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Madrid has become the latest city to confront overtourism, as the Spanish metropolis moves to drastically curb the Airbnb and homeshare listings available in the destination.
Secretary for sustainable urban planning José Manuel Calvo announced the proposed regulations last week, aiming to tackle the issue of mass tourism head on.
The new regulations are in response to locals fearful of being priced out of their own neighborhoods.
Officials in other destinations in Spain including Valencia and Mallorca – as well as in Venice, Italy – have also introduced drastic measures to control overtourism and encourage responsible vacationing.
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Madrid is a popular tourist destination, attracting crowds of visitors.
Proposed rules in Madrid will prevent apartments from being rented out to tourists for more than 90 days of the year – and entire apartment blocks will no longer be able to be solely visitor accommodation, unless the building is licensed as a hotel.
Different restrictions will apply depending on which area of the city the apartments are in. Unsurprisingly, the more central you are, the more rules will be in place.
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The city council has hit back at Airbnbs in the city center.
Airbnbs in the Central zone will need a designated entrance to the street, independent of the entrance used by permanent residents of the building.
This would eradicate the majority of apartments currently used as vacation rentals in the city and mark a drastic change for the city.
The city reports that 23 times more tourists sleep in the Central district of Madrid than in all the other 20 districts of Madrid put together.
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Spain's most beautiful places -- Lanzarote: The Canary Islands are a stunning archipelago off the West African coast -- Lanzarote has moonlike landscapes and beautiful views.
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Puerta de Alcalá: Madrid is a spectacular city break destination -- the Puerta de Alcalá is a neo-classical monument built in 1778.
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The Prado Museum, Madrid: Another highlight of Madrid is the Prado Museum, a world-leading collection of art with classics by Francisco Goya.
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The Prado Museum, Madrid: There are breathtaking works of art inside the Prado -- including "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Hieronymus Bosch, a medieval masterpiece.
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Buen Retiro Park, Madrid: This large Madrid park is a beautiful spot for basking -- it was originally created for the Spanish Royal Family in the 1700s.
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Picasso's Guernica, Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid: Inside the Museo Reina Sofia is the Picasso masterpiece "Guernica" -- an anti-war masterpiece that is still celebrated for its powerful message today.
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The Alhambra palace, Granada: The Alhambra is a breathtaking fortress-palace in the ancient city of Granada, at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The fortress dates from 889 AD.
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Barcelona: Barcelona combines famous architecture, delicious food and fantastic Mediterranean beaches.
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Sagrada Familia, Barcelona: This stunning church might be unfinished -- but it's still a UNESCO World Heritage Site and worth visiting for its Art Nouveau-come-Gothic grandeur.
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Park Guell, Barcelona: The city's Park Guell is designed by Antoni Gaudí, the modernist architect. It's a great place for basking in the sun and enjoying the unique structures.
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Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain: This beautiful park is a highlight of the city -- it can get busy, but it still provides a respite from packed city streets.
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Santiago de Compostela: The spectacular cathedral in Santiago de Compostela is at the end of the Camino de Santiago -- the Way of Saint James -- pilgrimage that culminates there.
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Seville: This Andalusian metropolis is colorful and vivacious -- home to festivals and celebrations, including the Feria de Abril, pictured.
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La Concha, San Sebastian: The Basque city of San Sebastian is known for its stunning shell-shaped bay called La Concha -- and its annual film festival.
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Cadiz: The charming seaside town of Cadiz is the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Western Europe, founded in 1104 BCE by the Phoenicians. It's also famous for La Pepa Bridge, pictured here.
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Papagayo beach, Lanzarote, Canary Islands: Lanzarote is also home to beautiful beaches -- including this secluded, picturesque spot.
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Cueva de los Verdes, Lanzarote, Canary Islands: This stunning cave in Lanzarote was created 3000 years ago by lava flows and remains a spectacular sight.
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River Minho, Arbo, Galicia: The green hills of Galicia are home to the River Minho, where fisherman catch delicious seafood.
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Fuencaliente lighthouse, La Palma, Spanish Canary Islands: The Canary Islands are blessed with a tropical climate -- that means it's easy to spends days exploring the beautiful landscape.
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Fuerteventura, Spanish Canary Islands: Another Canary Island highlight is Fuerteventura -- perfect for relaxation with its white-sand beaches.
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Ibiza: Known for its club scene, the island of Ibiza also has plenty of natural beauty and beaches.
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Ibiza: Even in this party destination, travelers can find solitude. Intermix your cocktail drinking with lounging on the beach.
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Jerte Valley, Plasencia, Extremadura: In Extremadura, on the Portuguese border, the Valle del Jerte is home to beautiful rolling landscapes.
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Menorca, Spain: It's worth venturing out and exploring the beautiful Balearic Islands -- the most tranquil is Menorca -- known for picturesque seaside towns.
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El Caminito del Rey, Malaga: Malaga's dramatic "El Caminito del Rey" footpath winds through Gaitanes Gorge. Once known as the most dangerous walkway in the world, it was restored in 2015.
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The Teide National Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands: Tenerife is one of the most popular Canary Islands -- home to the Teide National Park beneath the foot of the El Teide Volcano. The park is one of the world's best locations for star-gazing.
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El Teide Volcano, Teide National Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands: This dramatic volcano can be ascended via cable car for some spectacular views.
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Tenerife, Canary Islands: Tenerife might be a busy spot for tourists -- but it's still worth visiting, especially when the city is hosting the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
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Garajonay National Park, La Gomera, Canary Islands: Another stunning Canary Island is La Gomera, home to the Garajonay park -- a beautiful World Heritage Site forest.
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The Roque de Agando, La Gomera, Canary Islands: This icon of La Gomera can't be climbed -- but it can be viewed from afar for a stunning panorama.
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La Rioja: La Rioja is a region of Spain renowned for its wine and there are plenty of wineries to explore. The pictured complex is called Ysios -- designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
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Ronda, Malaga: The mountainous town of Ronda has a long history. Follow in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway and spend a summer here.
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Oranges, Seville: Seville is known for its juicy oranges -- they line the trees of the cities -- perfect for your Instagram and for the juice.
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The labyrinth of Villapresente: This beautifully constructed maze only opened in 2017 -- but it's now Spain's largest and definitely worth exploring.
Meanwhile, in Valencia, on Spain’s southeastern coast, officials have proposed new restrictions limiting private holiday rentals above first floor level.
The result? No more rooms with a view. Instead of sweeping panoramas of the Mediterranean, you’re more likely to have a view of parked cars.
In the Ciutat Vella, Valencia’s historic old town, no new rentals will be allowed.
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Madrid is one of Europe's most popular destinations.
Earlier this year, the capital of Mallorca, Palma, issued a concrete ban on apartments serving as private vacation rentals.
“Home-sharing on Airbnb is helping local families afford their homes and rising living costs, while boosting the local economy,” Airbnb tells CNN Travel in a statement.
“It is part of the solution to local housing concerns in cities, and is helping put tourism euros in the pockets of local families – not just wealthy hotel groups. “
Airbnb remains adamant that “Airbnb has no significant impact on housing in Madrid.”
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Palma, in Mallorca, has issued a ban on apartments serving as private vacation rentals.
In a recent report, Airbnb concluded that “entire home listings booked more than 90 nights in 2017 represented just 0.3% of the total housing stock in Madrid.”
The company said they intended to continue having “positive conversations” with Madrid and Valencia on the future of Airbnb in these destinations.
It points to recent changes in Berlin, which overturned previously stringent rules to permit short-term apartment rentals.
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Flooded by tourists: Experts say Venice is receiving more tourism -- about 30 million visitors a year -- than it can cope with.
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Unsustainable: "Venice now has a third of the inhabitants that it did in the 18th century -- just 50,000 -- yet it receives 30 million tourists a year," says Andrea Carandini, the head of the Italian Environment Fund.
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Cruise ban: In 2015, a popular island-wide vote to ban cruise ships sailing along Venice's picturesque Guidecca Canal was overturned by the Regional Administrative Court, just three months after it came into law.
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Protest against cruise ships: Locals believe that cruise shops and their passengers are ruining the canals and the city. This picture was taken during a protest in September 2013. Protesters use a boat to block cruise ships sailing through the Giudecca Canal.
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Anti-tourism demonstration: People hold suitcases and signs in a protest against the increasing number of tourists in Venice in November 2016. It wasn't the first demonstration by the Venetians who are concerned about the overwhelming numbers of tourists in the city.
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Proposed action: One of the solutions proposed by city mayor Luigi Brugnaro was to lure tourists away from areas that receive too many tourists like Riva degli Schiavoni, the historic quayside on which foreign visitors to Venice arrived until the railway bridge was built in 1846.
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Too expensive to live in: "Living in Venice is becoming more and more difficult," says Elena Scara who runs a hotel in Venice. "Shops such as grocery stores, butchers, bakeries and book shops are closing to leave space for souvenir shops, and because Venice is becoming more and more expensive."
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Avoid overcrowding: Cristiano Fortuna, general manager of L'Orologio Hotel on the Grand Canal, says a more effective way to control tourism is to encourage visitors to come on weekdays instead of just the weekends when overcrowding is particularly bad.
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Supporting Venetians: "The plan should be to manage tourism, impose higher tourist taxes, introduce tax breaks for small businesses and favour affordable housing: Venice needs the feet of residents on the ground, children playing in the campi, old codgers on benches -- a proper Italian city as we know it," says Jonathan Keates, chairman of the British charity Venice in Peril.
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Big decisions ahead: The preservation of Venice will be discussed in July by the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.
The issue of overtourism extends beyond Airbnb.
In Mallorca, campaigners have also called for a fee to be paid by cruise passengers and a limit to two liners a day docking in the city.
Meanwhile, Venice – which has long been the unwilling poster child for overtourism – came up with a new plan to handle the huge crowds over May Day weekend: segregating locals and tourists.
Temporary regulations were introduced to manage pedestrian and water traffic, redirecting the crowds from locals.
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Venice's citizens and tourists pass through turnstiles on the May Day weekend limiting the crowds of tourists.
Traveler Faye Richards visited Venice over this holiday weekend.
“In the center [the crowding] was really bad,” she tells CNN Travel. “Especially on super-narrow streets you had to walk so slow behind everyone.”
Richards and her party joined long lines for St Mark’s Campanile and the Basilica on St Mark’s Square. Waiting for a boat to travel from the Venetian island of Murano to Burano, their line extended from the boat station back into a square, dominating the local landscape.
Courtesy Faye Richards
Venice can be quieter at night, when crowds have subsided.
“But if you were further away from the center there were lots of quiet areas and it was super nice. Also the crowds didn’t last very long into the night, so nighttime was great to explore.”
Richards says she didn’t feel she was redirected away from locals – but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
“My general impression of Venice is that there literally seemed to be no locals,” she says. “They all live outside I’m pretty sure. Everything is for tourism.”
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Advocates say the best way to solve the mass tourism issue is to to encourage open dialogue.
Advocates say the best way to solve the mass tourism issue is to listen to local people, vacationers and officials – to encourage open dialogue.
“It’s good to see destinations finally listening to residents and taking more control over how the tourism industry develops, working to avoid overtourism,” Justin Francis, CEO and founder of Responsible Travel – a self-described activist travel company – tells CNN Travel.
“Airbnb has been somewhat of a poisoned chalice for many tourism destinations around the world,” he says.
“At first, it seemed a hopeful tool for empowering local people – opening up the accommodation market, creating pockets of opportunity in communities and spreading the benefits far wider than just large hotel corporations.
“It built itself as a disruptive business but I don’t think we ever imagined it would be as disruptive for local people as it has turned out to be.”
Francis praises the decision to listen to residents in Valencia and Madrid – and advocates for a new approach, grounded in communication.
“If there’s to be a responsible future for tourism in these cities then we have to put an end to the mentality of ‘growth at all costs’ and start measuring the success of tourism through the use of other indicators that are based much more firmly around the benefits to local communities.”