Sun, sea and stony faces are on the agenda for tourists looking to get away to certain parts of Europe this summer as anti-tourism protests spread to the continent’s most popular holiday spots. For those looking to avoid provoking the irritation of fed-up locals, these are the areas where the reception may be less than warm.
Locals protested in Barcelona this week as they took aim at overtourism and the increasing number of holiday lets
REUTERS
Tensions rose in Barcelona this week as anti-tourism protesters wielding water pistols targeted diners they guessed were tourists. However, the real targets of their ire are Airbnb, Vrbo and their suppliers, who between them run more than 23,000 homes and apartments for short-term rental in the Catalan capital. The Barcelona mayor, Jaume Collboni, has promised to ban short-term lets from November 2028, but the anger and resentment of locals