European cities expand airports despite overtourism concerns

Several European cities are facing a contradiction between efforts to curb overtourism and ongoing airport expansion projects. While local authorities implement measures such as tourist taxes, short-term rental bans, and carbon emission reductions to manage visitor numbers, major airports are simultaneously increasing capacity to meet rising travel demand.

In Venice, authorities have introduced day-trip fees for visitors, yet Marco Polo Airport is undergoing an expansion intended to increase its annual capacity from 11.6 million to 20 million passengers. Similarly, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is constructing a 55,000-square-meter boarding area, and Athens International Airport is expanding to accommodate up to 40 million passengers annually.

In Barcelona, the push to expand El Prat Airport has met local opposition, with protests planned in response to perceived unsustainable industry practices. Alex Chapman of the New Economics Foundation noted that proposing massive airport expansions while local populations struggle with the impacts of tourism is difficult to reconcile.