Locals rant their neighborhood now ‘like Disneyland’ as post-Olympics tourism surges

All across Europe, officials in popular vacation destinations have been grappling with the ravages of overtourism — prompting locals to speak out about the strain this has taken on their communities. 

Last year, over three million people traveled to Paris, France, to witness the 2024 Olympic Games.

About 230,000 Americans attended the Olympics, accounting for the largest group of foreign visitors, according to the official website Paris je t’aime.

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Now, locals in the hilltop area of the 18th arrondissement, Montmartre, are sounding the alarm about the surge of tourism in Paris. 

Following the Olympic Games, the number of visitors traveling to Paris has skyrocketed, according to Reuters.

Paris officials say 2025 may rank as one of the busiest years yet, as there is a 20% rise in January bookings compared to last year, Reuters reported.

Montmartre resident Anne Renaudi has lived in the area for 29 years. She told Reuters a historic section of the city now looks like a theme park after it was made famous in the movie “Amelie.”

“People come for three hours, have fun, buy a beret or a crêpe, and leave — as if they were in an amusement park,” said Renaudie.

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She said, “We’re down to two or three butchers, two cheese shops. They’re disappearing one after the other … Now, it’s a lot of ice cream, crêpes, taco places.”

Renaudie heads the Vivre à Montmartre Association, which has proposed measures to crack down on the strains of tourism. 

The group has looked at limiting tour groups to 25 people, banning loudspeakers and raising the tourist tax.

In 2024, 48.7 million visitors traveled across Paris with about 11 million of them spending time in Montmartre.

One popular landmark that tourists enjoy checking out is the 140-year-old Sacre-Coeur Basilica. It sits atop the Montmartre hill and is surrounded by narrow streets for visitors to explore. 

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Local resident Anthea Quenel shared her frustration over the tour groups that congest the streets. 

“Sometimes I have to really raise my voice and say, ‘Sorry, I want to pass,’” said Quenel to Reuters.

She added, “It’s like Disneyland.”

The troves of tourists have impacted housing prices, with the 18th arrondissement mayor addressing the impact on residents.

“For me, the big issue is housing. That means fighting against Airbnb and rental platforms,” said Mayor Eric Lejoindre.

In the past decade, real estate prices rose by 19%, according to Reuters.

Similarly, local residents of Mexico City have been making their feelings known about unwanted tourists visiting their home areas.

Residents were protesting mass tourism, with hundreds of people taking to the streets and demanding stricter housing laws and legislation to regulate tourism levels.

Government officials caved to the requests by announcing a preliminary plan to address gentrification and the other concerns of locals, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.