More tourist beds, fewer homes: cost of โovertourismโ in EU
Last month, residents across southern Europe, particularly in Spain, Italy, and Portugal, protested against โovertourismโ. They held placards that read โtourists go homeโ, โyour holidays, my miseryโ, and โmass tourism kills the cityโ, making clear their disapproval of unregulated tourism. This month, hoteliers in Mallorca, Spain hit back by putting up posters welcoming tourists.This is not just cultural tension; it is rooted in structural issues. Data shows that tourism, when unregulated, reshapes housing markets in those cities, prices out residents, and creates jobs that offer little security.The COVID-19 pandemic caused a dip in the contribution of tourism to the GDP…