Europe is experiencing a tourism boom unlike anything in recent history, but not everyone is celebrating, as a growing anti-tourism sentiment has spread. Countries like Spain, Greece, Italy, and France are welcoming record-breaking numbers of international visitors in 2025, but the surge is also stoking deep frustration in many of the continent’s most popular destinations. The latest travel data confirms that tourism across the region has grown for nine consecutive months in 2025 but with that the frustration of local residents and anti-tourism sentiment has also grown significantly.
Spain, a hotspot for anti-tourism protests, particularly in heavily visited cities like Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca recorded more than 44.5 million international arrivals in 2025, marking a 4.7% increase from the previous year. France also saw a 4.8% increase in both arrivals and tourism revenue, Italy logged a 4.8% rise in visitors and a 5.7% boost in spending, while Greece reported a more modest but steady 0.6% increase in international tourism.
As the crowds grow, however, so does the unrest and protests against the effects of mass tourism, and if the trend continues, it could soon spark even more serious backlash on the streets.
Signs reading “Tourists Go Home” have become more and more common across southern Europe, and while tourism is crucial to the local economy, there’s a growing resentment over how mass tourism is impacting everyday life for local residents.
From unaffordable rents to overcrowded infrastructure and environmental degradation, locals say they are bearing the cost of an economy increasingly reliant on visitors and are urging for a more sustainable approach to protect local residents and the environment.
In Zakynthos, a beautiful island in Greece, the tourist-to-resident ratio is among the highest in Europe, and it has even been named the most overcrowded on the continent, with nearly 150,000 tourists per 1,000 locals.
In June, the latest wave of anti-mass tourism protests swept across Spain, with demonstrations planned not only in Barcelona but also in seven other cities, including Granada, Palma, and Ibiza. Similar protests were reported in Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, as well as in key Italian destinations such as Venice, Genoa, Palermo, Milan, and Naples.
Claudia Gualdi from Denmark-based travel data and analyst company Riskline said: “Attitudes towards tourism are shifting across Europe.”
She added: “Beyond the sheer numbers, locals are increasingly linking tourism to climate pressures, resource shortages and the strain of everyday life.
“Iconic locations such as Rome, Paris, Venice, the Greek islands, Santiago de Compostela and the Vatican are unlikely to see reduced demand.
“These places will continue to face the greatest pressures, highlighting the need for stronger local management and sustainable tourism policies alongside changing traveller habits.”
Several cities have now introduced tourist taxes in an effort to ease the impact of mass tourism. In Greece, Mykonos and Santorini charge around £14.3 per cruise ship visitor during peak season. Venice has also recently implemented both an overnight tourist tax for guests staying in the city and a day-tripper access fee for those entering the historic center without overnight accommodation.