Is There An Antidote For Overtourism?

Overtourism is a term that describes the negative impacts of excessive tourism on destinations, environments, and communities. It is a problem that the post-pandemic surge in travel demand has exacerbated, as millions of people seek to explore the world after months of lockdowns and restrictions.

The facts

Overtourism can manifest in various ways, such as environmental degradation, cultural erosion, social displacement, economic inequality, congestion, noise, pollution, and loss of authenticity. It can also generate resentment and hostility among locals, who feel overwhelmed and exploited by the influx of visitors.

Some places that have experienced overtourism include popular cities like Barcelona, Venice, Amsterdam, and Kyoto and natural and cultural sites like the Great Barrier Reef, Maya Bay, Machu Picchu, and Angkor Wat. These places have faced challenges like overcrowding, vandalism, littering, coral bleaching, wildlife disturbance, and heritage deterioration.

In 2023, authorities in the Italian city of Venice announced a decision to restrict the size of tourist groups to alleviate the strain caused by thousands of visitors congesting its squares, bridges, and narrow walkways daily from April 2024.

The arguments

While tourism can bring many benefits, such as income, employment, development, and cultural exchange, it also has costs and responsibilities.

Therefore, it is essential to find a balance between the needs and interests of tourists, hosts, and destinations, and to ensure that tourism is managed sustainably and responsibly.

There is no single or simple solution to overtourism, as each destination has its context, characteristics, and challenges.

However, some possible measures can be taken to address the problem and they include:

• Setting and enforcing capacity limits and quotas for visitors, based on scientific and social criteria, and using technology such as online booking systems, smart cards, and sensors to monitor and regulate the flow of tourists.

• Implementing and collecting taxes, fees, and fines from tourists and tourism businesses, and using the revenue to fund conservation, infrastructure, and community projects, as well as to discourage low-value and high-impact tourism.

• Diversifying and distributing tourism products and markets, by creating new attractions, activities, and experiences, and by promoting alternative and less-visited destinations, seasons, and segments, to reduce the pressure and dependence on a few hotspots and sources.

On the other hand, there could be a downside to these measures which could easily deflate the interest of tourists in the various hotspots.

Restrictions on tourism may lead to unintended consequences, such as the displacement of tourism to other areas that are not prepared to handle increased visitor numbers or the emergence of informal or illegal tourism activities.

Additionally, implementing caps on tourism may generate negative perceptions among potential visitors and impact the destination’s reputation as a welcoming and accessible place to visit.

Governments may also experience a decline in tax revenue generated from tourism-related activities, potentially affecting public services and infrastructure development funded by tourism taxes.

Overtourism is not an inevitable or irreversible phenomenon, but a challenge that can be overcome with collective and concerted efforts from all the actors involved in tourism.

By applying these measures, and others, we can ensure that tourism is a force for good, not evil, and that it contributes to the well-being of people and the planet.