Massive overtourism is straining resources in European tourist hotspots from Spain to Greece, but some governments are trying to fight back
Suitcases rattle against cobblestones. Selfie-snappers jostle for the same shot. Ice cream shops are everywhere. Europe has been called the world’s museum, but its record numbers of visitors have also made it ground zero for concerns about overtourism.
In 2024, 747 million international travellers visited the continent, far outnumbering any other region in the world, according to the United Nations’ World Tourism Barometer. Southern and western Europe welcomed more than 70 per cent of them.
