Cities Under Pressure: Evidence on Tourism Growth and Neighbourhood Change in Europe

Across European cities, the rapid growth of tourism is reshaping urban life in increasingly contested ways. While the sector continues to support local economies, it is also increasingly associated with the sense that neighbourhoods are becoming less liveable for residents. These concerns have been amplified by two key forces: the spread of low-cost air travel, which has made tourism more frequent and accessible, and the rise of short-term rental (STR) platforms such as Airbnb, which extend tourism's reach into residential areas and reshape local housing markets. This article reviews the growing body of literature on how mass tourism, and STRs in particular, are reshaping urban neighbourhoods. Existing studies highlight consistent patterns of upward pressure on housing markets, the replacement of local businesses by tourist-oriented amenities, as well as a decline in community cohesion and civic engagement. Some find that mass tourism can harm renters and older residents through rising prices and changes in local amenities, while younger groups may benefit as tourist services align more closely with their lifestyle preferences. STRs are often found to reinforce these effects by reducing housing availability and concentrating gains among property owners. Among other destinations, Italy stands out, as Florence and Venice have become the centre of public debate. Drawing on the case of Florence, this article traces the evolution of the city's tourism market and examines how these dynamics may shape neighbourhood change.