Peter De Bruyne, head of tourism development at UNESCO, predicts that the number of protests against tourism may increase significantly in the near future. These demonstrations may spread beyond Spain, where there is already a wave of anti-tourism rallies, to other European and global countries.
UNESCO has long supported tourism as a way of getting to know cultural sights and heritage. However, the organization now faces new challenges: overcrowding in tourist spots, soaring housing prices and problems related to so-called "selfie trips," when tourists visit attractions just to take pictures.
De Bruyne notes that the main problem is the insufficient number of places to accommodate tourists. Homeowners in popular tourist towns often prefer tourists who are willing to pay more over local residents. This leads to significant increases in rental prices and sometimes to situations where local residents are forced to live in trailers due to a lack of affordable housing.
UNESCO also expresses concern about the motivation of tourists. Many travelers visit historical sites just to take photos for social networks, without understanding the true meaning of these places.
Some cities are already taking steps to deal with the problems. For example, Barcelona decided to ban renting out apartments to tourists in order to ease the housing situation for local residents. Venice, in turn, limited the number of people in tour groups and introduced an entrance fee to the historic city center.
