Travelers visiting Southern Europe may want to keep things unnoticeable on Sunday, June 15th. This is because broad protests and demonstrations against overtourism are expected in some of the region’s most popular hubs.
Although there is no intensive schedule of events, the protests are organized by a variety of activist groups from an estimated 16 cities and regions in southern Europe, including Barcelona, Mallorca, Bilbao, Donostia San Sebastian, Ibiza and Valencia in Spain. Venice, Naples and Palermo, Italy. Lisbon, Portugal, is reported by the Spain-based Media Outlet Catalan News. According to the news outlet, they have a collective purpose: to demand “restrictions on the exploitation of tourists.”
Future demonstrations reflect similar events in the summer of 2024. This argues that activists from popular European destinations have led to widespread protests over increased rents, housing shortages and tense public resources, and that these issues are closely tied to too many tourists. The best action took place in Barcelona. There, protesters erupted tourists with water pistols. Since then, toys have become a symbol of repulsion against overtourism.
Spain has implemented numerous measures in recent years to curb overtourism, including future bans on Airbnbs nationwide, and continues to be a hot spot for demonstrations. The June 15th protest includes several events on both the mainland and the island. In addition to the places already mentioned, marching and other demonstrations are planned for the Palma, Menorca, Sevilla, Sevilla, Cantabria, Tenerife and Malaga of Malaga.
According to New York Times, Other protests across Europe could send pickets at airports, blocking tourists’ entry to historic sites and blocking tour buses. However, Joan wasn’t sure which cities and regions would adopt such tactics.
Joan also emphasized that, contrary to what some tabloid media have reported in the past, the protests are not targeting tourists themselves. Rather, they argue that it is directed at the government that activists and residents argued, and that it has not implemented strict restrictions sufficient to curb the number of visitors and improve the quality of life for local people. In 2024, Spain welcomed an estimated 94 million visitors. This is 10% more than 2023. Barcelona is one of the most flooded cities, with over 15.5 million visitors in 2024. That’s almost ten times the population of 1.5 million.
“Our actions are not about tourists. They are against the economic model we are based on tourism,” Joan said. “Our story we’ve been saying for many years is that we have no limits (on number of visitors). We’re past our limits now, so we need to reduce the number of tourists. We have to fight against politicians who give us the wrong solution.”
Following the widespread protests in 2024, Mallorca residents continue their headlines in 2025 to oppose overtourism. In March, several activist groups wrote open letters to tourists advising them on visiting the popular Holiday Islands. “It’s time to stand up. Our leaders don’t listen to us, so we, the residents, ask you. Don’t come. We don’t need more tourists.
The first protest of the season came in April. However, some of the June 15 demonstrations that Menys Turisme Més Vida has promoted on its social media channels could mark the biggest channel this year, Joan said, with 150-20,000 people expecting at the Palma event. He noted that around 90 local groups, including environmental groups and neighborhood associations, have signed up to participate.
Traveler precautions before the June 15th protest
Joan has long confirmed that upcoming protests are organized under the umbrella of the Southern European Network, a grassroots organization founded in 2017, or set network. (Set Network) is the platform that coordinates all groups,” Joan said.
The group doesn’t appear to have an official website, but in 2018 they published their manifesto in hopes of “restrictions on the tourism industry, adopting differentiated fiscal policies for housing and vacation rentals, untwisting the urban (sic) economy, or adopting the Tourism Bureau.”
According to New York TimesThe workshop was held in Barcelona in April, with around 120 activists from more than 12 European cities taking part. During these gatherings, participants discussed organizing a day of collaborative action to raise awareness about the “urgent need to limit tourism growth.”
Some tourism experts point out that travelers should be informed of pre-planned protests to avoid confusion during their trip. Paula Vlamings, chief impact officer at Tourism Cares, a well-known nonprofit focused on the sustainability of the travel industry, advises “to prepare for less attitudes than what’s going forward if it’s close to protests and of course even more crowded.”
Meanwhile, a recent blog post by travel agency Rick Steves said travelers “fit to local news where they travel, to increase the chances of learning about the protests they planned before they stumble.
Vlamings also said that such demonstrations are a timely reminder for both the travel industry and the traveller that millions of annual visitors and the increased responsibility to consider the actions and choices while there are at specific destinations.
“As an industry, where we send tourists is where people call home,” Vlamings said in an email. “We are guests in their space. We have to ask what we want from tourism as a starting point and treat them as important stakeholders. Travelers and locals don’t have a good experience.”
