[PULSE.NG] Chronic overcrowding in cities like Venice and Barcelona is sparking an angry backlash from locals, who complain that a surge in visitors is making life intolerable."Oh, please, please! Let us come back and spend money here!"
Locals complain that home-sharing sites like Airbnb are driving up rents in picturesque city centres, forcing locals out, and they voice concerns over the environmental impact of cruise liners.
"If there are too many people, if people don't want to come, if those who live here are upset and spend their days protesting, that affects us all. It is not sustainable," the head of Barcelona-based tourist firm Advanced Leisure Services, Angel Diaz, told AFP.
The issue is a central focus at the Fitur international tourism fair, which got under way Wednesday in Madrid with 10,000 exhibitors and an expected 250,000 visitors.
On the programme at the five-day event are several conferences dedicated to combatting overtourism and developing responsible, sustainable alternatives.