The movement is being coordinated by the Southern Europe Network Against Touristification, which includes activists from Venice, Lisbon, Palermo, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands. Roughly 120 representatives met in Barcelona recently to finalize the protest plans, hoping to pressure governments to implement tighter regulations on tourism, the New York Times reports.
Tactics for the mid-June action will include marches in areas popular with tourists, pickets near airports and major landmarks, roadblocks targeting tour buses, and public sit-ins at tourist sites. Organizers also plan to use water guns to spray tourists as a symbolic gesture—a method previously used in Barcelona in 2024 that drew international attention.
Frustration has grown in many cities over how tourism affects local life. Residents have raised concerns about being priced out of their homes due to short-term vacation rentals. Others point to packed public transit and damage to the environment caused by the large number of visitors. While tourism brings money into local economies, activists argue that it comes at the cost of livability for full-time residents.
The protests are building on earlier actions, including a major demonstration in Barcelona last summer that helped bring these concerns into the public spotlight. This year’s movement seeks to unite cities and regions facing similar problems under a shared demand for more sustainable tourism.
In Venice, where tourism has long outpaced the city’s capacity, locals are planning events in historic squares and marches across well-known bridges. Although the city has launched a day-tripper fee to manage crowds, protesters believe more must be done.
Palermo is also seeing growing pushback. Residents plan to march through the city's historic areas to raise awareness about rising rents and the shift of neighborhoods from residential zones to tourist districts. Local organizers worry that Sicily’s cultural identity is at risk of being reduced to a product.
Lisbon, a city that has become one of Europe’s fastest-growing tourist destinations, is seeing similar tensions. Demonstrations are scheduled at spots like Praça do Comércio and the city’s waterfront to call attention to displacement caused by the short-term rental market.
In Barcelona, despite restrictions on new hotel development and a phased plan to limit Airbnb use by 2028, activists are demanding faster reforms. Plans are in place to block access to major landmarks such as the Sagrada Família and the Gothic Quarter.
The Canary Islands will be holding two rounds of demonstrations — one on May 18 and another alongside the coordinated June 15 effort. In 2024, more than 60,000 people protested in the region. This year, organizers say they plan to occupy tourist areas to drive home their message.
Supporters of the protests say the actions reflect a growing shift across Europe, where local communities want a bigger say in how tourism is managed. They argue that unless the model changes, many cities will continue to face unaffordable housing, overburdened services, and the loss of their unique character.
The unrest comes shortly after a separate crisis in the region. Earlier this week, Spain and Portugal experienced a widespread power outage that left large parts of the Iberian Peninsula without electricity. The outage lasted for about eight hours in many areas, shutting down transit systems, disrupting flights, and affecting mobile networks and ATMs. By Tuesday morning, power had been restored to nearly all affected areas.