A fresh push has been launched by the European Commission to curb overtourism in hotspots like Venice and Santorini, involving grants totalling €100m for local councils to to implement visitor management measures like timed entries and off-peak incentives.
The scheme, announced at a Brussels summit, targets 15 sites with measures such as timed entry slots for €5 fees and shuttle services from €3 to ease pressure on infrastructure.
Tourism boards in Italy and Greece welcome the funding, which includes training for 5,000 hospitality workers on sustainable practices, though critics argue it overlooks smaller islands facing similar strains. The initiative aims to balance economic benefits with resident quality of life, with pilot programmes due to report progress by March 2026.
These locations, selected based on 2023 Eurostat data showing extreme imbalances in tourist-to-resident ratios, include coastal islands, alpine regions, and urban hubs facing overcrowding. The scheme prioritises sustainable practices to preserve infrastructure and local livelihoods, with implementation slated for summer 2026.Zakynthos (Zante), Greece – 150 overnight stays per resident; island grapples with 6m visits against 40,000 locals.
- Istria, Croatia – 133 overnight stays per resident; peninsula sees coastal towns strained by year-round arrivals.
- Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain – 117.78 overnight stays per resident; volcanic landscapes hostms amid housing pressures.
- Dodecanese Islands, Greece – 113.79 overnight stays per resident; chain including Rhodes faces ferry overcrowding.
- Tiroler Oberland, Austria – 112.71 overnight stays per resident; alpine area contends with ski and hiking influxes.
- Pinzgau-Pongau, Salzburg Alps, Austria – 109.01 overnight stays per resident; mountain valleys see summer trail congestion.
- Cyclades Islands, Greece – 104.15 overnight stays per resident; includes Santorini and Mykonos with cruise ship bottlenecks.
- Corfu (Kerkyra), Greece – 100 overnight stays per resident; Ionian island reports water resource strains.
- Außerfern, Austria – 97.3 overnight stays per resident; Tyrolean district battles accommodation shortages.
- Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain – 51m overnight stays total; island enforces party boat bans.
- Paris, France – Nearly 44m overnight stays; city introduces Louvre timed slots.
- Rome, Italy – 41m overnight stays; Colosseum caps daily entries at 3,000.
- Venice, Italy – Expands €5 day-tripper fee; canals host 20m annual visitors.
- Barcelona, Spain – Bans 10,000 short-term rentals; Sagrada Família limits groups.
- Amsterdam, Netherlands – Cruise caps at 2,000 passengers daily; red-light district access fees.
