Residents of Hallstatt, Austria have reacted to too many tourists. Photo by Vera Petrunina/Dreamstime.com
In the charming Austrian lakeside village of Hallstatt – population about 800 – many of the residents recently staged a blockade of the main entrance into town.
People in Venice hung flags to protest the influx of tourists. Photo by Anna Yordanova/Dreamstime.com
Inhabitants of Venice, Italy hung protest flags from the windows of their homes. People in Barcelona, Spain sprayed visitors with water guns. And the ruling council of Orkney, Scotland proposed a plan to limit the number of passenger cruise ships that could dock there each day.
These are among numerous examples of actions taken by communities around the world to combat what some people call the downside of tourism – or, to be more specific, over-tourism.
The Negative Impacts of Overtourism
That term describes the toll imposed on cities and towns, landscapes and landmarks around the world by the large number of travelers who arrive seeking to enjoy what the destinations have to offer. Last year, an estimated 1.5 billion people took to the roads, seas and sky during a quest for an escape from their daily routine.
In an ironic twist of fate, the influx of large crowds upon popular destinations can greatly detract from the very attractions and appeals that visitors go there to enjoy.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization has defined overtourism as when locals, visitors, or both, feel that it has had a negative impact on the quality of life to an unacceptable degree. Among its potentially harmful effects are the displacement of renters by landlords who turn properties into more lucrative holiday leases; crowded historic and other sites; exorbitant noise levels; traffic jams, and the replacement of local shops selling basic necessities by stores catering to the whims and preferences of tourists.
The National Travel and Tourism Office reported that some 78 million international visitors came to the United States during 2024. Nearly half of them were from Canada and Mexico. According to quaintly named Squaremouth, the largest travel insurance marketplace in the United States, the total increased to about 85 million last year.
Tourism also Has Plenty of Upsides
These guests accounted for the upsides of tourism. First and foremost is the economic boost it gives to local economies. This includes creating jobs, generating income for businesses, and stimulating growth in the hospitality, retail and transportation sectors.
The demand for hotels, restaurants and transportation can prompt improvements in local infrastructure and services. The travel industry employs millions of people in hotels, restaurants, tour operations and other businesses.
In addition, people from around the world come together to learn about each other’s cultures, traditions and way of life. Tourism also contributes to the protection and preservation of heritage sites, landmarks and traditions. And the list goes on.
Some Measures Being Taken
In an effort to achieve a balance between the positive effects of visitors and the adverse impact that too many of them can have, government tourist offices and popular places are taking steps to seek a happy medium.
One approach is financial. Venice decided to begin charging an entrance fee on the busiest days of the year. New Zealand has imposed a substantial special charge to be paid by visitors.
Among non-monetary tactics have been barriers erected at locations which are popular with photographers, near Japan’s Mount Fuji and the Austrian Alps, that block some of the best views.
A barrier keeps people away from an especially good spot for photographing Mount Fuji. Photo by Naruto4836/Dreamstime.com
Amsterdam’s tourism marketing website has added less-visited sites – an often-overlooked suburban castle, an arts center located in a converted gas works building – to its list of recommended attractions.
The popular Greek island of Santorini, whose environment was being threatened by an onslaught of sightseers, capped the number of people who could arrive each day by cruise ship. It also gave top priority to the most sustainable, environmentally friendly passenger vessels.
Cruise ship traffic in Santorini Bay has been limited. Photo by Flowersofsunny/Dreamsrime.com
These efforts, and others, seek to achieve a favorable balance between the financial, cultural and other benefits of cross-border tourism, along with some of the potential negative impacts that too much of a good thing can bring. For the traveler, visiting destinations that have implemented programs designed to accentuate the positive and mitigate any negative effects as much as possible can add a feeling of doing good at the same time that they are having a good time.
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