How is tourism managed in... Rome, Copenhagen, and Vienna?

In 2023, the streets of Rome were busier with tourists than ever. That year, hotels recorded 35 million overnight stays, 16% more than in 2019, before the pandemic. Given this situation, the city is promoting measures to make life compatible with tourism. The local government is considering diversifying its attractions, avoiding hotel concentrations in specific areas, and limiting short-term rentals. However, measures like these have been in place in Barcelona for years. In fact, the Catalan capital is a pioneer in many of the tourism management measures that other top-tier tourist destinations are now promoting.

The roadmap that encompasses these initiatives is the Government Measure for Tourism Management in Barcelona 2024-2027, a document that establishes measures to improve the balance between tourism and the daily lives of residents. A total of €254.7 million will be allocated and aims to strengthen the city's role as a leading destination in the management, planning, financing, and social return of tourism activity. Fifty-five actions are defined across 12 management areas, including accommodation, tourism offerings, sustainability, and economic return. Specific actions include the regulation of tourist buses to better manage the number of operations and reduce the number entering the city. There are also measures to combat illegal tourist accommodation, the creation of a Citizen Return Fund for Tourism through the Tax on Stays in Tourist Establishments (IEET), and the protection of High-Traffic Areas.

A transversal problem

The debate over how to manage tourism is ongoing in all of Europe's major destinations, which are seeing more visitors than before the pandemic. The lack of commercial diversification, hotel concentration, the proliferation of tourist accommodation within apartment buildings, and the overcrowding of specific neighborhoods are four of the problems facing cities like Rome. They have now begun to take action. The Italian capital already controls street vending in tourist areas and is promoting measures to limit the opening of new businesses and the construction of hotels. In the case of tourist apartments, the city has banned self-entry systems, such as codes to access buildings, but still has lax regulations compared to cities like Barcelona.

Specifically, Barcelona has already set a date for the closure of tourist accommodations in the city: by 2028, the approximately 10,000 that will have closed. Rome has been closely monitoring the situation and has already stated that it is considering doing the same, at least in the most congested areas. In Vienna, a reform to municipal law came into effect a few months ago, tightening the requirements for tourist rentals and platforms like Airbnb. They cannot exceed a total of 90 days per year, must be officially registered, and must pay a municipal tax.

The Austrian capital also applies a tourist tax of 3.2% of the net price of each room and takes measures to promote commercial diversity and preserve the city's historic character. In this regard, Barcelona is one of the destinations with the most concrete measures in place to protect local businesses, and specifically its iconic stores. In fact, it has a government measure with initiatives to ensure its competitiveness.

Copenhagen, on the other hand, is looking at it from a distance. It has no tourist tax, no regulation of commerce in tourist areas, no limits on the number of group tourists—Barcelona is a pioneer—and no restrictions on new hotels. However, it is opting for a different strategy: promoting sustainable tourism by rewarding visitors who sign up, giving them discounts if they use bicycles, for example.