From Mallorca to Venice: resistance to mass tourism is now stirring here

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In high season, the legendary hospitality of the southerners reaches its limits. Whether in Spain, Italy or Greece: aggression against tourists is growing everywhere. Even in open-minded Amsterdam people want to put an end to party excess. Cities and communities fight mass tourism with strict bans and high costs.

The hatred of tourists is growing in Barcelona

Park Güell, one of Barcelona’s most popular attractions, is bustling. Crowds of people make their way through the streets to the sights. They clog up the shops and rob the residents of their peaceful daily lives. “They should all be sent to hell, it’s best to close the borders!” complains a retiree pushing her way through the crowd with her shopping bags (Blick reported). She shares the anger with others. An elderly gentleman calls out to the woman, “I spit on the mob from my balcony.” Sabotage also takes place here and there. For example, signs leading to the viewing platforms are deliberately distorted to mislead tourists. Barcelona has about 1.6 million inhabitants and more than 27 million tourists per year. Not only do they flood the city center, they also drive up prices and rents. “We cannot receive an infinite number of tourists,” Ada Colau, 49, told the Times. The mayor of Barcelona has now decided against expanding the airport, has banned the construction of new hotels and wants to reduce the number of cruise ships docking.

High penalties in Rome against Dolce Vita

The eternal city attracts millions of people every year. But for unsuspecting tourists, Rome’s historic monuments quickly become an expensive trap. An American felt this recently. Because he licked an ice cream on the Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, he had to pay a fine of 450 euros. Because snacking outside is forbidden in the old city. You are also not allowed to sit near the Trevi Fountain or on the Spanish Steps. Flash photography is not permitted in the Sistine Chapel. Fines of 400 to 1000 euros are threatened. The measures are intended to discourage tourists. And there are many in Rome too. This year alone, there were 13 million – a new record.

Venice – the first city to request entry

Also in Venice people have had enough of mass tourism. The Venetians protest again and again. Against the cruise ships. Against the B&B tree. against high rents. against housing shortage. Against the insufficient public transport. Nearly 50,000 people live in the lagoon city and 23 million tourists visit the city every year. Life here is unacceptable, complains Elena Barbaro, president of the artists’ association Burano. “The vaporetti are crammed together like cattle trucks. There is always a queue». There would even be traffic jams in the canals. As the first city in Europe, Venice now only allows visitors who have booked in advance. If you do not book a hotel, you will pay between three and ten euros for admission per day. The fee is expected to be introduced next year.

Amsterdam: British partygoers should stay at home

The Dutch metropolis of Amsterdam has also discovered that tourist crowds can be a curse. Amsterdam is especially popular among partygoers, and not just for its liberal cannabis spots. British tourists, mostly men between the ages of 18 and 35, who come to party are now undesirable in Amsterdam. The online campaign ‘Stay away’ aims to keep annoying visitors away. “Visitors are still welcome, but not if they misbehave and cause trouble,” warns councilor Sofyan Mbarki. Further measures: earlier closing times of bars, limited alcohol sales and a ban on smoking outdoors.

Mallorca no longer wants shooters

Usually it’s not just sun, beach and partying. Young tourists drinking, shouting and rioting. The inhabitants of Majorca are tired of that. “This summer there were rapes, knife fights, robberies, drugs… a disaster,” said Pedro Marìn, president of the Hoteliers Association of Playa de Palma in Mallorca. He calls for ‘good tourists’ and a ‘tough hand’ against the bad ones. Many islanders have also declared war on the annoying mass tourism. Secretly placed fake signs on beaches warn in English about supposedly dangerous jellyfish or falling rocks. The beaches must therefore remain tourist-free.

Greeks revolt against the beach mafia

On the beach of Santa Maria you stand between the sun loungers and parasols. And they want anything but sunbathing. Residents of the Greek island of Paros are protesting against beach bars that occupy public beaches for their tourists. The protesters’ banners read: “We claim our beaches”. The so-called towel movement has now spread to Rhodes, the Chalkidiki peninsula, Corfu, Kefalonia, Mykonos and Santorini.

Source: Blick