An overtourism protester has delivered a chilling warning to travellers heading to Spain, Italy, France and Portugal this summer. Elena Boschi said protest groups want tourists to be afraid of the backlash against soaring tourist numbers among locals. She told the Mirror: “We want tourists to have some level of fear about the situation – without fear there is no change.”

Ms Boschi, 46, from Genoa, Italy, added: “Our cities and regions are not for sale and there is an urgent need to limit the growth of tourism, demand a change of course and decide on a path to tourism de-growth as a way out.” Fellow activist, Daniel Pardo, told the publication demonstrations at airports are a possibility. He added: “It is difficult to say because each territory will decide how they want to take action. There is no one set strategy.”

In Spain, marches are set to be held on the Balearic Islands of Majorca and Ibiza, as well as in Barcelona on the mainland.

The campaigners were speaking at a three-day meeting of protesters from groups across southern Europe who together form an umbrella organisation called SET European Network Against Touristification.

They are calling for an end to “predatory tourism” which they allege leaves locals unable to afford to buy or rent property in holiday hotspots and damages the environment.

While some protesters wanted to scare tourists, others were keen to say they weren’t against visitors, but opposed cities and regions no longer being nice places for locals to live in when overrun.

One person at the summit, who didn’t want to be named, said people need to consider how it would feel like if it were happening in their hometown.

They added: “We’re not interested in scaring anyone. It’s just about being mindful of the impact tourism can have on local communities.”

Last year, the estimated number of tourist overnight stays in the European Union hit 2.99 billion, an increase of 53.4 million on 2023, according to Eurostat. The rise was mostly accounted for by international travellers.

Numbers plummeted when coronavirus halted tourism, with countries imposing strict travel bans at the height of the pandemic. But tourism has surged since restrictions were eased.

But while the tourism industry has welcomed the tourists’ return, locals in holiday hotspots such as the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and Barcelona have taken to the streets in protest.

Over 150,000 protesters joined a march in Madrid this month, according to a local tenants’ union, and the Majorcan capital Palma saw more than 50,000 join demonstrations, warning “Majorca is not for sale”.

Some destinations have imposed tourist taxes or started to charge day-trippers entry. This includes Venice which levies an arrivals tax in an attempt to combat overtourism.

Visitors who download a QR code at least three days in advance pay just over £4 (five euros) — the same rate charged when the scheme was piloted last year. People who make last-minute plans to enter the historic canal city have to pay double.

Venice made just over £2million (2.4m euros) during 2024’s pilot programc, but running costs for the new system ran to £2.3m (2.7m euros).

Tourism officials project a surplus of about £856,000 to £1.3m (1m to 1.5m euros) this year, which will be used to offset the cost of bin collections and other services for Venetians.

Turkey is said to be experiencing a ‘massive’ drop in tourism with Turkish resorts left ‘empty’ as tourists abandon Turkey and head to Greece in a panic over the past few years.

And on my first and what will be last visit to the country, I did exactly that.

I had never been to Turkey before (or Turkiye as it’s now known), and in my quest to cross off every country Jet2 serves with cheap flights, me and the Mrs decided to try Turkey for ourselves and find out if it really is full of delights.

It turns out we didn’t really like Turkey. In fact, we ended up ditching Turkey and fled to Greece midway through our holiday, so our experience perfectly matches up with what other British tourists seem to have gone through or be going through.

We took a trip to Marmaris, along the Turkish coastline. This alone, is a tale of two resorts.

The top end of Marmaris is packed with gated, shaded upmarket resorts with sprawling grounds, facing the mountains and the sea.

The bottom end, towards the city, is not. Its offerings are punctuated by decrepit looking water parks, Pirates of the Caribbean themed booze cruises and drag acts. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but it felt a little bit ‘Blackpool-on-Sea’.

In one memorable encounter, we settled into a restaurant on the seafront for what we thought was a nice spot for a quiet meal, and at exactly 9pm, ten minutes into my main, loud music started blaring and the waiters ripped their tops off. Apparently this lovely restaurants, unbeknownst to us, moonlights with male table dancers. I’ve never wolfed down a spag bol so quickly.

It has been reported that during the first 10 days of April 2024, the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Rhodes combined welcomed 20,690 Turkish tourists, many of whom in previous years when it was trickier to secure visas are likely to have holidayed in their home country. Tourism representatives in Türkey have expressed concern about this situation, with some demanding the cancellation of express visas. 

We did the exact same thing. By day three of our Turkish holiday, we had booked a ferry to Rhodes, which cost about £80 each – and the transformation was immediate.

As soon as we stepped off the boat, we could see why so many are making the same decision. Rhodes is a beautiful island with a staggering historic old town. The castle walls wrap around the central medieval city, metres from the postcard marina. The old town itself is full of delightful restaurants, interesting shops and fascinating culture.

My main memory of Turkey’s retail was aggressive salesmen trying to shove ‘free’ Turkish delight samples into my hands and then demanding money, and piles upon piles of fake designer clothes shops. And every other shop was called Asda or Tesco, despite having nothing to do with British supermarkets.

In Rhodes by contrast, we ate fresh gyros, wonderful local yoghurt and honey, and found some original handmade Rhodos jewellery. 

We then walked around the castle walls, taking in the Greek architecture, all while soaking in the mid-30sC heat that was just as warm as Turkey’s Marmaris (both were a bit too warm sometimes in truth) but at least it had a cool breeze.

On the way back we noted another quirk: a group of about four men all wielding PS5 consoles they’d bought in Rhodes. Apparently Turkey has introduced a hefty tax on video games, and it encourages another whole cottage industry: games cruisers, who go on ferries across the water to buy cheap games consoles without the tax and bring them back to Turkey. This I’m sure pumps more money into neighbouring Greece and takes hundreds of hundreds of Euros/Lira out of Turkey’s economy.

Rhodes was more expensive, but it’s true, you really do get what you pay for – and next time we’d skip Turkey and go straight to Greece.

The Cotswolds are a favourite among travellers seeking gorgeous surroundings and a relaxed atmosphere. They’re popular with holidaymakers and celebrities alike, with rolling hills and unspoilt landscapes that make them a prime destination year-round. But one Lincolnshire town has emerged as a rival to the famous region, even though it lies more than 80 miles away.

Stamford has “long been lauded as a lovely stone town”, according to the Visit Lincolnshire website. Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott called the town “the finest sight on the road between Edinburgh and London”, while historian WG Hoskins said if there were “a more beautiful town in the whole of England, I have yet to see it”. It is a favourite of television and film producers for its stony facades, which were featured in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film, The Da Vinci Code and The Crown. 

During its weekly Friday market, shoppers crowd the streets, keen to sample the local vegetables, meats, pies, bread and fresh fish on offer.

Lined with alleyways and courtyards, there are a mix of small businesses, fine jewellers and designer premises, while a quieter retreat is available along the banks of the River Welland, which meanders through Stamford.

With a history stretching back hundreds of years, Stamford was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as “Stanford”, meaning “stony ford”, and developed along the Roman road from London to York.

Featuring over 600 listed buildings, Stamford also has a collection of medieval churches as well as stone and slate quarries which provide the stone slate found on the roofs of many of its buildings.

On the edge of the town lies Burghley House, an Elizabethan mansion built by William Cecil, who served as First Minister under Queen Elizabeth I.

Cecil controlled Crown finances and was a key agent of the Queen before his death, after while he was buried in St Martin’s Church in the town where his residence was located.

This Stamford mansion still features its original Tudor kitchen, 18 state rooms and many major works of art.

Tolethorpe Hall, another grand site in Stamford, plays host to the Rutland Open Air Theatre, where the resident Stamford Shakespeare Company perform an annual season of plays across June, July and August.

The performances attract more than 34,000 from the UK and around the world every year to Tolethorpe’s grounds, which were landscaped to their present form in 1867.

If you’ve exhausted the offerings in the Cotswolds, Stamford is certainly a strong alternative.