This summer, travelers to Europe may run into very different receptions from locals. Some will be like honey. Others may resemble vinegar.
The vinegar reception will be reflected in antitourist protests planned for June 15 in cities across southern Europe, such as Venice, Italy. The goal of the activists: limit the impact of visitors on traffic, noise, pollution, and housing, and, most of all, assaults by “bad tourists” on local values and traditions.
This hostility to large-scale hospitality was seen last summer when activists in Barcelona, Spain, used water guns on tourists to shoo them away. The city also hid a bus route on Google Maps. Leaders of the coming protests want governments to do more than the steps already taken in a few places. These include imposing limits on the number and size of cruise ships, taxes on tourists, and curbs on Airbnb-style rentals.
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As more cities rise up against an increasing number of “bad tourists,” places like Copenhagen find success in rewarding visitors for the ethical behavior they seek.
In sharp contrast, the honey approach sees tourists not as pests but as partners in enhancing local culture and habits. Rather than being told what not to do, travelers are invited, with incentives, to act with respect, kindness, and gratitude.
A leading example is a program launched last summer in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen. In the program, dubbed CopenPay, tourists who pick up trash, volunteer at urban gardens, or cycle to museums rather than take a car are given rewards. Their “green deeds” and local participation bring them ice cream, kayak rentals, or guided museum tours. The program was based on a survey showing 82% of people want to act sustainably but only 22% actually do.
“Rewarding positive behaviour rather than moaning about bad tourists is the way to bring about real change,” Rachel Dodds, a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University who studies overtourism, told The Telegraph.
Last month, Denmark was designated as “the most responsible tourist destination” in 2025. The global ranking, called the Good Trip Index, was conducted by the travel company Holiday Extras to assist the increasing number of travelers whose bucket list of locations is based on ethical considerations, such as environmental sustainability.
Copenhagen’s attempt to change the narrative on tourists – to bring out their sensitivity to local interests – has begun to gain global attention. Perhaps it will draw even more attention than squirting tourists with water pistols.
