Never before have so many people traveled worldwide. According to the UN World Tourism Organization’s World Tourism Barometer, an estimated 1.52 billion international tourists were recorded globally in 2025 — nearly 60 million more than in 2024. Europe remained the world’s most popular destination region, welcoming about 793 million international visitors.
Faced with this tourism boom, a growing number of destinations are reaching their limits, prompting regional authorities to try to reduce the negative effects that large visitor numbers can have. Paris and Barcelona — two of the world’s most visited cities — are among them. Anti-tourism protests regularly take place across Spain, with Barcelona as the most contested city. In Barcelona, politicians recently decided to double the nightly tourist tax, while Paris raised its own sharply in 2024. Rome has taken a different approach: sightseers must now pay an entrance fee to see the famous Trevi Fountain. Venice introduced a visitor fee for last-minute day-trippers in the summer of 2024.
“It’s important to distinguish between sightseeing and beach trips or vacations focused on recreation,” said Hasso Spode, a historian and director of the Tourism Archive at the Technical University of Berlin, who has been researching tourism for decades. In cities such as Paris, Barcelona, Rome and Venice, iconic landmarks play a central role in drawing visitors. Sights like the Eiffel Tower, the Sagrada Família and the Colosseum sit high on many people’s bucket lists. In recent years, travel has also become more affordable — thanks in part to budget airlines and the rise of short-term rentals — making it easier for a broader public to realize long-held travel dreams.
Spode said most tourists heading to Europe still preferred the sun and sand. According to a study published by the German Federal Statistical Office, tourism activity in Europe is highest on the Mediterranean coast; the ranking compares overnight stays to the number of inhabitants in a location.
Apart from reliably good weather and pleasant swimming conditions, a coastal destination doesn’t necessarily need to have anything special to attract the crowds, Spode said. He points to Lloret de Mar on Spain’s Costa Brava, a fishing village turned resort when strategists and investors replaced historic buildings with high-rises and created an artificial beach. Accessibility was key: when railways first opened coastal resorts to ordinary Britons in the 19th century, places like Brighton quickly transformed into mass tourism hotspots.
On the Balearic island of Mallorca, the long stretch of beach near Palma — the Playa de Palma, home to the Ballermann party zone — is a clear example of overtourism. Accessibility drove the boom from the 1960s: jet aircraft, package holidays and airport expansion made Mallorca cheaper and easier to reach. Today, around 34 million passengers pass through the airport each year, making Mallorca one of Europe’s most easily accessible destinations. The growing cruise industry also pushes visitor numbers higher.
In recent years, platforms like Instagram and TikTok have amplified interest in particular places — such as Santorini — often contributing significantly to overtourism. From sunset viewpoints to remote beaches, once-charming locations can be taken over by selfie-snapping tourists nearly overnight.
Europe’s most popular tourist destinations are unlikely to lose their appeal anytime soon, and worldwide travel is expected to keep rising. The World Tourism Organization reports 2026 is on track to set new records for international travel, with growth of 3–4% over the previous year.
This article was translated from German.