Across Europe and beyond, more and more communities are demonstrating that they are experiencing overtourism. At the end of last year, some argued that the crisis of overtourism would pass and that communities would eventually adapt to sharing their space with large numbers of tourists once again. However, overtourism issues are now emerging in winter destinations.
The Daily Express in the UK headlined its story: “Panic as ski resort communities buckle under overtourism”. Mountain communities clustered around European ski resorts have become increasingly frustrated with the rising influx of foreign tourists. The newspaper reported on Alpe di Siusi in the South Tyrol and Roccaraso in southern Italy.
Alpe di Siusi: “Too Much. Too Much. Too Much. Too Much.”
Overnight on 4 February, at Alpe di Siusi, the words “Too Much. Too Much. Too Much. Too Much.” were spray-painted in large red capital letters on the snow beneath the main cable car. A month later, the identity of the person behind the graffiti remains unknown.
"TOO MUCH, GO HOME"#Roccaraso?
— Barbara (@skip_blumarine) February 5, 2025
No, Alpe di Siusi, Bolzano pic.twitter.com/VOZdZCvaXU
Alpe di Siusi is a year-round resort that welcomes approximately 90,000 visitors per year. It is the largest high-altitude Alpine meadow in Europe, located in South Tyrol, and has no permanent resident population. For the past two decades, only residents, suppliers, workers, and those with overnight reservations have been permitted to drive up to Alpe di Siusi. All other visitors must use the cable car.
Tourism impact in South Tyrol
A report from the South Tyrol Sustainable Tourism Observatory (STOST)—part of the UN Tourism network—highlighted the extent of tourism in the region. In 2022, South Tyrol, with a population of 530,000, recorded 7.9 million arrivals and 34.4 million registered overnight stays. The report notes that tourism intensity in 2022 exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
The economic impact of this influx is significant. The STOST report states that in 2022, municipalities with high tourism exposure had minimum rental prices €3.21/m² higher than those with lower tourism exposure. There has also been a significant increase in short-term rentals, campsites, and farm stays.
Though the figures may not be entirely comparable due to different survey structures and sample sizes, research by Bausch & Tauber from the University of Bolzano corroborates these trends.
The table below presents the proportion of responses to a question about whether people wanted more or less tourism. In 2023, 21% more respondents preferred less tourism. The proportion of the population wanting less tourism increased by one-fifth.
| 2020 | 2023 | Variance | |
| less tourism | 23% | 43.9% | +20.9% |
| same amount of tourism | 65% | 43.2% | -21.8% |
| more tourism | 12% | 7.4% | -4.6% |
Local frustration with overtourism is growing. In three years, there has been a 21% increase in residents expressing a desire for less tourism.
“Given the high tourism intensity in many destinations, in the coming years, it will become necessary to stop pushing for more quantitative growth and, instead, aim to redistribute the existing demand both geographically and between seasons. More broadly, it will be essential to redefine tourism development strategies for South Tyrol that explicitly consider limits to (tourism) growth and embrace social and ecological boundaries,” explains the STOST report.
Overtourism chaos in Roccaraso
Roccaraso, a popular ski resort in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy, has a resident population of just 1,500 people. However, the town was recently overwhelmed by 220 tour buses and hundreds of cars, causing gridlock and chaos. Some media reports described the situation as an “invasion”.
Roccaraso’s mayor, Francesco Di Donato, told CNN that the unauthorised tour buses created “a real assault” on the area, making the situation “hellish” for many, particularly residents with homes around the resort or those who hold season passes.”The Roccaraso system is unable to contain the assault of those who come only on Sundays. We cannot put a thousand chemical bathrooms in a ski resort.”
A local resident described the situation: “I am on the street; these people have no patience. They get nervous. They don’t care about the cars trying to pass. Sooner or later, an accident is inevitable. I say it firmly: they must tackle this phenomenon as if it were a football match.”
Social media’s role in the crisis
A local influencer, Rita De Crescenzo, has been blamed for causing the invasion after posting a series of viral videos on TikTok promoting visits to the resort. Some believe her content directly contributed to the overwhelming number of visitors. In response, she defended herself in a Instagram post.
The issue of overtourism is no longer limited to summer hotspots like Venice or Barcelona. Ski resorts and winter destinations are now struggling with an overwhelming influx of tourists, often beyond their infrastructure’s capacity.
