The landscape of European travel is undergoing a quiet but necessary shift. While the appetite for the continent’s coastal havens and historic capitals remains as ravenous as ever, the industry is waking up to a stark reality: it’s no longer just about where people go, but exactly how they experience the destination once they touch down. Whether it’s educating travel agents through immersive, on-the-ground networking or actively diverting holidaymakers away from congested honey-pot sites, the focus is squarely on smarter, more responsible exploration.
A prime example of this hands-on shift recently took place on the Adriatic. Dertour Austria, working in tandem with the Croatia specialist I.D. Riva Tours—which folded into the Dertour Group at the start of 2025—scrapped the traditional seminar format for an educational trip with a difference. Rather than sitting in a conference room, a delegation of travel professionals took to the water for a spot of island-hopping aboard the deluxe motor yacht Solaris.
This Campus Live initiative was designed to merge industry networking with raw, practical product knowledge. The rationale is simple: you can’t genuinely sell a region without getting to grips with its rhythm.
“With Campus LIVE, it’s not simply about explaining our products; it’s about making them tangible,” noted Hannelore Wallinger, Sales Specialist at Dertour Austria, who accompanied the group. “Southern Dalmatia showcases incredibly well just how versatile and highly marketable Croatia can be.”
Setting off from Trogir, the itinerary wove through some of the region’s most striking anchorages, taking in Hvar, Korčula, and Brač. Accompanied by an expert local guide who provided proper geographical and cultural context, the days were split between unwinding on deck, guided walking tours, tasting regional produce, and conducting targeted site inspections with key hotel partners. By directly experiencing the accommodation, location, and overall vibe, the agents are far better equipped to tailor their subsequent client consultations.
The delegation putting this experiential approach to the test featured a broad cross-section of the Austrian trade, including Lana Cuskic of Ruefa Knittelfeld; Aaron Müller from Gruber Reisen Graz; Klemens Reischl of Reisewelt Linz; Eleonita Sadiku representing Springer Reisen Klagenfurt; Daniela Sinnhuber-Ott from Reisegschichten Krems; Bettina Temper of Ruefa St. Pölten; Liane Wiesinger from WTS Travel Wien; Manfred Windhager of Reisewelt Mattighofen; and Patricia Wukitsch from Komet Reisen Pinkafeld.
While small-ship cruising naturally disperses footfall along the coastline, Europe’s major cities face a vastly different logistical headache. The issue of overtourism isn’t merely a numbers game; it’s a bottleneck problem. When vast swathes of tourists—often spilling out from mega cruise ships—flock to the exact same postcodes at the exact same time, specific neighbourhoods bear the brunt whilst others are left entirely off the radar.
It’s completely understandable that visitors want to catch a glimpse of Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower. No one is trying to stamp out the desire to see the heavy hitters. However, encouraging travellers to spend even a fraction of their city break in lesser-known boroughs can brilliantly defuse the pressure.
This is the exact premise behind a new wave of ‘Uncommon’ day trips launched by Intrepid Travel. Operating out of Barcelona, Venice, and Paris, these micro-tours cap groups at a strict maximum of twelve people, taking them entirely off the beaten track for a couple of hours.
Florencia Allo Moreno, Intrepid Travel’s Regional Director for Western Europe, frames the situation rather bluntly. “Overtourism is a real, mounting challenge across pockets of Europe. In cities like Barcelona, Paris, and Venice in particular, locals are feeling the very real consequences of intense visitor numbers,” she explained.
“We’ve worked incredibly closely with our teams on the ground—people who actually live in these cities. This allows us to properly understand the friction and figure out how to champion responsible travel that bridges the gap between locals and visitors, rather than driving a wedge between them. For us, the crux of the matter is the style of travel: keeping groups small, leaning on local expertise, and backing community businesses along the way.”
The itineraries themselves offer a refreshing antidote to the usual tourist treadmill. In Barcelona, the Uncommon tour swaps the chaotic centre for a deep dive into daily Catalan life. Guests visit a community garden in El Born before wandering up to the El Clot neighbourhood, taking in the local market and the area’s own, distinctly less frantic, rambla.
Over in Venice, the narrative shifts to the historic Pescheria di Rialto market, tapping into trading roots that stretch back to the Middle Ages. The Venetian route also crucially funnels spending into local pockets, including a stop at a female-run artisan chocolate shop.
Meanwhile, in Paris, the tour cleverly subverts the classic bucket-list approach. Rather than elbowing through crowds at the Trocadéro, visitors are guided to alternative, unexpected vantage points to view the Eiffel Tower, paired with leisurely strolls through local neighbourhood markets and municipal parks.
