Italy suffers from overtourism. Almost half a billion overnight stays were counted in 2023. Cities such as Rome and Florence are flooded with visitors, but smaller towns such as Bolzano, Capri and San Gimignano are also crowded.
In the capital city of Rome, holidaymakers often pass out due to the heat. Although there have always been fountains with drinking water on street corners, everyone realizes that this is no longer enough in times of climate change. Attempts are now being made to green the city again. Currently, 100,000 trees are being planted to provide shade. Many other municipalities are also taking account of the rising temperatures: with new architectural projects, strict no-go zones for cars and with state subsidies for homeowners who retrofit for the sake of the environment.
Sustainability law on the Balearic Islands
Spain, Europe's most popular holiday destination, is heading for a new record in visitor numbers: 24 million tourists were counted in the first quarter of 2024, a double-digit increase on the same period last year. Mass tourism not only leads to social problems such as the displacement of locals in hotspots such as Barcelona, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands in particular, but also to considerable environmental problems.
On Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands, the government is trying to take countermeasures. A law on sustainability and the circular economy in the tourism sector has been in force there since 2022. The aim is to force hotels, restaurants and other parts of the tourism industry to operate in a more environmentally friendly way. They must declare how much energy and water they have consumed to date, what waste they produce and where they source their food from. Then they have to make savings: In terms of energy, water and waste. And they need to install photovoltaic systems, insulate their homes and utilize exhaust air heat.
Croatia is attracting more and more holidaymakers. In 2023, the Ministry of Tourism recorded 20.6 million travelers with 108 million overnight stays, including many Germans. The flow of holidaymakers is concentrated in the summer months. The architectural jewel Dubrovnik with its picturesque sea fortress struggles with overcrowding. The city on the southern Adriatic is now restricting the access of cruise ships and coaches carrying day trippers.
A strategy for the development of sustainable tourism by 2030 should help. The plan is to make one billion euros available for this purpose. Tourist destinations away from the Adriatic coast are now to be developed. This includes the expansion of wellness and health tourism. Sanatoriums could be renovated to create a contemporary offering.
Two billion euros for climate protection
Tourism and climate change are a dilemma for Greece: on the one hand, it has to focus on climate protection because it is increasingly plagued by drought, flooding and catastrophic forest fires. On the other hand, the Greeks are dependent on tourism, one of the most important factors in the national economy.
The government now wants to invest two billion euros in civil and climate protection. The aim is to become a pioneer for new solutions and sustainable tourism. This includes local measures, such as on the island of Tilos, whose inhabitants now recycle 90 percent of their waste, or on the island of Astypalea, which is to be completely converted to e-mobility and green energy. The balance for green electricity is positive: Wind and solar power now account for a good half of Greece's energy.
Solar-powered lifts and green roads
Austria has been expanding its range of sustainable, climate-friendly tourism options for years. Buses and trains are to become more attractive. From July 2025, tourists staying overnight in the federal state of Salzburg will be able to travel on all public transport for a small fee. Other regions offer something similar. A lot has happened in winter tourism: lifts powered by solar energy, snow groomers that run on biofuels, snowmaking systems that run on 90 percent renewable energy. According to the Austrian National Tourist Office, energy consumption per night has fallen significantly in recent years.
In view of winters with less snow, alternatives to skiing are to be developed in the lower-lying areas. A national mountain bike strategy is the current project. The capital city of Vienna is focusing on greening streets and using an app to alert holidaymakers to hundreds of drinking fountains and more than 100 fog showers.
In Geneva and other cities in Switzerland, guests staying overnight in a hotel can travel for free on buses and trams to reduce traffic. In the canton of Ticino, there is the Ticino Ticket, which is valid throughout the canton from the mountains in the north to Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano. The municipality of Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland is considering reducing the traffic jams in the mountain village, which can stretch for kilometres, by introducing an entrance fee similar to Venice. This is only aimed at day tourists who only come to take a selfie in front of the impressive mountain backdrop and do not stay overnight in the region.
Measuring the climate footprint of holidaymakers
Germany: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV) is considered a top destination with its Baltic Sea beaches, lakes, the islands of Rügen and Usedom and 7.6 million guests with 32 million overnight stays (2023). There is a range of green hotels, organic hotels and hotels that offer climate-neutral accommodation. Two shore power systems have been installed at the cruise location in Warnemünde, with which appropriately equipped ships can secure their power supply without running diesel engines and thus with low emissions during lay times.
The climate footprint of holidaymakers in MV was measured for the first time in 2023. At 46 percent, mobility accounted for most emissions. During the peak season, the islands and the Fischland-Darss-Zingst region in particular suffer from high levels of holiday traffic. Some municipalities try to counteract this with free bus services. "Dedicated work on climate protection and adaptation strategies is a long-distance journey, of which only a few stages have been completed," said Tobias Woitendorf, head of the association / dpa