In Venice, authorities introduced a symbolic €5 entry fee to limit the number of tourists. The measure, however, backfired, instead fomenting further protest from locals who claimed the city has been transformed into a theme park.
Some are betting bigger: Barcelona’s mayor announced in June that the city will shut down short-term apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, in a bid to avoid the worst of Europe’s burgeoning housing shortages. In the past decade, the Canary Islands, alongside the cities of Berlin and Lisbon have approved similar measures.
According to Carvão, a successful tourism strategy needs to focus on the balance of economic, social and environmental impact and has to take into account the level of demand as well as the carrying capacity of the destination (in terms of the size of the city, infrastructure, or resources).
Carvão cited Amsterdam as an example of a city on a good path to getting tourism under control.
The city, which has gained a reputation as Europe’s party capital, banned smoking weed in its red light district, and launched a stay-away campaign targeting young, rowdy British men only visiting to party. Most recently, it also announced a ban on the construction of new hotels.
In contrast to other destinations clamping down on travelers, some have chosen a more open approach: Copenhagen is offering rewards to encourage climate-friendly tourist behavior. Those who ride a bike, take public transport, or collect trash in the city might earn anything from a complimentary cup of coffee to a free entrance to a museum.
“The strategy needs to be a compound of three aspects. You need data on movement, the governance of actively listening to the residents, and the third one is a combination of different policies,” Carvão said.
