Swarms of tourists clutching backpacks and water bottles navigate through tight spaces, some rushing for departing trains, while others head towards the exit to catch a glimpse of the breathtaking sea and cliffs that have made Italy’s Cinque Terre villages a global tourist sensation. Outside the train station, queues form at food shops, and signs announce that every umbrella and reclining chair at Monterosso’s pay-only beach is occupied. The narrow alleyways are bustling with tourists relishing gelato and sipping bubble tea. Italy's tourist season started with a record number of visitors over Easter. The congestion in Cinque Terre was so severe that local authorities converted the famous hiking trails into one-way paths on peak days, a pattern that repeated during several weekends in May and June. “Easter was chaotic, and now it’s picking up again,” remarks David Cefaliello, who works at a cafe in Corniglia, another of the five Cinque Terre villages. “We're not back to pre-Covid levels yet, but I suspect that will change in a few weeks.” Millions of Europeans and Americans are embracing "revenge tourism," making up for lost travel opportunities during the pandemic years of 2020-22. Millions of Chinese tourists are expected to visit Europe this summer and fall following the lifting of China's travel restrictions.

According to market research firm Demoskopika, Italy is on track to surpass the record number of tourists and overnight stays set in 2019, before Covid-19 struck. Arrivals from June to September are expected to be 3.7% higher than the same period in 2019 and 30% more than a decade ago. Italy's Tourism Ministry, as well as officials in Spain and Greece, anticipate a record-breaking year. While this influx of tourists provides a much-needed boost to Southern Europe's economies, which heavily rely on tourism, it has raised questions about the capacity of destinations like Cinque Terre, Barcelona, and Athens to handle such crowds. Discontent is growing in some areas, prompting local initiatives to manage the influx of tourists. In Portofino, a small upscale village on the Italian Riviera favored by the international elite, police are fining individuals obstructing foot traffic to take selfies. Venice plans to introduce an entry fee to the city on its busiest days in 2024, according to the mayor's office. In Barcelona, locals display signs proclaiming "tourists are terrorists," while in Athens, residents voice concerns about the proliferation of Airbnb rentals driving up rents and displacing Greeks from the city center. Market-research firm AirDNA reports that in May, around 10,000 short-term rental properties were available in Athens, nearly a quarter more than in May 2018. Demand for short-term rentals in Greece surged 62% in May compared to the same month last year. To combat the proliferation of short-term rentals, the Italian Alpine region of Alto Adige has capped the number of beds available for tourists in private properties. The overcrowding is not limited to the Mediterranean. Authorities along the Normandy coast in northern France have turned away visitors from Mont Saint-Michel, the tidal island crowned with an abbey. The Louvre museum in Paris has imposed a daily visitor limit. The French government is planning an advertising campaign to encourage travel during different times of the year and to explore less famous destinations.

Despite ongoing protests, including those sparked by President Emmanuel Macron's decision to raise the retirement age, France continues to attract tourists in large numbers. While luxury hotels in Europe are thriving amid this tourism boom, they are exploring ways to provide exclusivity and avoid crowds for their high-paying clientele. Pietro Monti, head of marketing at the five-star Hotel Mediterraneo near the Amalfi coast, where rooms average around $1,200 per night, notes that they continuously seek offerings like lesser-known hiking trails, private boat trips to Capri, or wine-tasting tours. Crowds are hard to escape in Vernazza, the Cinque Terre village located just south of Monterosso. On the rocks surrounding the small port, sunbathers vie for space with children playing soccer and people taking refreshing dips into the sea. The congestion intensifies when boats arrive from nearby towns.