European sustainable tourism and overtourism management

European tourism management is evolving through both incentive-based sustainability programs and regulatory responses to the social impacts of high visitor volumes.

Initial efforts to promote responsible behavior include initiatives like Copenhagen’s ‘CopenPay’, which rewards tourists with benefits such as free bike rentals or meals for participating in environmental activities. Similar models have appeared in the UK’s Exmoor National Park and the Alps, where travelers receive discounts for using public transport or arriving by train. Some regions, such as Slovenia’s Savica Waterfall, have also implemented fee systems to manage environmental pressure.

As the situation has progressed, the focus has expanded to address the systemic challenges of overtourism, specifically the housing crisis in major hubs like Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, and Paris. The proliferation of short-term rentals is displacing essential workers to urban peripheries, prompting Brussels to propose new regulations for high-stress residential zones. To alleviate these pressures, travel experts are now promoting a shift toward lesser-known destinations in Greece, Latvia, and Sweden to distribute economic benefits more equitably.