Several popular destinations in Europe are no longer fully open for tourists, with concerns that over-tourism has been burdening these places, while locals also complain of having to deal with late-night noises or very limited walking spaces. Thus, authorities across the EU countries have introduced restrictive measures to keep destinations from being overwhelmed.
According to Forbes, the following destinations are some of the most anti-tourist or most affected by over-tourism in Europe, and despite these places being highly acclaimed by international organisations such as UNESCO World Heritage Site, entry or activity at these places has increasingly become more limited.
Restrictions can vary, as some destinations have introduced visitation hours for tourists while others have limited the number of beds available for visitors. SchengenVisaInfo.com reveals some popular destinations in Europe that have been dealing with over-tourism or have become anti-tourists, which you should know about before booking a trip to the zone.
Austria
The Austrian town is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it attracts over one million tourists annually. However, this year, a wood fence deployed there by authorities following locals’ protests for over-tourism will prevent visitors from taking pictures on this spot.
“To curb over tourism, Hallstatt has already introduced daily limits on the number of buses and cars that can enter the town,” Euronews reports.
However, these caps are maxed early in the summer, and residents who just want to be left alone, continue dealing with over-tourism.
Holidu, the holiday rental portal, points out that another famous destination in Austria is Salzburg, which has 1.4 billion views on this platform.
France
Many French cities have introduced a limit on the number of visitors, as these destinations are flooded with tourists. According to Forbes, there are nine tourists for each resident in Paris – the most famous destination in Europe, while caps on the number of visitors have entered force in Marseille.
In addition, Holidu reveals that Paris, Lyon and Marseille are some of the most famous destinations in France, with each having 64.8, 9.3 and 9.2 billion views, respectively, while Bordeaux has a total of 2.6 billion views.
Italy
Portofino, the famous Italian town, which has only 400 residents but thousands of visitors any time of the year, has set up “no hanging-around” zones that prohibit posing for photos, while anyone found staying at these places between 10 am and 6 pm, can be fined for up to €270.
Venice, on the other hand, has some bans that apply on cruise ships, as the city, which has 21 tourists per inhabitant, continues dealing with serious environmental issues due to the location. Last year, Rome started forcing measures, including restricted access to some spots in the city, such as the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps.
Holidu reveals that Milan has some of the most views on their platform – a total of 13.6 billion, whereas Rome last year received 26 million tourists.
Spain
Spanish destinations are mainly flooded by the influx of British tourists, leading destinations like Mallorca to limit the number of tourist beds across the island to 430,000.
Every year, around 12 million visitors pick Barcelona as their destination, which, according to Holidu, is also the most famous in terms of views. The destination has 106 billion views on the platform.
However, SchengenVisaInfo.com reveals the top five beaches in Spain to stay away from crowds, which, although can be hard to reach, the calmness they off are worth the time and hassle. Similarly, the ten best beaches to enjoy time alone in Portugal include some not-so-famous destinations but untouched and wildly beautiful ones.
Source: Schengen Visa News