The authors analyzed the situation in seven European countries from 2019 to 2025 and found a link between the increase in the number of air travelers and rising housing prices and rental costs, according to Euronews. This correlation was most pronounced in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece. In Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland—where the influx of such tourists declined—the rise in housing prices was more moderate.
According to the researchers’ estimates, the number of tourists arriving by air in Spain has increased by 12.8% over the past seven years. This coincided with an increase in the average home purchase price of approximately 3,800 euros and a rise in rent of 236 euros, or 1.7%. If this trend continues, rents could rise by another 217 euros by 2031.
However, the authors do not consider tourism to be the sole cause of the housing crisis. Prices are also rising due to a shortage of new housing, bureaucratic restrictions on construction, problems with urban planning regulations, and a labor shortage. The situation is also influenced by the proliferation of short-term rentals and the purchase of second homes.
It is noted that the airports in Madrid and Barcelona may welcome more tourists than Amsterdam’s Schiphol in the coming years. At the same time, Spain has already invested 12.9 billion euros in developing the infrastructure of Barajas and El Prat airports.
There are also environmental consequences of the growth in air travel. In 2025, aviation emissions in Spain exceeded 2019 levels by 14%, and in Italy by 10%. According to their data, even before the pandemic, the tourism industry accounted for 8.8% of global carbon emissions.
Despite the growth in tourist traffic, the incomes of workers in the industry have remained virtually unchanged. For example, the hotel and restaurant industry accounted for about 10% of all hours worked in Spain but generated only 5% of the country’s gross value added. Real wages in the sector declined only slightly between 2008 and 2024.
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