Residents are raising concerns about over-tourism and its impact on daily life in the much-loved Parisian neighbourhood of Montmartre, an area characterised by steep hills, narrow, winding roads, bijou properties, and the vast white dome of Sacre Coeur.
France consistently ranks as the most visited country in the world, and thanks to world-famous attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, its capital, home to two million people, drew nearly 49 million tourists in 2024, up 2% from the previous year. The famous art museum itself closed unexpectedly in June 2025, with staff complaining they were overwhelmed by visitor numbers.
But it’s hard to close the doors on a whole district. Montmartre alone welcomed 11 million visitors in 2024, a year in which it was showcased in Olympic cycling events and its gleaming pre-First-World-War Sacre Coeur basilica became the most-visited monument in the country.
@tiiaalgans Paris expectations vs reality 😩 the real Paris TikTok trend 🎥 #thingstodoinparis #paris #montmartre #videotrend #creatorsearchinsights #viralparis ♬ original sound – Our Awesome World 🌎
In addition to the immense church, the area is famous for its connections to artists such as Picasso, Van Gogh, and Degas, and it offers tourists a quaint village feel, the opportunity to buy art or have a portrait or cartoon painted sur place, as well as stunning views across the City of Lights.
It has become so popular, in fact, that, like locals in Venice and Barcelona, residents are complaining that Montmartre is being Disneyfied. Normal shops for everyday supplies are disappearing, replaced by bubble tea kiosks, ice cream outlets, and souvenir sellers, meaning “everything must be delivered,” Olivier Baroin, a local member of protest group Vivre a Montmartre (Living in Montmartre), told the Associated Press.
The problem is so bad that after 15 years as a Montmartrois, Baroin has decided to move away, fed up with the inconvenience of streets filled with guided groups, Instagram-hungry tourists, tuk-tuks, and housing dominated by short-term rentals. House prices have gone up there by 19% in the last ten years.
@cnn Paris is no stranger to tourists taking photos of its historic landmarks. Tourists taking photos of themselves in front of the landmarks for social media? Well, that’s changed the game. As the French capital sees a surge in international tourism, @Melissa Bell CNN spoke with locals in Montmartre who told CNN they worry that the large crowds are leading to the “Disney-fication” of their neighborhood. #cnn #news #paris #france #french #travel #tourist #traveltiktok #tourism ♬ original sound – CNN
“I told myself that I had no other choice but to leave since, as I have a disability, it’s even more complicated when you can no longer take your car, when you have to call a taxi from morning to night,” he told The Associated Press. And he is clearly not the only one who feels that way. Banners adorn buildings, declaring that the neighbourhood is “menacé” (under threat) and that residents have been “oubliés” (forgotten).
Anne Renaudie, Montmartroise for three decades and leader of the Vivre à Montmartre association, has described the neighbourhood as a “theme park.” Speaking to Reuters, she said: “People come for three hours, have fun, buy a beret or a crepe, and leave — as if they were in an amusement park.”
On its social media pages, the protest group points out street furniture installed in the district without the proper architectural permissions, and the irony of pedestrianised streets intended to “return Montmartre to its residents” instead being filled with tourists. It’s a battle for quality of life and local mobility that has been seen already in destinations across the world and, like the tourists, is unlikely to go away any time soon.
