In Spain, protests were notably strong both on the mainland and in the archipelagos. The Canary Islands, where the slogan “The Canaries have a limit” led the marches, saw massive gatherings in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, and Fuerteventura. Demonstrations also took place in cities like Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastián, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, Cádiz, and Alicante. Across all these locations, one message resonated: the tourism model must change.
However, the protests extended far beyond Spain. In Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, Naples, and Lisbon, symbolic actions and rallies denounced the overtourism of city centers, the displacement of residents, the unchecked proliferation of short-term rentals, and the lack of proper regulation. In cities like Florence and Venice, where tourism has reached extreme levels, neighborhood associations and environmental groups called for an urgent moratorium on new hotel licenses and stricter controls on daily visitor access.
In Germany, Berlin saw a day of protest with a focus on the impact of vacation rentals in historic neighborhoods, where it is becoming increasingly difficult for permanent residents to find housing. In France, citizen groups in Marseille and Bordeaux joined in denouncing urban decay and the rising cost of everyday life. In the Netherlands, Amsterdam reaffirmed its critical stance against the excesses of tourism and its environmental, social, and economic consequences.
A common thread throughout all these protests was the demand for concrete measures: tourism moratoriums, effective regulation of short-term rentals, caps on visitor numbers in vulnerable or saturated areas, eco-taxes for tourists, and public policies designed to protect residents' quality of life. The message was clear: this is not about rejecting tourism, but about rejecting poorly managed tourism.
The public response marks a turning point. While international arrivals and hotel occupancy figures continue to break records in many cities and regions, local populations are beginning to question the cost of that growth. Some analysts believe this is a critical moment to reframe tourism through a lens of sustainability—one where success is measured not just in economic terms, but also in quality of life, environmental balance, and social cohesion.
The May 18 protests serve as a wake-up call to local and national governments, as well as European institutions. Citizens are demanding to be heard and to play an active role in shaping a tourism model that sets limits on excess, respects local identities, and ensures the well-being of those who live in tourist destinations.
What began as a series of local protests has become an international network of voices calling for change. Europe appears to be reaching a social consensus: tourism cannot continue to grow unchecked. Sustainability is no longer a future option—it is an immediate necessity.
