The workshop was the last in the "30 for 2030" capacity-building series run by the European Commission's Clean energy for EU islands secretariat, and it brought together island representatives, experts and practitioners from across Europe. Among the main problems named were the growing number of holiday homes and short-term rentals, which make housing unaffordable or unavailable for residents, and sharp seasonal peaks that stretch transport, energy, waste management and public services beyond their limits.

Participants discussed several responses: using tourist taxes to improve public transport and maintain cultural and recreational facilities that residents can use all year, and diversifying the offer beyond summer through nature-based, educational and cultural experiences. One example from Denmark showed tourism revenue helping to keep local shops open throughout the year. The overall message was that tourism should serve the local community, with the questions "who owns tourism?" and "who benefits from it?" guiding discussions on governance, participation and community-led decision-making. For island destinations, this places residents' voice in tourism planning on the same footing as the technical side of their clean-energy transition.

#IslandTourism #ShortTermRentals #ResidentWellbeing #Seasonality