Europe’s Beaches Are Being Taken Over—Not by Tourists, but by Big Business

From Albania to Portugal, locals are taking to the streets to protest the privatization of their coastlines. For them, the economic benefits of mass tourism are few and far between. Nothing captures a European summer like an airport terminal at dawn. Britons down pints as if a match is about to start. German couples chat excitedly about cycling tours across Croatia. Passengers sleep on the floor. This holiday season, millions will head to hotspots like Mallorca, Corfu, and Albufeira for a break in the sun. But they may face hostility. In Barcelona, demonstrators have sprayed tourists with water pistols and blocked hotel entrances. In Tenerife, visitors see “tourists go home” graffiti along roads to the beach. The real villain, however, is not the traveler. It is big business. Privatization of beaches and coastal land has pushed out local communities. Residents see little profit from the tourism boom, while corporations control access to their own shores.