TSTT Tourism & Society - Residents’ discontent redefines tourism success in Europe

Residents’ discontent redefines tourism success in Europe

11-10-2026

The European summer has a protagonist who does not appear in the brochures: the resident. The unease of those who live all year round in the most visited destinations is no longer a local grievance and has moved to the centre of public debate. This is reflected in a study by the platform JB.com, released in June, which examined the situation in thirty countries and concluded that Spain, Italy and France are the three places where the backlash against mass tourism is most intense.

The ranking was built on four variables: the strength of the protests, the media attention they receive, tourist taxes, and the ratio of visitors to inhabitants. At the opposite end of the list are Cyprus and Albania, identified as the most welcoming destinations. Neither has recorded any protests, and regulatory pressure on travellers is very low.

Spain illustrates the paradox with particular clarity. Arrivals rose by 3.4% in the first four months of 2026, and the Ministry of Tourism was forecasting a 7.1% increase in international passengers for June compared with the same month the previous year. As the figures climbed, demonstrations against overcrowding spread to more than forty cities, from Barcelona to the Canary Islands. Catalonia is the main focus of discontent, followed by the Balearic and Canary Islands. Catalonia received some 20.1 million tourists in 2025, 0.6% more than in 2024. Images of banners and water pistols in the busiest spots went around the world.

Italy is experiencing a similar situation. Protests have reached Venice, Rome, Florence, Naples and Milan, and in some cases have taken striking forms. Some activists disabled the lockboxes used to hold the keys to tourist rental properties, a gesture that captures the tension surrounding the residential use of urban space. Venice, for its part, has once again charged its fee for day-trippers. The measure applies on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in April, May, June and July, and seeks to spread the pressure of the busiest days more evenly.

France is no stranger to the phenomenon either. Marseille, Nice and Paris have seen demonstrations, and opposition to cruise ships is gaining ground. The reasons vary from place to place, but the heart of the conflict is the same in all three countries. Residents complain of a shortage of housing and the rising cost of living. At the same time, tourism remains a source of income that many European Union member states would find hard to replace. This dual reality explains why authorities waver between welcoming visitors and the need to manage their presence.

Policy responses are multiplying. Tourist taxes, daily visitor caps, restrictions on short-term rentals, and campaigns encouraging people to travel in the low season or to discover lesser-known areas make up the range of measures already in place or under consideration in various countries. Experts warn, however, that isolated measures are rarely enough. In their view, they must be accompanied by housing, mobility and quality employment policies that make the benefits of tourism visible to those who live permanently in the destination.

The challenge extends to businesses as well. Hotels, operators and platforms will have to show that they can grow without damaging community life, which means adapting what they offer, distributing visitor flows and working with local communities. Travellers, for their part, are beginning to take the reputation of destinations into account and are choosing more consciously. That trend opens up an opportunity for places that commit to quality, authenticity and respect for their surroundings.

The underlying conclusion is that tourism success is no longer measured solely in arrivals and spending. Social legitimacy carries ever greater weight: residents need to feel that tourism improves their neighbourhood instead of making it more expensive. Destinations that achieve that consensus, with clear rules and transparent management, will be better placed to grow sustainably than those that merely break visitor records.

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