Whether it’s setting up new protective legislation, levying taxes or closing off access completely, here’s how some tourism hotspots are cracking down on the crowds.
Venice
Citizens and activists confront police during a demonstration on Thursday against a newly implemented 5 euro entry fee for Venetian daytrippers. Source: AAP / Luca Bruno
In Venice, one of the world’s top tourist destinations, 3.2 million visitors stayed overnight in the historic centre in 2022 — dwarfing the resident population of just 50,000.
Day visitors will have to buy an $8 ticket, monitored by inspectors carrying out spot checks at key points across the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Venice has also introduced a tax for overnight visitors.
Amsterdam
Tourists in the city centre of Amsterdam on Easter Sunday, 2024. Source: AAP / Sipa USA
Amsterdam has long been trying to clean up a reputation for rowdy stag parties, drugs and sex that has been partly blamed on an influx of around 20 million visitors a year.
The Dutch government told them in typically blunt Dutch fashion to “stay away” or risk arrest.
It also decided last year to ban smoking cannabis on the streets of the red-light district.
Dubrovnik
Tourists in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on 30 March 2024. Source: AAP / Grgo Jelavic/PIXSELL
Croatia’s medieval walled city of Dubrovnik is one of Europe’s most overcrowded cities, with the flow of tourists sometimes making it impossible to walk inside the historic Old Town.
They also launched an app that uses machine learning and weather forecasts to predict when the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will be busiest.
Barcelona
Several groups of national visitors and tourists are seen attending cultural visits in the Plaza de Sant Felip Neri in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic quarter. Source: AAP / Sipa USA
Nestled on the coast of the Mediterranean, Barcelona is the capital of the Catalonia region, home to famed Gaudi architectural gems and one of Spain’s top football clubs.
The city also limited the entrance of tour groups in the historic La Boqueria market, especially during peak shopping times.
In 2023, tourist numbers registering in hotels, homes and hostels were down 6.9 per cent compared with 2019 figures, according to the city council.