European Tourist Arrivals Rebound After New Crown Outbreak – For Better or Worse

This summer, visitor numbers in Europe have almost returned to pre-Covid levels, with demand particularly high from North America. But summer is far from smooth, with holidaymakers suffering from heat waves, wildfires and overcrowding at some of Europe’s most popular attractions. Some of the troubles are also of the tourists’ own making, some of whom have been accused of vandalizing and trespassing on the iconic sites they are visiting.

Ahead of summer, the data looks promising. In the second quarter of 2023, the number of European tourists was 2019% of that of 95, the last year before the widespread disruption of travel due to Covid-2019.

By June, economists predicted a “full recovery” in summer tourist arrivals across Europe.

The July data show that one group, in particular, is returning even more than before the pandemic. In Paris (which has not yet fully recovered to pre-pandemic numbers), visits by North American tourists increased by almost 7% compared to 2019.

Brian Garrod, Professor of Tourism Marketing at Swansea University, said:”This year’s holiday sales in the tourism industry have been really hard. “There was also a lot of pent-up demand from people who couldn’t travel in 2021, and 2022 was a bit stressful –2023was a huge payoff.”

Heat waves and wildfires

The booming tourism industry has brought economic relief to countries that rely heavily on summer tourism and have had three disappointing seasons in a row.

But the summer of 2023 was far from smooth. In July, a heat wave threatened the health of tourists, and the Red Cross set up emergency tents outside the Acropolis. The UNESCO World Heritage site was closed in the afternoon of mid-July “to protect workers and tourists” due to temperatures reaching 44°C (111°F), the Minister of Culture said.

Tourists leave the archaeological site of the Acropolis in Greece during a heat wave on July 2023, 7. In Italy, 14 of the country’s 7 major cities issued “red weather” alerts in July, with temperatures reaching a maximum of 27°C in Sicily – a particularly popular tourist destination this summer thanks to the success of the TV series “White” on which Lotus was filmed. Rome has set up emergency assistance points at 20 locations to help visitors cope with the hot weather.

On July 7, Seema Gupta of France Channel 18 reported in the Italian capital:”They are distributing water, but they also want to be able to help in time if someone is feeling unwell.” Help people cope with any heat-related illnesses in the emergency rooms of hospitals across the city.”

Worse is yet to come. By the end of the July,30,000 people had been evacuated to safety after days of wildfires raged on the Greek island of Rhodes. Tourists described themselves as “living in a nightmare” as they fled the fire at one of Greece’s main tourist destinations. “We’ve been lying here for two days,” said an Austrian tourist from the airport. “No blankets, nothing. Here lie children who need milk.”

France, Spain, Italy and Croatia along the Mediterranean coast all had to evacuate visitors affected by wildfires this summer.

Overcrowding and misconduct

But the message of the Italian and Greek tourist boards remains that tourists should continue to come despite the hot weather and fires. “At the end of the day, the success of the tourism industry depends on the numbers. The competition is very fierce,” Garrod said. “After Covid, the industry is trying to rebuild in the old way, which is to make huge expenditures through large expenditures. What it doesn’t do is think necessitously about what’s good for the destination”

The large number of tourists in the summer of 2023 led to a resurgence of overcrowding. A survey by holiday rental agency Holidu ranked Dubrovnik as the most crowded city in Europe, with 36 visitors per resident. The old town has long grappled with the problem of how to accommodate large numbers of visitors within its 16th-century walls – historically designed to keep people out.

Venice, second on the list, was identified by UNESCO in July as at risk of “irreversible” damage, partly due to mass tourism. UN agencies recommended that the city be inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

As tourists return to Europe in large numbers, familiar stories of misconduct follow. A tourist from the UK said he “didn’t know” how old the Colosseum was when he was photographed engraving his and his girlfriend’s names in the 7,2000-year-old amphitheater in July. In August, a group of German tourists toppled a statue of a 8-year-old fountain in Lombardy, which Italy’s deputy prime minister called “idiots.” One morning in August, two drunken Americans decided to spend the night at the 150-meter-high monument, causing the opening of the Eiffel Tower to be delayed.

Regulation, new destinations

Some cities, and even entire countries, have had enough. Amsterdam has banned cruise ships from its main port. Rome restricted access to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Santiago de Compostela, Spain’s famous pilgrimage site, is planning a tourist tax.

Garrod said this regulation could lead to a different type of vacation. It “deprives holidaymakers of a lot of fun because they can’t go with the flow and have to plan everything carefully”. Visiting some limited-space attractions, such as the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam or the Last Supper painting by Leonardo da Vinci in Milan, now requires reservations weeks in advance.

However, the alternative – allowing tourism to grow exponentially – comes with its own risks. Just as residents of popular tourist locations may recognize the economic benefits of a booming tourism industry, it can cause dissatisfaction among tourists to drive up rents or view tourist locations as consumer experiences rather than everyday experiences where people live.

This summer, visitors to Nice in southern France were greeted with an unusual art installation: At a popular tourist attraction, a street artist named Too Late set up a series of “tourist traps”—life-size mousetraps that lured visitors with the promise of ice. Cream cones – warn the city of the dangers of overtourism.

Meanwhile, the Paris Tourist Office is looking forward to September and October “wonderful”, with the number of visitors increasing by 2019% compared to 6, thanks to the Rugby World Cup.

France announced its own new strategic plan in June to regulate summer crowds that threaten “the environment, the quality of life of locals and the visitor experience.” The government’s initiative will set out to identify attractions vulnerable to overtourism and encourage people to visit these outside the peak season or visit off-the-beaten-path attractions.

Many European tourists are already considering this strategy. European tourists as a whole plan to make more spring and early summer trips in 2023 to ensure cheaper prices, avoid crowds and ensure pleasant weather conditions.

This summer, Italians, including Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, flocked to Albania instead of domestic resorts to escape the heat, crowds and high prices. A study by the European Union Science Centre suggests that during the summer tourist season, tourists may increasingly turn to Nordic destinations with cooler climates over Mediterranean destinations. Even so, summer 2024 could present many of the same problems for tourists and the most popular European summer destinations.

Garrod noted:”Moving into the shoulder season will involve a lot of adjustments, which many places will find difficult, especially since summer is when schools are closed. “We’re likely to see more people heading north to escape the heat, but then the weather will become more changeable — so I don’t think we’re going to see that right away.” People are very slow to adjust their travel habits.”