Overcrowded dream islands: Europe is fighting against mass tourism!

Overcrowded dream islands: Europe is fighting against mass tourism!

Mass tourism is increasingly creating challenges for heavily visited places in Europe, especially on islands. The pressure created by record visitor numbers not only impacts natural resources, but also has a direct impact on the quality of life of residents. According to a report by Euronews Protests by local residents are increasingly demanding the attention of the authorities. Many affected areas are facing rising costs of living as demand for housing and local services increases exponentially.

Analysis by BookRetreats.com shows that Malta has the highest tourism density in Europe, with over 38,700 overnight stays per square kilometer. This extremely high number has prompted the Maltese government to introduce a cap of 4,000 daily visitors to tourist hotspots. At the same time, it plans to increase the total number of visitors to 4.5 million by 2034, raising questions about how to sustainably deal with this burden.

Congestion in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are also affected by these trends. Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria have overnight stays of over 21,600, 16,873 and 16,709 per square kilometer. Residents are calling for increased measures to limit visitor numbers to protect local culture. We are observing similar scenarios in Ibiza and Formentera, where overnight stays per square kilometer are also over 17,000 and the cost of living is rising. The regional government of the Balearic Islands plans to introduce stricter licenses to curb tourism.

In contrast, Svalbard in Norway takes a different approach and only has 2.4 overnight stays per square kilometer. This island aims to promote sustainable tourism. Åland in Finland and Gotland in Sweden are also less crowded destinations and try to minimize the disadvantages of mass tourism.

Approaches for sustainable tourism

Chios in Greece is also promoting sustainable tourism with just 21,000 overnight stays per square kilometer, while El Hierro, one of the Canary Islands, is working towards a zero-emissions approach by 2050 with just 610 overnight stays per square kilometer. El Hierro's goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 shows how local initiatives can have a positive impact on the ecological footprint.

Beyond these measures to create balanced tourism, the blog page emphasizes Ilios the need for comprehensive management of mass tourism. In cities such as Barcelona and Venice, which are suffering from the challenges of mass tourism, social unrest and high costs of living are leading to more and more measures being taken to restrict tourism. A sustainable approach to tourism is not only beneficial for the environment, but also for the cultural identity of destinations.

Technological innovations, such as smart cities and applications for real-time information about crowded places, can also help control the negative consequences of mass tourism. Educating tourists about the environmental impact of their behavior and campaigns for eco-friendly travel are crucial to raise awareness of sustainable practices.

Ultimately, it is necessary to find a more conscious approach to tourism in order to protect the unique cultural and environmental values ​​of European destinations. Fodor’s annual “No List,” which lists destinations travelers should avoid to travel more sustainably, is an example of such efforts and could serve as a guide to minimize negative impacts of mass tourism.