Both Barcelona and Majorca have seen recent protests by angry locals who blame the tourism industry for driving up accommodation prices, disturbing normal life and causing overcrowding.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Mark Tanzer said the prevalence websites like Airbnb meant governments could no longer easily regulate tourism numbers which had traditionally been controlled by hotel licences.
He added that those in power should also start considering the types of tourists they want to attract rather than just pushing for an increase in numbers.
Tanzer said accommodation sites had “fuelled the growth and were fuelled by the growth” of tourism.
“I think they (the protests) are indications of the pressures that are building,” he added.
He said accommodation sites also mean travellers are now staying in traditionally residential areas where the noise can become an issue.
However, he also reminded listeners of the good tourism can bring to areas that have little economic potential otherwise, and urged local authorities in tourist hot spots to start thinking about the types of tourists they want.
Tanzer said: “Then you can start to manage for value rather than just purely volume.”
The comments come after tourists travelling to European destinations were warned of potential vigilante attacks over mass tourism.
The Times led its front page on Saturday with an interview with Laura Flores who is one of the leaders of Arran, which was responsible last week for an attack on an open-topped tourist bus in Barcelona.
She said: “We cannot rule out more attacks. There have been assaults in the past and there will be more in the future.”
Abta chairman Noel Josephides told the paper: “These protests are a wake-up call. It is a great shame but we will see more of them. They are adopting dangerous tactics and that shouldn’t be happening.
“But the reason it is happening is because the local governments haven’t been listening or taking the overcrowding seriously. The advice to tourists is use your common sense. Be vigilant and don’t go where there might be a risk.”
