(Locals alleged that summer tourism is raising the housing cost very high)
By DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY
KOLKATA | 17 JUNE 2025
The World travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has issued a statement on the current agitation in South Europe protesting against the mass tourism.
“Travel and Tourism brings significant economic benefits, not just for large travel corporations, but for local businesses and small companies that supply them.
The sector creates employment and revenue from international and domestic visitors.
It should not be blamed for wider issues like housing shortages, which often have complex, deep-rooted causes beyond the sector’s influence.
Travel & Tourism generates substantial tax revenues. Governments must engage with communities to ensure these funds are reinvested to meet local needs like improved infrastructure.
WTTC supports responsible Travel & Tourism that benefits people and works with governments to help achieve it,” the statement stated.
Local people of Spain, Italy and Portugal are seeking a curb or ban on mass tourism alleging that the cost of living have increased immensely due to price rise and lack of affordable housing leading to their living standards unstable.
Anti mass tourism protests are going on at present in eight cities of Spain including Barcelona, Granada, Palma and Ibiza. Similar protests are also going at Lisbon in Portugal and Venice, Genova, Palermo, Naples, Milan etc.
Mr. Daniel pardo, one of the organizers of the mass protest and agaitational programmes in Barcelona of Spain has intimated that they have called to use water pistols. He claimed that many locals are planning to flee Barcelona as they are now unable to meet the high cost of standard of living and high hospitality charges.
About twenty million tourists stayed in hotels and resorts in Barcelona in the year 2024, while only twelve million people have used the homes.
While Europe is projected to witness a whopping 11 percent increase in international travel expenditures and Spain and France are leading in the race. Last year about 94 million people visited Spain and this year it is projected to touch 100 million.
Last Sunday thousands of local people protested in Europe against over tourism ahs agitated with water pistols and hurling smoke bombs. They have demonstrated with placards in their hands and raised slogans.
Also on last Monday there was a staff strike at the famous Louvre Museum in Paris of France, and it had left the visitors stranded in the long serpentine queue for several hours. This work stoppage came during the anti-tourism protests spreading across popular South European tourism destinations.
The global tourism industry was badly hit after the outbreak of the global Covid -19 pandemic outbreak. These European countries Spain, Italy and France were worst hit initially due to the outbreak of the pandemic. Three years later the tourism sector is back in its revival globally and are set to break the previous records according to the experts.
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