Spain, Barcelona, Lisbon, And Genoa Push Back Strongly As Hotels Dismiss Overtourism Claims, Criticize The Rise Of Unregulated Short-term Rentals, And Urge A Shift Toward Fair, Sustainable Tourism Across Europe’s Travel Sector

Thursday, July 17, 2025

The situation of overtourism has reached a breaking constituent successful immoderate of Europe’s astir visited cities, prompting wide interest and fierce statement wrong nan world recreation industry. In caller years, nan equilibrium betwixt welcoming visitors and protecting section communities has tilted, raising difficult questions astir who is genuinely responsible—and really nan manufacture should respond.

Problem-Solving Efforts

For over a decade, starring tourism voices person warned of nan increasing strain connected section resources successful hotspots for illustration Barcelona, nan Balearic Islands, and nan Canary Islands. According to nan caput of Exceltur, a cardinal Spanish tourism deliberation tank, nan situation has only deepened owed to nan unregulated detonation of short-term picnic rentals. Originally promoted nether nan “sharing economy” ideal, galore of these properties now inhabit nearly 50% of nan rental lodging banal successful captious tourer zones, pushing retired locals and straining infrastructure.

Rather than relying connected short-term governmental gestures aimed astatine appeasing nationalist outcry, experts accent nan request for rigorous, data-driven decision-making. In response, Turismo Que Suma, a public–private initiative, was launched pinch nan ngo to curb overcrowding, little related risks, and foster a tourism exemplary that respects and benefits big communities.

A seasoned tourism expert warned against framing nan rumor arsenic a binary statement complete platforms for illustration Airbnb. The existent challenge, he argued, lies successful nan presence of forbidden and unregulated listings. To protect some visitors and locals, short-term rental operators must autumn nether local regulatory frameworks. Without these, specified operators summation unfair competitory advantages, undercut compliance-focused businesses, and undermine efforts to support patient municipality life.

This worsening issue, galore agree, cannot beryllium blamed solely connected one sector. A collaborative, industry-wide approach—involving governments, backstage operators, and organization representatives—is now basal to create sustainable tourism strategies that activity long-term.

Hotel Perspective

Many successful nan traditional edifice sector person pushed backmost powerfully against nan communicative that places superior blasted for overtourism connected hotels. Industry information reveals that successful Spain, edifice room numbers person only grown by 2.5% successful nan past 10 years. In contrast, vacation rental listings person ballooned by 135%, acold outpacing nan carrying capacity of galore cities and coastal destinations.

Hotels, manufacture leaders say, are typically built and operated nether strict municipality readying rules, which see zoning laws, organization density limits, and sustainability targets. By contrast, nan vacation rental sector has mostly expanded pinch little to nary oversight, contributing to residential displacement and overburdened nationalist infrastructure.

To accommodate to changing demands without worsening nan problem, respective edifice chains are now repositioning themselves. The attraction has shifted from sheer description to quality complete quantity—particularly by upgrading existing properties and focusing connected nan premium and luxury segments. These efforts are framed nether responsible tourism programs aimed astatine maximizing societal and biology benefits.

Importantly, galore hotels coming double arsenic community hubs—offering shared spaces for illustration co-working facilities, wellness centers, and eating venues utilized by some visitors and residents. A caller edifice opening successful a less cardinal portion of Barcelona serves arsenic a compelling example: nan improvement was carried retired successful consultation pinch local authorities and vicinity organizations, helping reside unmet section needs and gaining strong organization support.

Looking ahead, nan edifice assemblage is progressively engaging successful city–hotel partnerships, sustainability alliances, and municipality resilience programs. Their extremity is to create a tourism exemplary that grows responsibly and contributes positively to nan places wherever it operates.

STRs vs. Hotels

A study titled “Overtourism successful nan EU,” published successful June, ignited caller statement complete nan domiciled of short-term rentals (STRs) successful nan tourism crisis. The study stated that 78% of overnight stays successful nan EU still return spot successful hotels aliases akin general accommodations, positioning STRs arsenic a comparatively mini player. It based on that STRs could beryllium portion of nan solution, not nan problem, particularly by dispersing tourism to less crowded areas and distant from high-density tourer zones.

The archive besides emphasized that STRs supply flexibility during periods of highest demand, specified arsenic awesome taste aliases sporting events, without nan downside of maintaining ample inventories year-round. Additionally, it claimed that STRs beforehand local economical growth by enabling families and individuals to make income done spot rental.

Yet these claims met immediate skepticism. Analysts pointed retired that since nan study was produced by a institution straight progressive successful STR operations, it mightiness lack objectivity. Calls were made for independent research from a neutral assemblage to analyse nan existent effect of STRs crossed nan EU.

Adding to nan tension, nan report’s merchandise followed a important legal setback successful Spain, wherever nan authorities ordered nan removal of 65,000 forbidden STR listings from nan platform. The news caused a 3% driblet successful nan company’s stock price. Critics noted that increasing ineligible pressures worldwide, including tighter compliance laws, are creating major risks for nan STR business model—not conscionable financially but besides successful position of nationalist trust.

Who Is to Blame for Overtourism?

The visible frustration of section communities crossed Europe makes it clear that overtourism is not conscionable a argumentation issue—it’s personal. Last summertime successful Barcelona, residents took to nan streets, soaking visitors pinch h2o pistols arsenic a protestation against what they spot arsenic nan excessive influx of visitors. Their anger is not unfounded: overnight tourism successful nan metropolis has surged from 4.5 cardinal successful 2004 to 15.5 cardinal successful 2024.

The unrest has not been constricted to Spain. In Genoa, Italy, residents conducted a “noisy stroll,” dragging luggage done nan streets to mimic nan regular disruption caused by visitors. In Lisbon, activists objecting to a new five-star hotel paraded a handcuffed effigy of nan city’s patron saint, disrupting nan highest tourer season.

These acts of protestation person fueled an ongoing debate: Should nan blasted autumn connected airlines, which person made recreation acold excessively accessible? Or connected cruise ships, which deposit thousands of visitors astatine erstwhile without contributing overmuch to nan section economy? Or possibly it is hotels, which thin to cluster successful nan astir desirable (and crowded) areas?

In response, short-term rental advocates person countered that hotels are much to blame, fixed their centralized presence and larger c and infrastructure footprint successful historical areas.

Global Travel-Industry Impact

The rumor of overtourism is now reshaping nan world recreation landscape successful tangible ways. Governments are opening to respond pinch stricter regulations, including proposals to ban STRs successful definite areas aliases use higher taxes to them. In Barcelona, for instance, officials are preparing to shape retired all tourist-focused STRs by 2028—a bold move apt to nonstop ripples crossed nan industry.

These shifts will person lasting impacts, including:

• Redistribution of tourer traffic to little congested locations
• A emergence successful alternative accommodation models that stress local ownership and sustainability
• A strategical displacement successful tourism marketing, pinch greater accent connected seasonal dispersal and low-impact travel

The improvement of recreation will not conscionable impact where group go, but how they experience nan places they visit. More importantly, it will find whether tourism continues to beryllium a positive unit for taste speech and economical growth, aliases whether it erodes nan very destinations it claims to celebrate.

In this pivotal moment, nan manufacture must move beyond blasted and clasp shared responsibility. That intends crafting smart policy, investing successful long-term planning, and building inclusive partnerships that guarantee tourism uplifts communities alternatively than overwhelming them. Only done this corporate effort tin nan early of recreation stay equitable, enriching, and sustainable for all.