Florence has introduced a series of new measures to tackle short-term private rentals as Europe tries to reduce the impact of overtourism on the continent.
Florence's new mayor has claimed locals are being expelled (Image: Getty)
The new mayor of Florence has claimed that locals are being “expelled” from the iconic Italian city because of a rise in the number of AirBnb rentals.
Sara Funaro claimed that under new proposals key safes, which flat owners use to store the keys to their rentals in, would be banned. Instead, said owners would have to turn up in person to let their tenants in.
Ms Funaro’s proposals come as figures reveal that the number of flats in the centre of Florence has reisen from 1,500 in 2018 to 9,000 in 2024, causing concern that residents are being priced out in favour of tourists.
Ms Funaro told the Times: “People are being expelled from the city. Because of short-term rentals, students and even people on medium wages cannot find anywhere to live in Florence.”
Florence isn’t the only European hub trying to combat the overtourism crisis on the continent with the likes of Venice and Barcelona also taking action to push back against a growing tide of tourists.
Europe has seen a year of anti-tourism protests sweep across the continent (Image: Getty)
Alongside fresh proposals, there is also a campaign – known as ‘Save Florence’ – that is trying to raise awareness of the city’s problems. Leader of the crusade, IT engineer Massimo Torelli, remarked about one road: “Seems pretty quiet here today, but that's because the last resident moved out recently. There's no one left on this street, just tourists.”
The potential decision to ban key boxes follows on from Florence introducing a ban on short-term private rentals in the centre and called for more restrictions on tourists to help support local people.
Irish News reported that Italy’s tourism minister Daniela Santanche has accepted that some cities are suffering from overtourism and that it needed to grow its tourism sector sustainably.
Cries of crisis about the impact of overtourism on local populations has been a running theme in 2024 for the likes of Spain, Italy, and France. Thousands of miles away on the Canary Island of Tenerife, locals have been pushing back against Britons travelling to the region for their holidays.
Despite protests and warnings from locals, the number of bookings to the island has reportedly risen by 77 percent for the first nine months of 2025. Speaking to Travel Gossip, CEO of the Tenerife Tourism Corporation Dimple Melwani disputed the actions of protest groups.
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She said: “We do not support the radical actions of some minority groups who reject visitors, as tourists are not the cause of the problems. The Canary Islands do not suffer from tourist overcrowding like other Mediterranean destinations.”
Whilst the number of bookings for Tenerife has risen sharply, those visiting the island in the new year may notice one small change as officials seek to find a compromise between protesters and tourists.
From 2025, Tenerife Cabildo President Rosa Dávila announced that tourist buses will be banned as part of a strategy to reduce the number of vehicles entering the protected ecosystem of Anaga.
President Dávila claimed that the new ban – that forms part of 70 measures introduced – will have a positive environmental and logical impact on the island as they move towards “sustainable mobility”.
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