Tourism Protests Are Expected in Major European Cities This Weekend
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Across Europe's most popular destinations this weekend, the weather forecast says cloudy with a chance of water guns.
Coordinated anti-tourism demonstrations, which recently have taken the form of crowds of locals spraying tourists with water pistols, are scheduled to happen on Sunday, June 15, in cities such as Barcelona, Ibiza, and Palma in Spain, as well as elsewhere in Europe, including Venice, Palermo, Lisbon, and other cities.
'Tourists have been warned of potential disruptions caused by activist groups preparing a large-scale protest for June 15th,' says Pablo Calvo, Spain Manager for travel operator Tours For You. 'The demonstration, organized by the Southern European Network Against Touristification (SET), will focus on major Spanish destinations, such as the Canary Islands (Lanzarote and Tenerife) and the Balearic Islands (Barcelona and Mallorca)."
The protests are a continuation of a movement that first gained momentum in summer 2024 in Barcelona and the Canary Islands, as locals demanded action from politicians to limit mass tourism's impact on housing, jobs, and daily life. Spain, and Barcelona in particular, remain ground zero for the movement. Here's everything to know if you have an upcoming trip planned to one of the impacted destinations.
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When and where are the protests?
What are the protests about?
Should travelers be concerned?
Travel alerts and advice
How to be a responsible traveler
In Barcelona, the protests are scheduled to start at noon on June 15 at the city's Jardinets de Gràcia.
Additional cities in Spain that are planning to participate include Donostia-San Sebastian, where demonstrations will begin at 12 p.m. at the clock at La Concha beach; Granada, where protests will start at 11 a.m. at the Mirador de San Nicolas; Palma, where demonstrations are scheduled for 6 p.m. at Placa d'Espanya; and Ibiza, where protests will start at 6 p.m. at Portal de Ses Taules and follow the Plaça de la Constitució, ending in the Plaza de sa Graduada at 9 p.m., according to local news site Periodico de Ibiza.
Protests are also expected to take place on June 15 in major cities throughout Europe, including Venice and Lisbon. Specific plans have not yet been released to the public, but parks, public squares, or popular tourist sites are likely gathering places.
The protests aim to highlight the 'growing concern over the uncontrolled growth of tourism and its negative effects on local communities,' Calvo says, including rising housing costs, overcrowding, and the treatment of the industry's hospitality workers.
Lluís Diago, a worker at Barcelona's famous Park Güell, said in a statement many of the jobs in the city's tourism sector are 'plagued by subcontracting and undignified and unsafe working conditions.'
Improving working conditions and the housing market is a core focus of the coordinated demonstrations on June 15. The protests are fighting against "injustice from the economic model [tourism] sets,' said a spokesperson from the Assembly of Neighborhoods for Tourist De-Growth. In Barcelona, locals are pushing the city's politicians to reform policies like stopping a proposed expansion to Barcelona's El Prat Airport, tightening restrictions on Airbnbs and other short-term rentals, and placing limits on cruise ship arrivals.
The message of the demonstrations may be geared toward politicians, but tourists could still be caught in the watery crossfire. 'We don't think there will be aggressive behaviors against tourists, so no fear for travelers," says Bruno Gomes, who works for We Hate Tourism tours in Lisbon, which aims to help visitors experience the city in a deeper way beyond its biggest tourist attractions.
Although the demonstrations may sound overwhelming, there's 'no reason for fear, no need to cancel trips,' says Condé Nast Traveler travel specialist Murielle Blanchard, a consultant with Black Pearl Luxury Services.
'My suggestion is to talk to the [hotel] concierge and find out the route of the demonstration,' Blanchard says, adding that she has advised her clients to stay away from major sightseeing spots in affected cities on the day of the protests. 'It is better not to be in the middle of it. They have used water guns in the past, but I am not sure it will be the same this time."
Similar protests against overtourism occurred in Spain across major destinations like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, and the Canary Islands this May. Before those protests, the US Embassy and Consulate in Spain and Andorra sent an alert to travelers advising them to avoid the gatherings.
The embassy also advised US travelers to:
Exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests
Be aware of your surroundings
Follow the instructions of authorities and signs regarding closures and detours
Monitor local media for updates
Keep a low profile
The same advice can be applied to the upcoming June 15 protests.
Tourists can also make strides to be more responsible and intentional about the way they travel. According to Gomes, more travelers are being led by social media to the same spots with hopes of recreating the content they see in viral posts and videos. This only exacerbates overcrowding issues and stress on destinations' infrastructures.
'We are traveling more and more with strict agendas and to-do lists,' Gomes says. 'We know all about everything because of Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok, stripping away from us what traveling should be.' Instead, travelers can strive to get off the beaten path, and venture beyond the tourist hotspots. Other helpful actions travelers can take include scheduling trips for the off season, traveling in smaller groups, hiring local guides, and supporting small businesses.
These are issues that can be solved on an individual level, one tourist at a time. 'Explore, and engage with locals to give you a true feeling of what life and culture are in each city,' recommends Gomes. 'Go deeper. The biggest responsibility of overtourism is from politicians and greedy businesses, but we all have a responsibility too. If we consume and choose better, know where and to whom your money is going, we will in fact change things.'
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
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