“Tourists, go home!” The slogan that dominates the – increasingly – protest events that have taken place in European cities, literally groaning from the event of hypertourism seems to refer to the equivalent of shaking the atmosphere during the anti-American protests of the past decades.
So it seems that the… imperialism of tourists and their local “collaborators” is seen by their inhabitants as a great threat to their lives, which they have changed a lot, on many levels.
It is no coincidence that from Barcelona to Malaga, from Venice to Florence, from Amsterdam to Dubrovnik and from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and the banks of the Danube, thousands of people have decided that the evils of tourism especially now in his favor. And this is despite the fact that many are quick to point out that if tourism income decreases, then, especially in some countries and cities, the fiscal hole will be large and difficult to fill.
But the protesters, aware that their daily life has become difficult – from displacement and the lack of available apartments for long-term rent to the increase in the cost of living and the intensity of the water shortage – do not hesitate and do not hesitate to shout “until now”. The exercise, at the same time, all possible pressure on governments and local authorities to take measures.
Sometimes, they also continue symbolic (for now, at least) movements directed at the tourists themselves. For example, the water gun attack they received in Barcelona last Saturday or the campaign with information brochures and digital messages aimed at warning them that if they choose to visit their city, they may not they had such a good time…
Appeals and restrictions
In Dubrovnik, Croatia, at the same time, another campaign was launched, entitled “Respect for the city” and, until now, an appeal to its millions of visitors. In this context, tourists are asked, among other things, not to climb its monuments, to hold suitcases in their hands and not to drag them on cobblestones and stone alleys due to the severe and continuous noise, as well as to dress decently. so as not to challenge the residents.
In the same background, in Italy, the municipal authority of the world-famous Venice became the first to impose from this year – despite the experiment in the first phase – a ticket of around 5 euros to its daily visitors ( estimated to be around 40,000 on peak days). The Authority of Lake Como plans to do something similar, which is the third largest in the country and is another popular tourist destination, while from 2016 until now the number of tourist accommodation and beds increased by 673%.
Also in the Dutch capital, a campaign has been launched since spring aimed at discouraging from visiting the city those groups of tourists who are considered to be already suspected rioters. Related videos attached to it warn them of the risk of being fined, taken to hospitals for alcohol rehab or having their criminal records blackened.
At the same time, the city authorities continued a series of regulations aimed at relieving the – sometimes suffocating – situation created by the presence of tourists: closing bars at 2 after midnight instead of 4, prohibiting the public consumption of cannabis at the “red” traffic lights in the neighborhood”, not granting permits for the construction of new hotels in the center, as well as severely limiting the number of beds which is available through the Airbnb platform.
Short term rental
This last part actually emerged as one of the most controversial and at the same time complicated to deal with the problem, because it is estimated that the explosion of leases contributed decisively to the phenomenon of overtourism. Because of this, many regulations are applied and studied, from mild to very radical, which goes as far as banning leases.
In Berlin, for the record, there is already an annual limit of 90 days for short-term rental of a second home, while in Paris it applies to the first home and is set at 120 days, with tax incentives in place to limit. the number of relevant lists of platforms. On the other hand, Florence has completely banned short-term rentals in the historic center, a measure announced since June by the mayor of Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​Europe, which has set 2028 as a possible year to start its implementation.
The list of measures and plans is apparently endless, with the problem getting worse because tourist numbers have returned to, if not surpassed, pre-Covid levels. At the same time, objections to their legitimacy are also increasing. Here is a reasonable question (where a convincing answer may never be given): Instead of offending small owners, who manage the short-term rental model to increase their income and bring it to a decent level, why not those – individuals and companies – who take advantage of the current legal and tax framework to create new hotel units under the “mantle” of a platform?
SOS from the much hyped “Greek paradises”
Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Serifos and Athens are some of the destinations that have become perennial attractions for visitors from every corner of the planet. Tourism has established itself as a “heavy industry” in Greece and has recently become a way for many of our fellow citizens – whether businessmen or private home owners – to increase the family budget through short-term rental platforms. However, the large influx of tourists every year does not come without a price. Overloading critical local infrastructure is just one aspect.
The profits of hypertourism have begun to leave their mark on the much heralded “Greek paradises”. Above all, the lack of water, a chronic problem in our country, due to its geographical position and climatic conditions – especially in the islands – which is now rapidly worsening due to the increased consumption demanded by the population international visitors. The demand for water during tourism often leads to water supply shortages and disruptions, with direct consequences for the local community, economy, primary sector and the quality of life of permanent residents.
Warnings
Consequently, the increase in demand for energy, the production of waste and the pollution of the sea and atmosphere burden the natural environment. Therefore, experts and organizations warn, it is possible that in the near future the problem of overtourism will be solved… by itself, because the country’s popular destinations are at risk of becoming unsustainable and therefore unattractive.
“We do not understand that if the natural environment changes or disappears, our health is at risk. And I am sorry, because the State does not seem to understand what it means to destroy the natural and built environment. This, however, is noticeable if excessive tourism, as expected, will eventually lead to the irreparable deterioration of destinations and the diversification of tourists.
Through publications that appear more frequently in the international press, readers are urged not to visit the “frontline” islands, such as Santorini and Paros. Recently, Athens has also been included in the destinations to avoid”, Eleni Maistrou, architect and professor emeritus of the National Technical University of Athens, explained to “NEA”.
Greek peculiarity
He points out that currently there is no in Greece – “and it is doubtful if there will be” – a strong spatial planning, which will define the permitted use and permitted building outside the plan. “In general, it is a Greek variety. In the rest of Europe, the term “off-plan building” does not even exist. Today, in some islands, the unplanned area has become an urban area .”
And in the closed city, however, the problem of overtourism is equally acute. Koukaki and Plaka are two neighborhoods in central Athens that have been emptied of their native inhabitants, due to a series of reasons, the main one being the unreasonable amount of rent. “No one can find a house in the center.
Tourist accommodation should be spread over a wider area of ​​the town, beyond the historical center. But also divided into many months of the year. Visitors can go to the Acropolis and the museums while staying in other areas of the city, as long as there is interconnection through public transportation. Of course, all this requires specific planning on the part of the State”, meaningfully concluded Eleni Maistrou.