Last year's anti-tourism protests drew global headlines. This summer, the tensions are back – but so are ideas to fix the system.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in the Canary Islands this year to protest mass tourism. Now, a new wave of anti-tourism protests is being planned across southern Europe later this summer. You could be forgiven for feeling that nothing has changed since last year when frustration over crowded cities, soaring house prices and bad traveller behaviour erupted into public anger.

Change in the tourism industry is often slow, requiring consensus from a broad range of stakeholders as well as time to implement schemes. But signs of progress are emerging. Across Europe, a slew of new initiatives is aiming to balance tourism with the needs of local residents – addressing the environmental, social and economic pressures created by overtourism.

Thanks to screaming headlines and greater awareness of the issues, travellers are becoming increasingly conscious of their impact. Meanwhile, local communities have ramped up pressure on authorities to take meaningful action. Here's how three destinations are responding with new ideas for a more sustainable travel season.

Switzerland's national train network will be run completely on hydroelectric power this year as part of its new Swisstainable strategy that aims to distribute tourism more evenly across the country and calendar. With its ski seasons threatened by warming temperatures and its glaciers vulnerable to collapse – as seen in the recent tragedy in Blatten – Switzerland knows all too well the importance of balancing tourism and the environment. The landlocked nation is focussing on public transport; it has some of the most public transport-accessible mountains in the world, with mountain trains servicing their peaks for more than 150 years. The Swisstainable website offers 33% off public transport when booking a sustainability-certified Swisstainable hotel, or 25% off for any stay in a Swisstainable hotel.

In addition, campaigns featuring Roger Federer are pushing for off-season travel, showing what the country is like beyond ski season and summer hiking. Ski lifts across the country will be running for longer periods and seasonal hotels will also extend their opening dates, making Switzerland more accessible year-round.

While Switzerland isn't in Europe's top-10 overtouristed destinations in Europe (Zante, Istria and Fuerteventura top the list, according to a recent Which? report), it faces pressure in hotpots like the waterfall-rich town of Lauterbrunnen, and Lake Brienz, where the Korean Netflix drama

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