Table of Contents
- What Are Anti-Tourism Tours?
- Athens and Mexico City Lead the Way
- Why Travelers Are Saying Yes
- Local Voices, Front and Center
- Tourism: Boom or Burden?
- How to Travel More Responsibly
- Sources
What Are Anti-Tourism Tours?
Forget sunset cruises and guided museum walks. A new wave of travel experiences is turning the traditional vacation on its head—by showing tourists exactly what their presence costs local communities. Dubbed “anti-tourism” tours, these excursions peel back the glossy veneer of popular destinations to reveal the housing crises, environmental strain, and cultural erosion caused by mass tourism.
These aren’t protest marches disguised as sightseeing. They’re carefully curated walks led by local historians, activists, and residents who live with the consequences of over-tourism every day.
Athens and Mexico City Lead the Way
In Athens, guide Elena Papadopoulos leads small groups through the historic Plaka district—not to admire neoclassical architecture, but to point out Airbnb-dominated buildings where long-term residents have been pushed out. “This used to be a neighborhood of teachers, bakers, and pensioners,” she says. “Now it’s a hotel without a reception desk.”
Her “Cost of a Selfie” tour includes stops at shuttered family-run tavernas replaced by souvenir shops selling identical fridge magnets made in China. Participants even meet with a former renter who now commutes two hours from the suburbs after being priced out.
Similarly, in Mexico City, activist-turned-guide Mateo Rojas runs “Barrio Behind the Filter,” a walking tour through Coyoacán and Roma that contrasts Instagrammable cafés with the rising cost of tortillas for locals. “Tourists love our street food,” he says, “but they don’t see the vendors struggling to afford rent because landlords triple prices after a travel blog features the block.”
Why Travelers Are Saying Yes
Surprisingly, demand is surging. According to a 2025 Booking.com survey, 68% of travelers aged 18–35 want “to understand the real impact of their trips.” These anti-tourism tours cater to that desire for authenticity—minus the guilt.
“I didn’t come to feel bad,” said Sarah Lin, a teacher from Toronto who joined Papadopoulos’s Athens tour. “I came to learn how to do better next time.”
Local Voices, Front and Center
Unlike conventional tours scripted by global operators, anti-tourism experiences prioritize unfiltered local narratives. In Athens, participants hear from a retired schoolteacher who’s part of a tenant union fighting illegal short-term rentals. In Mexico City, they visit a community garden built on land once slated for a boutique hotel.
“We’re not anti-tourist,” Rojas emphasizes. “We’re anti-exploitation. Tourism can be a force for good—if it’s done with respect.”
Tourism: Boom or Burden?
The timing is critical. Global tourism has rebounded past pre-pandemic levels, with destinations like Barcelona, Lisbon, and Bali enacting emergency measures to curb visitor numbers. In Greece, tourist arrivals hit a record 32 million in 2024—nearly triple the country’s population.
Yet revenue often bypasses local economies. A 2025 UNWTO report found that in many hotspots, less than 20% of tourism spending stays in the community.
How to Travel More Responsibly
Anti-tourism tours often end with practical tips:
- Stay in locally owned guesthouses, not global chains or anonymous Airbnbs.
- Eat at family-run eateries that source ingredients nearby.
- Ask before taking photos of people or homes.
- Support tours that pay fair wages and share profits with community projects.
As Papadopoulos puts it: “We don’t want you to stop coming. We want you to come differently.”
