Mass tourism: when vacationers are no longer welcome

Italy is struggling with the balancing act between hospitality and stress. Venice made headlines by charging admission fees for day visitors, but in 2025 this generated over five million euros. However, the real problem remained: overcrowded alleyways, irritated residents and a dwindling daily life.

According to Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè, 75 percent of tourists are concentrated in just four percent of the area. However, there is no problem with "overtourism". And while some people complain, others complain when things get quieter. For example, traders on Lake Garda, who are annoyed by empty terraces and poor booking figures this summer.

In the Dolomites, the summer is becoming a test of endurance. Four landowners have reacted provocatively: they are charging five euros for access to the Seceda - one of the most photographed viewpoints in South Tyrol with a view of the Odle group. It's not about profit, they emphasize, but a sign against garbage, stressed cattle, trampled alpine pastures - and tourists who, with sneakers and selfie sticks, look as if they want to go to the old town for an aperitif instead of up 2,500 metres above sea level. Even if the Alpine associations are critical of the toll, they show understanding: the masses need to be informed and guided.

Switzerland and Austria: TV backdrops as a tourist magnet

There is also a turnstile in the Swiss town of Iseltwald on Lake Brienz, south of Bern. In 2023, the municipality responded to the rush of visitors - mainly Asian tourists who came by the busload for a selfie on the wooden footbridge, known from a South Korean Netflix series. Admission costs five francs (around 5.40 euros), which raised 244,000 francs last year. The money goes towards cleaning, maintenance and supervisory staff. However, the flow of visitors has not stopped, a spokesperson admits.

In Austria, Hallstatt remains the place that suffers most from tourists. The tiny community of 750 inhabitants has over a million visitors a year - many from Asia, attracted by the picturesque scenery that has become famous worldwide through TV series. A few years ago, the number of coaches was limited and a minimum length of stay was introduced for coach groups. "We can only get the whole thing under control if we restrict access to the main road," says Mayor Alexander Scheutz. The aim should be to close the access road well before the village as soon as hotels and parking spaces are fully booked. Hallstatt benefits financially: there is free childcare, affordable meals for senior citizens, social rental apartments and support for the fire department and mountain rescue service. According to the mayor, the municipality strives to provide an infrastructure that keeps the town worth living in.

Scandinavia: rules, apps and a GPS system

In Northern Europe, too, tourist hotspots such as the Danish capital Copenhagen or the picturesque fjords on the west coast of Norway are being overrun by travelers. In small towns that cruise ships call at, the number of day visitors often exceeds the number of residents. And as the trend in the wake of the climate crisis is towards "coolcation" - i.e. vacationing in cooler climes rather than in the overheated south of Europe - the crowds of tourists in Scandinavia are unlikely to get any smaller.

Locals complain about the reckless behavior of tourists: at the Geirangerfjord in Norway, for example, many ignore barriers for the perfect, but also life-threatening Instagram snapshot - a problem that can also be heard in many places in Iceland.

For years, Nordic countries have been trying to counteract this with rules, signs, appeals and creative ideas. Copenhagen is promoting sustainable travel with its "Copenpay" campaign. The small but beautiful Faroe Islands go even further: tourists there can use rental cars with GPS systems to guide them to less well-known places. This is intended to protect nature. The only condition: The car decides where the journey takes you.

Spain: record numbers - and growing frustration

Spain, the second most visited country in the world after France, is heading for a new tourist record in 2025: the number of foreign visitors could exceed the 100 million mark for the first time this year. The resentment towards mass tourism is growing from year to year. Mallorca alone, Germany's most popular vacation island, welcomed 13.5 million people last year - with a population of less than one million.

According to tenants' associations, environmentalists and other organizations, the consequences are serious: housing shortages, environmental pollution, traffic chaos, noise pollution, rising prices and the destruction of nature. Measures against mass tourism are being examined and taken throughout the country - for example, by significantly increasing the overnight tax, in Barcelona to up to 15 euros per night. Although this brings a lot of money into the coffers, it also makes political consistency more difficult. However, Barcelona wants to completely abolish the rental of vacation apartments by the end of 2028.

Meanwhile, some locals are resorting to creative forms of protest. Last year, activists in Mallorca put up deceptively real signs with warnings about jellyfish, falling rocks and swimming bans to keep tourists away from the beaches. In Barcelona, residents simply turned signposts to the bunkers on the Turó de la Rovira upside down to deliberately mislead visitors.

Greece: Expensive beaches because of tourists

There are no demonstrations against tourists in Hellas, but there is criticism. Super destinations such as the vacation islands of Santorini and Mykonos suffer from the cruise tourists who land in their thousands every day during the high season. They now have to pay an entrance fee of 20 euros. This is unlikely to change much - but the money will be invested in infrastructure.

The price trend is also problematic: Mykonos, for example, is now so expensive that hardly any Greeks can afford a vacation there. In addition, employees are unable to find accommodation because almost everything is rented out to tourists.

And finally, unmanaged beaches are disappearing: beach bars and sun loungers are taking up the last available space in many places. Yet beaches in Greece are public by law - at least half of the area must be accessible to everyone at all times. In the meantime, the authorities are stepping up checks and penalizing violations.