Protests against overtourism have become a reliable sign of summer’s arrival in southern Europe. Already this year, major demonstrations have taken place in the Canary Islands and on Majorca, in Spain.
But on Sunday, the protests appear to be entering a new phase, when coordinated demonstrations will take place in tourist hot spots in Spain, Portugal, Italy and, possibly, France.
Last year, protesters at a July 6 march in Barcelona squirted tourists with water pistols, making international headlines. Building on that momentum, the upcoming demonstrations are intended to draw attention to the negative impact of what organizers call the touristification (the emphasis on tourism instead of local quality of life) of European cities. The protests aim to keep pressure on governments to address the problems generated by tourism, including rising rents and housing shortages, environmental damage and neighborhoods stripped of essential services for residents.
Planning for the coordinated protests began in earnest in April, during a weekend-long Barcelona workshop for activists that drew representatives from across Spain, as well as from France, Portugal and Italy, to strategize about how best to achieve their shared goal.
“What we are calling for,” said Daniel Pardo, the spokesman for the Southern European Network Against Touristification, which organized the workshop, “is tourism degrowth.”
What places are involved?
In Spain, marches are planned in Barcelona, San Sebastían, Granada, Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza. There are also protests scheduled in Lisbon and Genoa, Italy. Activists in other destinations, including Marseille, may also hold demonstrations.
What can visitors expect?
Previous anti-mass-tourism demonstrations in Barcelona and Palma, the capital of the Spanish island of Majorca, have drawn as many as 20,000 participants, and have been peaceful (even festive).
In addition to marches and possible traffic disruptions, other forms of protest may take place. At the April workshop, activists discussed blocking entry to tourist attractions or picketing at airports.
In some places, like Genoa and Lisbon, activism may take a more theatrical form. In Lisbon, for example, where the protests come two days after a national holiday celebrating St. Anthony, demonstrators will hold a procession in which they “evict” a specially made statue of the saint from his “home” in the church that bears his name and carry it to former military barracks that are set to be turned into a luxury hotel.
“We want to show that in the current state of the city, not even the saints are safe from touristification,” said Fabiana Pavel, spokesperson for Movimento Referendo Pela Habitação (Housing Referendum Movement), an activist group.
What are the major issues behind the protests?
Although the specific focus may vary from place to place, there are some overarching themes. Housing is a key concern in cities like Lisbon and Barcelona, where vacation rentals have contributed to shortages and rising rents. The environmental impact of the cruise ships that crowd the harbors of port cities like Genoa is another common concern.
But with international tourist arrivals in Europe already up 4.9 percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period last year, a unifying theme for this year’s protests is limiting visitors. “We’re asking for a moratorium to put a limit on the number of tourists who can come, and then to manage the airports so that they reduce the number of flights that arrive,” said Pere Joan Femenia, a spokesman for the Majorca group Menys Turisme, Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life).
What has changed since last year?
Destinations like Santorini, in Greece, and Bruges, in Belgium, have imposed a raft of new regulations and taxes intended to curb tourism’s worst excesses. But until the emphasis on perpetual growth is corrected, activists say, those measures will be ineffective. That’s why they are increasingly blaming touristification rather than overtourism.
“Overtourism is about numbers — how many tourists is too many,” said Greg Richards, a professor of leisure studies at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. Touristification, however, addresses the ways in which “economic and social systems have become increasingly oriented toward tourism and less oriented toward the needs of residents. It’s that classic thing where you are in the center of Amsterdam, and it’s more and more difficult to buy a loaf of bread. But buying a stroopwafel is now very easy,” he said, referring to the popular Dutch treat.
So are tourists not welcome in these cities?
Mr. Pardo of the Southern European Network Against Touristification is clear. “The problem is not the tourists,” he said. “Tourists are the visible symptom of the problem. The problem is the system.”
Yet with some suggesting that concerned tourists are staying away as a result of the protests, those within the industry are trying to reassure visitors. “Barcelona is a beloved city where the tourist is warmly welcomed by citizens,” said Mateu Hernández, the director general of the Barcelona tourism authority.
Will there be water guns?
Very likely, at least in Spain. Noting that “these toys have become a popular symbol of resistance,” organizers have encouraged participants to bring their water guns.
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