Table of Contents
JOHANNESBURG – From Athens to Amsterdam, cities in Europe are entering the busiest travel season in history — and not everyone is happy about it. Protest banners say what glossy brochures won’t: “Enough is enough,” “Your luxury trip, my daily misery,” and “No more rolling suitcases.” While these slogans reflect local frustrations with overtourism, they also signal a growing challenge for another set of travellers: businesspeople.
In some of the world’s biggest commercial hubs, overcrowded airports, limited hotel availability, and soaring travel costs are no longer just an inconvenience — they’re disrupting business operations. Overtourism, once primarily a concern for beach towns and UNESCO attractions, is now forcing companies to rethink the timing, destination and value of every international trip, especially during peak travel months.
Although tourism contributes 10% to global GDP, residents and businesses alike in in-demand destinations are demanding a smarter, more sustainable model. For corporate travellers, the question is becoming not just how to travel — but whether it still makes sense to compete with holidaymakers at all.
Old problem, new issues
Overtourism isn’t a new phenomenon. Locals have been pushing back against it for centuries. Even celebrated French author Victor Hugo complained in 1843 that Biarritz, a refined coastal town on France’s Basque southwest, was being tamed and tidied for visitors, losing the wild beauty that once made it so special.
While it’s easy to see why millions of tourists are drawn each year to the Spanish coastline or Venice, there is mounting pressure in Europe, the world’s most visited region. Statista data shows that cities like Lloret de Mar (Spain), Dubrovnik (Croatia), and Venice recorded far more tourist arrivals per resident than popular destinations such as Lisbon or Seville. From 2019 to 2023, Budapest, Barcelona, and Prague also saw faster growth in domestic overnight stays than Amsterdam or Madrid, while Paris and Florence had significantly more Airbnb listings per 1,000 residents than Rome or London in 2024.
The hidden cost of chaos
Governments are now stepping in with tourist caps, higher taxes and new restrictions. Venice has started charging day visitors. Amsterdam is phasing out sea cruises. Cities like Barcelona and Edinburgh are cutting back on short-term rentals, which is driving up hotel prices.
What used to be a problem for beach towns and historic sites is now hitting some of the world’s biggest commercial hubs.
For corporate travellers, it means shrinking availability, rising costs, and greater unpredictability, so they are starting to question the point of fighting through packed airports, staying in overpriced hotels, and braving gridlocked city centres just for a meeting, event or conference that could have been scheduled off-season – or somewhere else entirely.
Not just the crowds
“What we’re seeing now is an acceleration of overtourism, and it’s being felt in corporate boardrooms, especially when it comes to planning travel during the northern hemisphere’s high season,” says Mummy Mafojane, GM at FCM. “The problem isn’t just the crowds. It’s what they do to availability, cost and time.”
FCM data show that peak season pushes up hotel prices considerably. In London it differs by 30%, Paris 44%, Amsterdam 31% and in Barcelona (a city where the local vs tourist conflict is at an all-time high), by 42%. In addition to costs, last-minute bookings are harder to secure and getting a room in a centrally located hotel can be challenging.
For South African businesses already grappling with a weaker rand and long-haul routes, a European business trip in July or August has become less palatable.
Sending a team to Europe during peak season now demands serious justification. Companies are asking: Is this the right time? Is this the right place? Are there better options – logistically, financially, or strategically?
A time to rethink, not retreat
That doesn’t mean companies should stop travelling.
“Europe remains a crucial destination for South African businesses,” says Mafojane. “But the margin for error is smaller than ever. You have to plan differently now. You can’t rely on last-minute fixes.”
Businesses have started treating international trips like high-value investments, so they are planning further ahead, making deliberate choices about when and where to go, and consolidating activities into fewer, better-structured trips.
Mafojane advises that three areas can help companies get more value out of their travel spend:
1. Timing: Europe’s peak season runs from June to September when leisure travel is at its highest. Moving business travel into shoulder months, like May or October, can significantly reduce costs and ease logistical strain. Even a one-week shift in schedule can improve flight availability and bring down costs.
2. Location: Not every meeting needs to take place in London or Paris. Cities like Manchester, Lyon, Trieste, and Porto offer strong infrastructure and international connectivity but without the saturation of Europe’s top tourism hubs. “Secondary cities are becoming go-to locations for business events,” says Mafojane. “You get more done with less disruption.”
3. Itinerary design: Avoiding back-to-back red-eyes and rushed transfers makes good business sense. By consolidating meetings, inspections, and events into a longer, more strategic visit, companies can improve productivity and reduce travel fatigue. Mafojane adds: “It’s about quality over quantity. We’re seeing better outcomes from fewer, better-planned trips.”
“The goal isn’t to stop travelling,” says Mafojane. “It’s to travel with intention. Be earlier. Be smarter. Be more strategic. That’s how business travel keeps delivering real value, even in a world that’s getting more crowded and expensive every summer.”