Your Airbnb was my home: Why Europeans are turning against tourists

Business Standard

4 hours ago

Planning a trip to Europe? Don't expect the same carefree welcome as a decade ago. In parts of Spain, Italy and Portugal, anti-tourism protests are spreading fast — fuelled by rising housing costs, overtourism and frustration with short-term rentals.
And it's not just backpackers or group tourists being targeted. In Venice, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sánchez are facing backlash over their high-profile, three-day wedding celebration. Protest groups have already put up placards on social media saying 'No space for Bezos' and 'Veniceland: A playground fit for an oligarch'.
'We're going to block the canals and line the streets,' one protest organiser told Italian media earlier this week.
Locals say housing, water and quality of life are under strain
One of the biggest concerns among residents in Venice is the cost of housing. 'It's become impossible for many Venetians to find a home,' said Andrea Zanetti, a local housing rights activist told local media. 'We're being priced out.'
The wedding coincides with peak tourist season, when tens of thousands of visitors pour into the city each day. Hotel occupancy is near full across most price points.
The protests are not limited to Venice. Demonstrations have also taken place in Milan, Naples, Genoa and Palermo. Locals complain their neighbourhoods are being turned into what they call 'tourist playgrounds'.
In Spain, tourists met with water pistols and flares
In Barcelona and along the Mediterranean coast, residents have taken a more dramatic approach — using water pistols on tourists and even lighting flares in popular spots.
Some hold up signs saying 'Your Airbnb used to be my home' or simply 'Go home'.
Spain's economy has rebounded strongly over the last decade, in part due to a booming tourism industry. Last year, it attracted 134 million visitors — nearly three times its population of 48 million — and more than any year before the pandemic, as per official data.
But locals say it's come at a cost. In Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and the Canary Islands, protests have been held over rising rents, pressure on public services and environmental damage. Demonstrations have also taken place in Ibiza, Granada, Malaga, San Sebastián and Minorca.
Portugal and Greece also taking action
In Lisbon, locals have voiced concern about losing their city's character to tourist-focused businesses. Portugal's anti-tourism sentiment has grown, with many residents calling for more regulations on short-term lets and tourist accommodations.
Greece, while not seeing protests on the same scale, has introduced new rules to manage tourism. From July 1, 2025, cruise passengers will have to pay a tax — €20 to visit popular islands like Mykonos, and €5 for lesser-known islands such as Samos.
The country is also sending water tankers to island destinations and using desalination technology to help with water shortages. At the Acropolis, staggered entry times have been introduced to manage crowds.
What's behind the surge in overtourism
Several factors are driving the increase in international travel: cheap flights, social media influence, the ease of booking through AI tools, and a strong economic outlook in wealthier countries.
Travellers from the US, UK, China and Japan are among the biggest drivers of traffic to Southern and Western Europe. The UN's World Tourism Barometer reports that Europe saw 747 million international travellers last year — more than any other region. Over 70% of them headed to Southern and Western parts of the continent.
In Venice, a reintroduced entry fee of €5–10 now applies to day-trippers during peak season. Barcelona plans to phase out all of its 10,000 short-term rental licences by 2028. Spain has also ordered Airbnb to delist nearly 66,000 properties that breached local rules.
'The housing crisis is the biggest governance challenge we face right now,' a spokesperson from Spain's housing ministry told Bloomberg.
Despite the unrest, Indian interest in Europe is rising. Travel to Schengen countries increased by 18.95% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to Policybazaar.
Germany, France and Switzerland remain the most visited European destinations for Indian travellers.