It’s hard to imagine us complaining about tourists crowding our favorite haunts.
Maybe once the Lehigh Portland State Park gets in full swing, we’ll see longer lines at restaurants and gas stations. Hope so.
It’d be great if everything were as busy as Dairy Queen on game nights.
Cha-ching.
So, I’ve been intrigued with the news reports of people complaining about being overwhelmed by tourists so much to the point they’re sabotaging the industry.
In Barcelona, Spain, anti-tourism protestors recently confronted tourists with water pistols and carried signs reading, “Tourists go home” and “Tourism is stealing from us.”
On the island of Mallorca off the coast of eastern Spain, demonstrators blamed overtourism for their high cost of living.
“As you come, I have to go,” is a common refrain among protestors who say they are being displaced by tourists who can afford the high prices of short-term rentals.
In Venice, Italy, a former public housing complex was renovated into rental units for tourists.
In Amsterdam, residents took to the streets complaining overtourism is making parts of their city unlivable and driving up housing prices.
In Mexico City, officials have signed agreements with Airbnb to convert entire neighborhoods with short-term rentals, displacing individuals and families while also raising the cost of housing.
In the last two decades, the number of Airbnbs there has more than tripled — from about 22,000 units to nearly 72,000. At the same time, an estimated 20,000 low-income families are being forced to leave the city every year because there isn’t enough affordable housing.
Protesters in Mexico City are requesting their governments put the rights of citizens above those of tourists by establishing housing regulations.
The rise of large cruise liners are also overwhelming port cities. Once docked, thousands of visitors descend upon a city in a manner of minutes. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas can hold 7,600 passengers, not including crew members.
According to locals, that’s too much of a good thing, and are demanding their local governments exert more control over tourism.
Officials are taking their demands seriously.
Beginning in 2026, the city of Cannes on the French Riviera will allow only ships with fewer than 1,000 passengers to dock at its harbor, with a maximum of 6,000 passengers per day.
