Tourism remains one of Europe’s most powerful economic engines, fuelling growth, jobs, regional development and cultural and social exchange. Tourism brings 10% of the European GDP.
Yet the sector is increasingly pulled in opposite directions. Climate change, labour shortages, digital disruption, geopolitical uncertainty and intensifying pressure on local communities are putting unprecedented pressure on destinations.
“We know that tourism can put a strain on some destinations on scarce resources such as water, on affordable housing offers, on services, on infrastructure, on transport, on the quality of life of our residents,” warns Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas. And still, he noted, the potential for untouched areas and “local gems to flourish” remains high. “The question we face is how we can achieve a balanced tourism model that respects the uplifts both for visitors and for local communities?”
For Europe’s cities, the answer begins with recognition. “Cities are the canary in the coal mine of European tourism,” said Alexander Scholtes, Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam, pointing to the moment when “tourism is tipping the scale into a system that undermines residents’ quality of life.”
As the European Union prepares to publish its first-ever Sustainable Tourism Strategy in June, cities’ message is clear: as tourism destinations, their local authorities must have a seat at the table. Cities are where tourism concentrates its impact, and therefore where solutions must be tested.
Cities at the forefront
Barcelona, long a pioneer in managing visitor flows, follows a three-pillar approach: reducing territorial concentration, diversifying offers and visitor profiles, and protecting everyday urban life. “However, cities like ours are reaching the limits of what can be achieved at the local level alone,” stresses José Antonio Donaire, Commissioner for Management of Sustainable Tourism. “We need now stronger and clearer support from the European Union.”
The question we face is how we can achieve a balanced tourism model that respects the uplifts both for visitors and for local communities?
Other cities have already put in place measures to make tourism manageable and more sustainable. In Cork, tourism governance is already integrated into everyday policy discussions through local tourism committees. Amsterdam ran a survey on the status of retail monoculturalisation in city centres, whereas Valletta, the smallest capital in Europe, showcases investments in sustainable sea transport and AI-enabled crowd monitoring to reduce congestion.
Bruges uses a data-driven tool for visitor flow monitoring, has launched resident surveys and applied new regulations on group tourism. Florence implemented long-standing rules to protect the quality and diversity of commercial activities in the historic centre, limiting the spread of food businesses and preserving traditional shops. “We banned key boxes all over the city, golf carts in the city centre and loudspeakers for tourist guides, to better relationships between visitor and resident,” explains Jacopo Vicini, Deputy Mayor for Tourism.
Cities are the canary in the coal mine of European tourism.
For Genoa’s deputy mayor and Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Sustainable Tourism, Tiziana Beghin, the “measure of success is whether tourism enhances rather than erodes the quality of life of its citizens.” For example, spreading visitors beyond cruise-impacted areas in their case. The city has a “tourism for all” policy, and is also leading the EU Urban Agenda Partnership on Sustainable Tourism.
Dubrovnik, once a global symbol of overtourism, is now recognised as the European Capital of Sustainable Tourism. That’s proof that “strong political decisions, data-driven policies and citizens-first governance can reverse the trend,” declares Mayor Mato Franković.
When liveability is at stake
Cities know that the success of tourism can no longer be measured solely in visitor numbers. Liveability is increasingly seen as the core metric, which is also the rationale behind the establishment of the European Alliance on Balanced Urban Tourism, which Eurocities and other organisations such as OWHC, UNESCO and UN Tourism support.
Scholtes warned of neighbourhoods losing essential shops and services, becoming “a backdrop” shaped by tourism monoculture. Florence suffers extreme concentration: 95% of tourist flows are compressed into just five square kilometres. Beghin described the strain caused by thousands of cruise passengers visiting for only a few hours, overwhelming the historic centre without benefiting wider districts.
When neighbourhood life erodes, residents disengage. Crowds, nuisance, litter and disrespectful behaviour push locals away from their own city centres. “What should be shared urban spaces increasingly become places residents feel no longer belong to them,” Scholtes noted.
We need now stronger and clearer support from the European Union.
Taking these challenges into account, Tomáš Slabihoudek, Councillor of Prague, underscores three priorities for the EU Strategy: balancing the interests of visitors and residents, ensuring resilient infrastructure, and improving comparable tourism data. “For effective decision-making, cities need accurate information,” he emphasises, calling for EU‑led harmonisation of data methodologies.
Cities “do a lot, but they need also the support from the European Commission on three main elements that the upcoming EU Tourism Strategy should address,” says André Sobczak, Eurocities Secretary General. “ better policy coordination, direct involvement of cities, and dedicated budget lines.”
A Strategy that cuts across policy areas
Indeed, despite this, cities are too often treated as implementers rather than partners in the design of policy. However, a successful EU Tourism Strategy must establish a stable framework for cooperation across levels of governance and give cities a genuine seat at the table. Existing examples, such as the EU Urban Agenda Partnership on Sustainable Tourism, demonstrate that such cooperation is not only possible but effective.
Tourism’s challenges spill across housing, mobility, digital regulation, environmental standards and economic development. Without alignment, even well-intentioned measures fail on the ground.
"The measure of success is whether tourism enhances rather than erodes the quality of life of its citizens.
As Sobczak noted, talking to Commissioner Tzitzikostas, “your colleagues working on digital, on economic development, and also on climate and housing should also be part of this dialogue to make sure that there is a coherent strategy.”
For example, mobility and short-term rentals are a key part of the discussion, but the second remains under a different EU Commissioner (Dan Jørgensen). Greater coherence with frameworks such as the Services Directive, the regulation on short-term accommodation data collection and EU transport and mobility policies would allow cities to implement European priorities more effectively and address real challenges such as housing shortages or fragmented transport systems.
Commissioner Tzitzikostas reinforced this broader vision: Sustainability “has not to do only with the environment. Sustainability has to do with the economy, with our businesses, and with our societies.”
Dedicating funding for cities
“There is a clear need for infrastructure-related investments in the field of visitor management, which can only be realised with additional financial support,” explains Minou Esquenet, Deputy Mayor of Bruges. “It would be highly beneficial if the EU could provide dedicated funding that cities can access directly.”
[Dubrovnic as an European Capital of Sustainable Tourism is proof that] strong political decisions, data-driven policies and citizens-first governance can reverse the trend.
The ambitions of the Strategy will only be realised if they are matched by adequate financial support. The next Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2028 to 2034 offers an opportunity to ensure that tourism objectives are properly embedded across EU funding programmes.
Investment is particularly needed in areas such as integrated transport systems, greener infrastructure and sustainable mobility options, all of which directly shape both the visitor experience and the quality of life for residents. contributing to both the delivery of better services and to spreading the tourist flows.
Rome is an example of a city that used high levels of visitor flows (50 million in 2025) to improve sustainable mobility options. The idea of a standardised ticketing system was raised at Eurocities Mobility Forum, and Commissioner Tzitzikostas announced a platform to combine train journeys easily, “cross-border and cross-companies”. He had also presented the package to connect all major European cities with high-speed rail by 2040. “This will help both the connectivity (tourism, our single market) and, of course, the environment,” he says.
Tourism must work with communities
Looking ahead, the Strategy should clearly identify which funding instruments can contribute to its objectives and ensure that cities are able to access them. Proposals put forward by Eurocities, including the call for a strong urban dimension within future EU funding facilities and the continuation of the European Urban Initiative, provide a concrete pathway to scaling up successful local solutions.
Tourism must work with communities and not against them.
As Scholtes said, “European tourism policy can make a difference by explicitly recognising liveability as a prerequisite. What’s good for residents is ultimately also good for visitors.”
“Tourism must work with communities and not against them,” concludes Mayor of Valletta, Olaf McKay. “Valletta will remain open, […], but above all, it will remain a city that belongs to its people. The success of tourism is not measured by numbers, but by the quality of life it leaves behind. Together, we can build a tourism model that is smart, sustainable, balanced, and shared.”
These reflections were shared at a High-level Meeting between European mayors and Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, hosted by the Committee of the Regions on 24 March.
Mayors and active urban networks were invited to reflect on challenges related to unbalanced tourism and concrete measures that can help promote balanced management of tourism flows in urban destinations.
This input will be taken into consideration in the upcoming EU Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Guidelines for Balanced Tourism.
The European Alliance on Balanced Urban Tourism, supported by Eurocities, is composed of the following cities: Athens, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bologna, Bordeaux, Bruges, Dubrovnik, Florence, Genoa, Krakow, Malaga, Madrid, Paris, Prague, and San Sebastian.
