Finance & economics | Hotting up

What the war on tourism gets wrong

Visitors are a boon, if managed wisely

A demonstrator uses a megaphone as people protest against mass tourism, in Alicante, Spain, July 13th 2024
Photograph: Reuters
|Barcelona

Cooling off is easy in Barcelona. Swim in the sea, sip sangria—or just hang about looking like a holidaymaker. Recently residents have taken part in anti-tourist protests, some firing at guests with water pistols. Other rallies calling for an end to mass tourism have taken place across the Balearic and Canary Islands. And it is not just Spaniards. Locals in Athens have held funerals for their dead neighbourhoods. Authorities in Japan have put up a fence to spoil a popular view of Mount Fuji and prevent tourists gathering. Soon there will be a 5pm curfew for visitors to a historic neighbourhood in Seoul.

Chinese business goes global

From the August 3rd 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Finance & economics

The stockmarket rout may not be over

As investors pause for breath, we assess what could turn a correction into a crash

Why Japanese stocks are on a rollercoaster ride

Volatility in global markets continues


Why Japanese markets have plummeted

The global rout continues, with the Topix experiencing its worst day since 1987


Swing-state economies are doing just fine

They would be doing even better if the Biden-Harris administration had been more cynical

Can Kamala Harris win on the economy?

A visit to a crucial swing state reveals the problems she will face

Why fear is sweeping markets everywhere

American and Japanese indices have taken a battering. So have banks and gold