Anti-tourist fury has erupted in a Paris holiday hotspot amid fears overtourism is ruining a hilltop neighbourhood.
Last year’s Olympic Games, which were hosted in the French capital, have led to a surge in tourism – and residents are warning that change is urgently needed to stop Paris turning into the next Barcelona or Venice.
Stringent housing regulations have helped reduce the worst effects of the tourism, there are now fears that Paris could be soon to follow Spain and Italy in seeing large-scale anti-tourism protests.
Anne Renaudie, the head of the Vivre a Montmartre association, has lived in the area for 29 years.
“People come for three hours, to have fun, buy a beret or a crepe, and leave – as if they were in an amusement park,” she fumed.
Renaudie also highlighted the effect on local shops, saying: “We’re down to two or three butchers, two cheese shops. They’re disappearing one after the other.
“Now it’s a lot of ice cream, crepes, taco places.”
Her association has proposed measures similar to those in other European tourist hotspots to Paris’s City Hall.
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Residents of Montmatre in Paris fear overtourism is ruining their hilltop neighbourhood after numbers spike
These measures include limiting tour groups to 25 people, banning loudspeakers, and raising tourist taxes.
Some 48.7 million visitors descended on Paris in 2024.
Approximately 11 million tourists visit Montmartre every year, primarily to see the Sacre-Coeur Basilica.
However, the cobblestone streets in the area are very narrow, and locals have been left frustrated by the constant flow of tourists.
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Locals are becoming frustrated by the constant clog of tourists in the narrow streets
Mother-of-two and local resident Anthea Quenel, 44, said: “Sometimes I have to really raise my voice and say, ‘Sorry, I want to pass’.”
She blasted: “It’s like Disneyland.”
The fear among residents is that things are going to get worse.
Paris officials say 2025 is likely to be even busier than last year for tourism, with a 20 per cent rise in January bookings over the same month last year.
The mayor of the 18th arrondissement – which includes Montmartre – Eric Lejoindre, has said house prices could soon drive residents out.
He said: “For me, the big issue is housing… That means fighting against Airbnb and rental platforms.”
Real estate prices in Montmatre have seen a 19 per cent jump in the past decade, according to a French real estate platform.
In order to combat this, Paris has tightened short-term rental rules, reducing the annual limit on renting out a primary residence from 120 to 90 days.
