Crowds used to be a bragging point. In parts of Europe, they now act as a stress test for housing, sidewalks, and patience. A YouGov Eurotrack poll, fielded from 6th to 20th August 2024, asked people in seven countries whether their local area receives too many international tourists. It also asked how much understanding they have for residents protesting overtourism.
Treat these results as a snapshot of public mood, not a “do not enter” sign. National averages can hide the real story, because friction usually concentrates in specific cities, islands, and heritage zones. The most useful takeaway is simple: go, spend money locally, follow rules, and travel in a way that does not turn somebody’s Monday into your theme park.
1. Spain
Spain leads the poll: 32% say their local area receives too many international visitors. In the same survey, 66% report a great deal or fair amount of understanding for residents protesting overcrowding. That pairing helps explain why backlash headlines keep flaring from hotspots during peak season, especially where short-term rental growth collides with tight housing supply.
Palma de Mallorca has seen major anti-tourism demonstrations, with Reuters reporting about 10,000 protesters at one event in July 2024. Complaints often focus on rent strain, packed infrastructure, and a sense that summer demand reshapes daily life for locals. Travel smarter by choosing shoulder season, booking timed entries, and staying overnight rather than arriving for a fast day trip. Spend in locally owned places and keep your footprint light in residential streets.
2. France
France ranks second on the “too many” measure, with 18% saying their area gets an excessive number of international tourists. Understanding for residents protesting overtourism is also high at 65%. Fewer people say it is overwhelming their own neighborhood, yet many still sympathize with communities under pressure. The pinch points are usually famous, predictable, and intense rather than evenly spread across the country.
Crowding pressure clusters around major museums, Riviera peak weeks, and nature sites that introduced controls after getting hammered. Calanques National Park, for example, requires free advance reservations for access to the Calanque de Sugiton during certain summer periods to protect the site and manage daily volume. Build your itinerary around reservations, early starts, and smaller towns connected by rail. You will move through France like a traveler, not like part of a moving queue.
3. Italy
Italy follows with 16% saying their local area receives too many international tourists. Understanding for protest action is lower than several neighbors but still a majority at 53%. That is enough to support real policy experiments, especially in historic centers with fragile infrastructure and limited housing stock.
Venice is the headline example. The city launched a day-tripper entry fee trial in 2024, and Reuters reported on the scheme’s first day and resident protests. The Associated Press later covered extensions and expanded coverage of the system. If you visit Italy’s icons, stay longer, eat away from the most photographed lanes, and keep narrow walkways moving. Courtesy here is not performative; it is functional.
4. Germany
Germany sits at 13%, saying there are “too many” international tourists in their local area, yet 65% still report strong understanding for anti-overtourism protests. That gap suggests the biggest crowd headaches are concentrated in specific cities and seasons rather than nationwide.
One detail from the YouGov write-up stands out: Germans were particularly skeptical about the cruise holiday industry, with many describing it as more harmful than beneficial. That sentiment often surfaces in port cities and along major river cruise corridors, where arrival waves are sudden and tightly clustered. Blend in by respecting quiet hours, using public transport properly, and choosing smaller group experiences that do not treat residential streets like a loud hallway.
5. United Kingdom
Britain shows a lower “too many” figure at 7%, but 57% still report a great deal or fair amount of understanding for residents protesting overtourism abroad. In other words, fewer people say it overwhelms their own area, yet many relate to why locals in hotspots push back.
The UK’s pinch points are usually seasonal and regional rather than constant nationwide pressure. Coastal weekends, festival surges, and heritage towns can flip from calm to crowded quickly. A courteous approach changes the entire vibe: do not block sidewalks for photos, keep noise down in residential zones, and book restaurants instead of forming a street-long queue.
6. Denmark
Denmark is among the lowest on the “too many” metric in this survey, at 5%. Still, public understanding for residents protesting overtourism remains high at 63%. That suggests many Danes see the issue even if they do not feel personally overwhelmed.
Copenhagen’s cycling culture is not decorative; it is core infrastructure. The city publishes official guidance on safe cycling behavior for visitors and residents alike through Copenhagen Municipality. Walk predictably, avoid stepping into bike lanes without looking, and rent a bike only if you are comfortable moving with steady traffic flow.
7. Sweden
Sweden also sits at 5% on “too many” international tourists in the local area, and it matches Germany and France on understanding for protests at 65%. That combination fits a country where crowd problems are highly localized rather than nationwide.
Nature etiquette matters here because Sweden’s “Right of Public Access” comes with responsibilities. Sweden’s Environmental Protection Agency explains the principle of Allemansrätten as freedom to roam paired with respect for wildlife, landowners, and fellow visitors. Keep campsites tidy, avoid disturbing homes and farmland, and leave natural areas as you found them. In a country that values quiet order, traveling lightly goes a long way.