Anti-tourist sentiment is spreading across Europe. Is Canada next?
Over the course of many weeks in July, thousands of locals hit the streets of Spain’s major tourist destinations saying they’ve had enough of tourists. The protests are the latest in an anti-tourist sentiment gripping much of Europe, with experts warning that they could have ripple effects all over the world.
From Barcelona to Mallorca, Spanish protesters have called for a more balanced approach to tourism, arguing that the sector has been contributing to the country’s housing crisis.
In an interview to British daily The Guardian, Peter DeBrine, UNESCO’s senior project officer for sustainable tourism, said the protests could spread beyond Europe.
“What we’re seeing is that we’re breaching a threshold of tolerance in these destinations,” he told the Guardian. “It’s really trying to rebalance the situation. It’s totally out of balance now.”
Signs displaying the words “tourists go home” have become a common sight in Spain.
Anti-tourism activists have staged a series of protests this year in Barcelona and other popular holiday destinations like Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and the Canary Islands, saying visitors drive up housing costs and lead to residents being unable to afford to live in city centres.
Other countries, too, are cracking down on tourist activity.
In April this year, the City of Venice, Italy, launched a pilot program to charge day-trippers a five-euro ($5.35) entry fee that authorities hope will discourage visitors from arriving on peak days and make the city more livable for its dwindling residents.
“We need to find a new balance between the tourists and residents,’’ said Simone Venturini, the city’s top tourism official. “We need to safeguard the spaces of the residents, of course, and we need to discourage
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