Europe needs a travel dispersal strategy to manage overtourism

Reports highlight the impact of tourism growth in Europe, flagging chain hotels and a lack of independent options in historic hotspots

Europe is at a crossroads in its relationship with tourism. Summer is on the horizon, international travel is back, and people are returning to their favorite destinations. As post-pandemic travel confidence booms, so are concerns about the negative impacts of overtourism.

Key takeaways

• Overtourism is an inherently European challenge. But while images of tourists packed into Las Ramblas and Saint Mark’s Square have sadly become synonymous with summer travel here, there is little consensus on what is driving the overtourism phenomenon, or how best to fix it;
• As more guests prepare to head to Europe, the region needs a tourism strategy that embraces dispersal and helps cities combat the over-intensification of tourism in historic hotspots, while spreading the benefits of tourism to places and neighborhoods that have not previously benefitted;
• A new report from Airbnb highlights how the platform is helping disperse guests and benefits to communities with no hotels.

Get the full story at Airbnb (sponsored content on Politico)