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Protests against mass tourism span Spain, Italy and Portugal

2025-06-17 17:18:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Dozens of cities in Spain, Italy and Portugal were recently engulfed in organized protests against mass tourism, with organizers in Barcelona calling on participants to bring water pistols to symbolically aim at tourists.

Protesters argue that uncontrolled tourism has led to rising living costs, a lack of affordable housing for locals and overcrowding in urban areas. The campaign in Spain is called “Less Tourism, More Life.” Protesters claim that the current situation is leading to “territorial destruction, economic insecurity, a housing crisis and loss of rights.”

Protests were held in cities including Barcelona, ??Granada, Palma and Ibiza in Spain, Lisbon in Portugal, as well as popular Italian destinations such as Venice, Genoa, Palermo, Milan and Naples. The reaction comes after reports of makeshift camps in Ibiza, where dozens of people are living without water, power or basic services.

The protesters' anger is mainly directed at Airbnb and the rise of short-term rentals, which they say are pushing locals out of their neighborhoods. Carmen Naranjo, a 21-year-old student from Barcelona, ??told Sky News that "the city has become a playground for tourists," and that some of the places that locals used to frequent have closed due to overcrowding.

Txema Escorsa, a resident of Barcelona, ??also said he feels tired of the pressure and has stopped using Airbnb during his travels, as "he finally realizes that it is taking away people's homes."

On the other hand, Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, Airbnb’s general manager for Spain and Portugal, said that “politicians have found an easy culprit to justify their failures in housing and tourism policy over the last decades.” He added that hotels continue to be the main form of accommodation for tourists, with 20 million visitors staying in hotels in Barcelona during 2024, compared to 12 million who used rental apartments.

The protests come as international travel spending in Europe is expected to rise by 11% to £617 billion this year. Spain welcomed 94 million foreign tourists in 2024, a record that could be surpassed in 2025, according to the economy ministry.

Meanwhile, local authorities in Barcelona have proposed the gradual closure of tourist apartments, while Pompeii and other popular destinations have announced measures to limit the number of daily visitors, in an attempt to balance economic interests with social and environmental ones.

In Portugal, similar demonstrations were held in Lisbon, where residents denounced rising prices, the displacement of traditional communities and the overcrowding of historic areas. Civil society activists called for more regulation of the housing market and intervention in the digital tourism monopolies that are absorbing urban centers.
Italy also became heavily involved in coordinated protests. Rallies were organized in Venice, Genoa, Palermo, Milan and Naples, where activists raised similar concerns about the disappearance of local markets, the closure of traditional businesses, the sharp rise in rents and the transformation of cities into “tourist showcases.”

In Venice, where an entrance fee and daily limits on visitors are in force, residents are calling for tougher measures to preserve the social and environmental life of the historic lagoon.

Public anger is escalating across southern Europe, as international travel spending is expected to grow by 11% in 2025, reaching £617 billion. Spain welcomed a record 94 million tourists in 2024, and is expected to welcome 100 million this year.