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Overtourism and short-term rental are causing the locals to say that it is unlivable. Credit: MurderousPass via Canva.com from pixabay
The 28th of June 2025 was a Saturday. Prague’s Old Town Square. Locals protested, holding signs saying “The city isn’t an open-air museum”. They staged a satirical football match between residents and the Airbnb team, chanting under the towers of Týn Church, where tourists usually outnumber them twenty to one. Residents are fed up with the old cities that have lost their soul.
This is part a larger European movement that began in late June. As cities sent a clear message about the costs of overtourism, they began to organize gatherings like this in Prague. It was not anti-tourist but critical of the system. We will examine the causes of the movement, and what makes Prague’s housing crisis so unique.
Airbnb’s reshaping of Prague’s center is a result of the housing crisis.
If you are walking through the old city of Prague at night, you will see the lights on in the bars and the streets busy. But if you look upward, you’ll find that every window is completely dark. The buildings look full but there are no people living in them.
- Central Prague is experiencing the Airbnb effect. Short-term rentals have taken over entire blocks in the historic centre.
- According to local watch groups in districts like Staré Město and Malá Strana, Three out of four people are able to speak English. A flat is listed in a booking platform such as Airbnb or Booking.com.
It means that there are fewer houses for residents, and the prices of those remaining homes will be higher. The long-term rent market in Prague has been declining over the past decade. Locals are being priced out by landlords who convert their apartments into holiday homes to increase cash flow.
- Tourists are willing to spend more per night on holiday properties than they would pay locally per month.
- In 2023, Prague’s average rent You can reach us by calling: CZK 320 per square meter in central districts — a Increase of 40% Pre-COVID price is cheaper than COVID prices
Young people are moving to the suburbs and leaving the city core, resulting in a similar wage.
Locals vs Airbnb
You might have been confused if you expected to see the usual crowds jostling over chimney cakes on June 28, when you arrived in Prague’s Old Town Square.
- It was not a match between tourists and locals. It was locals wearing black shirts against a fake Airbnb FC.
- This protest was described as a parody. The ball that was kicked was not for show. It was purely symbolic.
- Locals are working to bring the city back, one goal at atime.
The use of squirt pistols and water guns by activists is becoming more common. Palma de Mallorca locals cover their balconies in bed sheets with the words “Tourists, go home” and “The rent is not YOURS”. Venice has even tried out digital entry fees with airport-style turnstiles.
The approach of Prague was more resigned rather than angry. It works because the photos are visible. They force you to confront a problem that is normally ignored. They are the people in the pictures, the old waiter that no longer lives near, and the child who can’t afford to go to school downtown.
At that moment, Old Town Square transformed into a theatre, and locals for the first time weren’t just extras.
What Prague can Learn from Other Cities
The tourism industry in Europe is growing rapidly, and the next step could determine if it becomes more like Barcelona, or more like Venice.
- You can also find out more about the following: BarcelonaYears of frustration forced the city to act. The city has frozen the issuance of new licenses for tourist short-term rentals. There are now fines for illegal listings. The old town was reclassified into residential zones. In a bold move the city is planning to ban all rental accommodation for tourists by 2028. It is drastic, but after more than a decade under near-unliveable pressure.
- You can also find out more about the following: VeniceA tourist tax, daily visit limitations, testing turnstiles, and a ticketing and boarding system for cruises have all been implemented. This is treating tourism like an event to be managed rather than just welcomed.
- You can also find out more about the following: AmsterdamThe government has banned all new hotels, and they have capped the annual number of tourists to 20 million. Guided tours are not allowed in the Red Light District, and even famous landmarks like the famous “I AMsterdam” The sign was removed as a way to improve its image.
All these cities share a common trait: they’ve reached a point of over-charm. Rents are rising, schools are closing and locals are disappearing slowly from the map.
Prague has the chance to change direction; this is what makes it different. The protests don’t have a crisis attached to them; they are more of an alert shot.
Overtourism in a beautiful city
Prague is known as a place that can be frozen in the past. Its rich history and stunning architecture have always attracted people. This is how it draws people in, but the danger lies in what happens to the people who live there —the ones who speak the language, remember the changes, and raise their kids —who are being pushed off.
The protest of June 28th wasn’t about noise or rent; it was all about belonging. Tourists aren’t being asked to leave, they’re being asked to not overwhelm the city. Prague’s real question is not whether it can handle more tourists, but if it can still be a place to live, rather than just visit.
