Protests will ‘absolutely’ spread if European cities don’t address overtourism, says UNESCO official

Protests in Spain will spread if European officials fail to address mass tourism’s negative effect on the lives of residents, UNESCO’s Peter Debrine told “Squawk Box Asia” on Monday.

“It’s turning into a very volatile situation,” said UNESCO’s senior project officer for sustainable tourism. “Civil society coming and trying to make change is very important, because at the end of the day, these are elected officials, so they have to respond …  to what the residents of their cities want.”

He cited the banning of large cruise ships in Venice, Italy, in 2021 as an example.

“People took to the streets on that issue,” he said. “Cruise ships are no longer going through the Grand Canal.”

Cruise ships now dock farther from Venice, which helps the structural and environmental integrity of the city.

But ship passengers still flow into its narrow passageways by the thousands. Venice is expected to attract some 540,000 cruise ship passengers this year, a 9% increase from 2023, according to the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority.

In an attempt to thin crowds, Venice implemented a 5-euro ($5.45) tourism tax on peak days this year — a measure which, thus far, has not worked, reported Euronews.  

Like Venice, Barcelona’s residents have long struggled with the global popularity of their hometown. Each year, the number of people who say that tourism benefits the city decreases, while the number who feel it is detrimental rises, according to a 2023 survey of Barcelona’s residents by its City Council.    

“In Barcelona … they really breached a threshold,” Debrine said. But “there are solutions.”

The interests of locals and travelers need to be rebalanced, said Debrine.

A city dealing with too many travelers can make a push for “quality over quantity” tourism — that is, prioritizing big-spending travelers over mass tourists, he said.

The strategy gained traction during the Covid-19 pandemic, when safety and staffing concerns led destinations around the world to euphemistically announce an all-out push for fewer luxury travelers, rather than many budget ones.

“Quality” travelers also help correct another problem: tourists who behave badly.

“With the residents, it’s not just the numbers, but it’s how people are behaving,” Debrine told CNBC. Spaniards have complained for years that, tourists drink excessively, litter, brawl and even run naked through the streets.

Debrine said Amsterdam is exploring policies to change behaviors like those.

In addition to cracking down on coach buses, tourist shops, new hotels and short-term rentals, the Dutch capital launched a travel campaign in 2023 telling some visitors — namely young, male British tourists — to “stay away” if they’re traveling to the city for drugs or parties.

Civil groups are calling for Barcelona officials to implement a number of policies aimed at establishing “tourism degrowth” — namely, higher tourism taxes, limits on cruise ships and restrictions on short-term housing rentals.

But travelers also play a role in curbing mass tourism, said Debrine.

“We need to be more conscious in our travel decisions,” he said, suggesting the concept of “mirror cities” as one method.

“There’s a beautiful city south of Barcelona called Tarragona. It has a lot of the wonderful cultural attractions,” he said. “Similar to Barcelona, it has a beautiful seaside.”

But unlike Barcelona, he said, it “could benefit from more tourism.”