Lisbon in September hits 26°C with summer crowds gone and Atlantic winds finally calming down. The data makes a pretty strong case for that first post-peak week. #Lisbon #TravelPlanning #SouthernEurope

Playlist · George Merchant Ballentyne · 23 items

The article discusses the growing issue of overtourism in southern European destinations, where excessive tourist numbers are straining local infrastructure, services, and communities. Protests have erupted in popular tourist areas such as Barcelona, Mallorca, and Venice, with residents expressing frustration over rising housing costs, overcrowded public spaces, and increased pressure on transport systems. Demonstrations in Palma de Mallorca, including clashes between riot police and 25,000 protesters, highlight the escalating tensions. Slogans like 'tourists go home' and 'save Majorca' reflect locals' demands for reduced tourism intensity. The OECD report acknowledges growing resistance from residents, emphasizing the need for sustainable tourism practices to balance economic benefits with community well-being. Experts warn that without significant policy changes, such as diversifying tourist seasons and limiting visitor numbers, the strain on these regions will continue to worsen, threatening both cultural heritage and quality of life.

Decades of progress in firefighting infrastructure and forest management across Southern Europe are being systematically neutralized by global warming,

Southern Europe’s wildfire season used to typically run from July to September, but now data shows that it is getting longer and more intense.

Southern Europe’s wildfire season used to typically run from July to September, but now data shows that it is getting longer and more intense. Climate change is leading to longer and more extreme heat waves, which dry out vegetation, enabling fires to spread quickly, reports Statista. According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) database, as of July 22, the total burned area in the four main European Union countries of the Mediterranean basin (Spain, France, Italy and Greece) was already 70 percent higher than in previous years. With the fire season not yet over, almost 370,000 hectares of wildland have already gone up in smoke in the region, compared with an annual average of under 220,000 hectares from 2006 to 2025. The development was this year driven by fires in Spain and France, where mass evacuations have been carried out and thousands of firefighters were deployed in the past weeks. While in Spain, the area burned by wildfires was already twice as big as of July 22 than previous year's averages, France saw an increase in burned area of more than 500 percent this year. Usually, Italy is the EU country seeing the largest wildfires after Spain, but this year, France will likely land in rank 2. Greece, seeing on average as much burned area as Italy, has seen remarkably little fire activity this year so far. You will find more infographics at Statista

The European Union has unveiled its first dedicated electrification target, aiming to nearly double the proportion of electricity in its final energy

Tour de France spectator ban as country along with Spain, Portugal and Greece faces ‘powder keg’ after heatwave