmanaged, overtourism risks destroying what makes the destination attractive. It requires collaboration among authorities, businesses, local communities, and even content creators influencing travelers’ choices.
An evidence-based approach offers a remedy to ensure that measures are tailored to the needs of each destination, while letting tourism remain both economically beneficial and sustainable. Some cities have already introduced incentives to encourage desirable behaviors among visitors, and there are living examples of destinations resistant to overtourism thanks to their policies. If travelers are seeking authentic experiences and destinations want to prioritize the quality of these experiences, then overtourism has no place in the equation. The challenge is no longer whether to act, rather how quickly and proactively destinations can leverage existing technologies and resources to adapt for greater resilience.
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