problems with tourism

Too Many People Want to Travel

Massive crowds are causing environmental degradation, dangerous conditions, and the immiseration and pricing-out of locals.

Late in May, the Louvre closed. The museum’s workers walked out, arguing that overcrowding at the home of the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo had made the place dangerous and unmanageable. “The Louvre suffocates,” the workers’ union said in a statement written in French, citing the “total inadequacy” of the museum’s facilities to manage the high volume of visitors.

Half a world away, a conga line of mountaineers waited to approach the summit of Mount Everest, queued up on a knife’s-edge ridge, looking as if they had chosen to hit the DMV at lunchtime. A photograph of the pileup went viral; nearly a dozen climbers died , with guides and survivors arguing that overcrowding at the world’s highest peak was a primary cause, if not the only one.

Such incidents are not isolated. Crowds of Instagrammers caused a public-safety debacle during a California poppy super bloom . An “extreme environmental crisis” fomented a “summer of action” against visitors to the Spanish island of Mallorca. Barcelona and Venice and Reykjavik and Dubrovnik , inundated. Beaches in Thailand and Mexico and the Philippines , destroyed. Natural wonders from the Sierra Nevadas to the Andes , jeopardized. Religious sites from Cambodia to India to Rome , damaged.

Read: The rise of dark tourism

This phenomenon is known as overtourism, and like breakfast margaritas on an all-inclusive cruise, it is suddenly everywhere. A confluence of macroeconomic factors and changing business trends have led more tourists crowding to popular destinations. That has led to environmental degradation, dangerous conditions, and the immiseration and pricing-out of locals in many places. And it has cities around the world asking one question: Is there anything to be done about being too popular?

Locals have, of course, complained about tourists since time immemorial , and the masses have disrespected, thronged, and vandalized wonders natural and fabricated for as long as they have been visiting them. But tourism as we know it was a much more limited affair until recent decades. Through the early 19th century, travel for personal fulfillment was the provenance of “wealthy nobles and educated professionals” only, people for whom it was a “demonstrative expression of their social class, which communicated power, status, money and leisure,” as one history of tourism notes. It was only in the 1840s that commercialized mass tourism developed, growing as the middle class grew.

If tourism is a capitalist phenomenon, overtourism is its demented late-capitalist cousin: selfie-stick deaths , all-you-can-eat ships docking at historic ports , stag nights that end in property crimes , the live-streaming of the ruination of fragile natural habitats, et cetera. There are just too many people thronging popular destinations—30 million visitors a year to Barcelona, population 1.6 million; 20 million visitors to Venice, population 50,000. La Rambla and the Piazza San Marco fit only so many people, and the summertime now seems like a test to find out just how many that is.

Read: “Instagram” for 18th-century tourists

The root cause of this surge in tourism is macroeconomic. The middle class is global now, and tens of millions of people have acquired the means to travel over the past few decades. China is responsible for much of this growth, with the number of overseas trips made by its citizens rising from 10.5 million in 2000 to an estimated 156 million last year. But it is not solely responsible. International-tourist arrivals around the world have gone from a little less than 70 million as of 1960 to 1.4 billion today: Mass tourism, again, is a very new thing and a very big thing.

Business trends have also contributed to turning paradise to paradise lost. Cruise vacations are vastly more popular than they once were, with the diesel-belching vessels disgorging thousands of passengers at a time onto port towns. Supercheap airlines using satellite airports have dramatically cut the cost of hopscotching around Europe, the Americas, and Asia, encouraging travelers to take 1 billion flights on budget airlines every year. And platforms such as Airbnb have increased the supply of rentable rooms in cities from Rio to Delhi, reducing search friction for travelers, boosting cities’ carrying capacity, and bumping up rents for existing residents—an estimated 4 percent in Barcelona, for instance.

Social media are at work, too, with apps such as Instagram leading tourists to pitch over cliffs and clog vital roadways in search of the perfect pic, and sites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor making restaurants, museums, and beaches discoverable and thus ruinable. Overtourism itself is a media phenomenon as much as it is anything else. The word catapulted into common use in 2017, with wall-to-wall coverage of the problems in Venice, Bali, and elsewhere helping to drive the global backlash against tourists as well as the backlash to the backlash.

Read: Instagram’s wannabe-stars are driving luxury hotels crazy

As for the backlash to the backlash: Some concerns about overtourism seem enormously overblown, and many local complaints about visitors are shot through with classism and racism. The majority of tourist destinations have no problem with the number of visitors they receive—would it even be possible for Orlando or Vegas to be over-touristed, logistically or spiritually? Travelers and their foreign direct investment remain a vital lifeblood for tiny Italian towns and big American parks and thousands of places in between. And while many sites are inarguably overcrowded, very few cities and towns are; the problem is mostly one of beaches and blocks and buildings, not of neighborhoods or regions.

There’s too much of a good thing in some of these spots, and mayors and city councils are doing their part to take it away. A number of places have implemented or expanded or proposed tourist taxes, among them Amsterdam, Bali, Edinburgh, Ireland, Rome, and Venice. These levies on hotels and day trips both reduce the number of visitors to a given place and provide it with revenue to improve infrastructure and defray the damage that tourists inevitably cause. Governments are also rolling out regulations, such as bans on tour buses in Rome and gating-and-ticketing in Barcelona. Those kinds of measures stand to become more important in the coming years, as the global middle class gets bigger, social media more ubiquitous, and travel cheaper.

These phenomena inevitably mean more complaints from locals, and more damage and lines and selfies and bad behavior. But they also mean more cross-cultural exposure, more investment, more global connection, more democratization of travel, and perhaps more awe and wonder. Even overtourism has its upsides.

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Number of tourist arrivals

Somewhere on Earth this year

The World Counts • Impact through Awareness

The world counts impact through awareness, 45 arrivals every second.

There are over 1.4 billion tourists arriving at their destination every year. That’s 45 arrivals every single second.

Exponential growth of tourism

In 1950 there were 25 million international tourist arrivals, in 1970 the number was 166 million, and by 1990 it had grown to 435 million. From 1990 to 2018 numbers more than tripled reaching 1.442 billion. By 2030, 1.8 billion tourist arrivals are projected.

Negative environmental impacts of tourism

The negative environmental impacts of tourism are substantial. They include the depletion of local natural resources as well as pollution and waste problems. Tourism often puts pressure on natural resources through over-consumption, often in places where resources are already scarce.

Tourism puts enormous stress on local land use, and can lead to soil erosion, increased pollution, natural habitat loss, and more pressure on endangered species. These effects can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which tourism itself depends.

Tourism often leads to overuse of water

An average golf course in a tropical country, for example, uses as much water as 60,000 rural villagers. It also uses 1500 kilos of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides per year.

Tourism and climate change

Tourism contributes to more than 5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with transportation accounting for 90 percent of this.

By 2030, a 25% increase in CO2-emissions from tourism compared to 2016 is expected. From 1,597 million tons to 1,998 million tons.

1,101,463,991

Tons of waste dumped

Globally, this year

2,171,754.47

Square kilometers of land area being degraded

2,213,318,846,717

Tons of freshwater used

Worldwide, this year

22,392,968,159

Tons of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere

The alternative: Eco-tourism

Eco-tourism offers a greener alternative. Eco-tourism is a rapidly growing industry, with potential benefits for both the environment and the economies of the tourist destinations.

Number of eco-tourist arrivals

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Tourism is damaging the ocean. Here’s what we can do to protect it

8 million metric tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean every year. Image:  REUTERS/Johannes P. Christo

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What does the big blue mean to you? Is it a holiday destination, a source of income, as for the 60 million people working in the marine fishing industry, a vital protein source of 151 million tonnes for human consumption, or a home to millions of species? The ocean has a different meaning for everyone, but for all of us, it is a source of life.

Vitamin sea

It is often forgotten that two thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. The ocean is big, resilient and heals the soul, but what happens when it is facing a crisis and cannot revitalize its own wounds? Scientists are predicting that 90% of the world's coral reefs will die by 2050 and that the ocean’s biodiversity is degrading at an alarming pace, due to human activities.

With a growing global middle class and increasing ease of travel, people have achieved greater mobility in recent years. According to United Nations World Tourism Organization, the number of international tourist trips worldwide reached 1.3 billion in 2017, and is predicted to reach 1.8 billion by 2030 .

The World Travel Tourism Council forecasts that the future of travel and tourism will support 400 million jobs and contribute to 25% of global net job creation globally. The infrastructure required to sustain this growth in economic activity has increased pressure on natural resources, biodiversity, as well as on local communities.

Tourism can cause harm, but it can also stimulate sustainable development. When properly planned and managed, sustainable tourism can contribute to improved livelihoods , inclusion, cultural heritage and natural resource protection, and promote international understanding.

Here are three examples of how tourism is harming our oceans, and the efforts to mitigate that harm:

1. The cost of tourism

Various tourist hotspots struggle to manage the ever-expanding influx of travellers. Urban dwellers in cities like Amsterdam, Venice and Barcelona are raising their concerns and anti-tourist sentiment is growing . Tourism-driven gentrification can put pressure on the wellbeing and livelihood of the local community, pushing up real estate prices, making the destination overcrowded, and enhancing shore erosion by tourist activities in coastal areas.

In 2017, Palau and New Zealand started a bold campaign requesting visitors to be environmental agents by signing an eco-pledge when visiting their countries. This small step is crucial to shift visitors’ behaviour towards respecting the culture, protecting the country’s natural and living resources, and preserving the country for future generations.

Awareness of sustainability is more important than ever, as user-generated content and peer-to-peer digital platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Airbnb and TripAdvisor are becoming key influencers of the experience economy, tourism trends, and the attitudes of globetrotters.

2. Toxic sunscreen in our seas

As the number of beachgoers has been growing, so has the use of sun protection products. Many people are unaware but 14,000 tonnes of toxic sunscreen make their way to the underwater world each year. In fact, as many as 82,000 kinds of chemicals from personal care products end up in the oceans. The use of chemical sunscreen, water pollution, coral diseases, rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification, lead to deformations in juvenile corals, bleaching of reefs and prevent corals from growing, reproducing and surviving.

In 2018, Hawaii , Mexico and Aruba announced a ban on non-biodegradable sunscreen lotions. Seychelles took a step further and committed to a blue bond to support the financing of ocean and marine-based projects for positive economic, environmental and climate benefits. It is key to have a holistic and innovative approach to the blue economy as the industry is expected to grow at twice the rate of the mainstream economy by 2030 .

3. Circular tides

Global awareness of the footprint of (micro)plastic from tourism gained momentum in 2018. Researchers estimate that an additional 8 million metric tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean every year . About 40% of all plastic is in single-use packaging , as tourists litter beaches with straws, coffee cups, water bottles and cigarette butts .

In October 2018, Thailand announced the closing of Maya Beach indefinitely to clean up the unstoppable amount of plastic and drainage that tarnished its coastline. The threat to our oceans requires cross-country and regional collaboration , but most importantly multi-stakeholder global engagements.

Strategic partnerships empowering the public and private sector to reduce plastic waste, develop a circular economy and build sustainable and more resilient communities are critical. The alliance between the world’s largest packaging producers, like the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment are key to forging innovative collective action, and solutions to reducing pollution to save our oceans.

There are both positives and negatives stemming from the increase of human mobility and tourism, therefore it is crucial to find a balance to encourage tourism for economic growth and stimulating sustainable incentives for the conservation of our oceans.

The ocean might seem endless, but we are all on the same boat and need to find mutual solutions to ride the waves together. This is crucial not only for our oceans and marine life, but for human survival.

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• INTELLIGENT TRAVEL

Is Tourism Destroying the World?

Travel is transforming the world, and not always for the better. Though it’s an uncomfortable reality (who doesn’t like to travel?), it’s something award-winning journalist Elizabeth Becker   devoted five years of her life to investigating. The result is Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism .

I caught up with the author to get the inside scoop on the book, what prompted her to write it, and what she learned along the way, and this is what she had to say.

Leslie Trew Magraw: You made a name for yourself as a war correspondent covering Cambodia for The Washington Post . What prompted you to write this book?

Elizabeth Becker: My profession has been to understand world events.   I reported from Asia and Europe [for the Post ] and later was the senior foreign editor at NPR.   At The New York Times ,   I became the international economics correspondent in 2002, and that is when I began noticing the explosion of tourism and how much countries rich and poor were coming to rely on it.

But tourism isn’t treated as a serious business or economic force. Travel sections are all about the best vacations. So I used a fellowship at Harvard to begin my research and then wrote this book to point out what seemed so obvious: Tourism is among the biggest global industries and, as such, has tremendous impacts—environmental, cultural, economic—that have to be acknowledged and addressed.

Which country can you point to as a model for sustainable tourism?

One of the more ambitious is France , which is aiming for sustainability in the whole country. The key, I think, is that the French never fully bought in to the modern obsession with tourist overdevelopment. They have been nurturing their own culture and landscape, cities, and villages for decades. Since they have tied their economy to tourism, they have applied a   precise and country-wide approach that mostly works.

All relevant ministries are involved, including culture, commerce, agriculture, sports, and transportation. Planning is bottom up, beginning with locals at destinations who decide what they want to promote and how they want to improve. The French obsession with protecting their culture—some would call it arrogance—has worked in their favor. The planning and bureaucracy required to make this work would try the patience of many governments.

Now, even though the country is smaller than the state of Texas, France is the most popular destination in the world. Tourism officials told me one of their biggest worries is becoming victims of their success: too many foreigners buying second homes or retirement homes in French villages and Parisian neighborhoods, which could tip the balance and undermine that sustainable and widely admired French way of life.

Many destinations are making impressive changes. Philanthropists are helping African game parks find their footing. I was lucky to see how Paul Allen , for instance, is helping in Zambia .

Which country is doing it all wrong?

Cambodia has made some bad choices in tourism. It is blessed with the magnificent temples of Angkor , glorious beaches in the south, cities with charming overlay of the French colonial heritage, and   a rural landscape of sugar palms, rice paddies, and houses on stilts.

Yet, rather than protect these gems, the government has allowed rapacious tourism to threaten the very attractions that bring tourists. Tourism is seen as a cash cow.

Some of the capital’s most stunning historic buildings are being razed to build look-alike modern hotels.   In Angkor, a thicket of new hotels has outpaced infrastructure and is draining the water table so badly the temples are sinking—and profits from tourism do not reach the common people, who are now among the poorest in the country.

In addition, Cambodia has become synonymous with sex tourism that exploits young girls and boys. The latest wrinkle is to encourage tourists on the “genocide trail” to see the killing fields and execution centers from the Khmer Rouge era.

With more than a billion people traveling each year, how can we see the world without destroying it?

That is the essential question.   Countries are figuring out how to protect their destinations in quiet, non-offensive ways. They control the number of hotel beds, the number of flights to and from a country, the number of tour buses allowed. Some have “sacrifice zones,” where tourists are allowed to flood one section of beachfront, for example, while the rest is protected as a wildlife preserve or [reserved] for locals. Most countries are heavily promoting off-season travel as the most obvious way to control crowds.

Countries are also putting more muscle into regulations [governing] pollution. The toughest problem is breaking the habit of politicians being too close to the industry to the detriment of their country. Money talks in tourism as in any other big business. Luxury chains wanting a store near a major tourist attraction will pay high rents to push out locals. Officials fail to enforce rules against phony “authentic” souvenirs.

One of the worst offenders are the supersize cruise ships that swarm localities, straining local services and sites and giving back little in return.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge for 21st-century travelers?

Avoiding “drive-by tourism.” This is a phrase coined by Paul Bennett of   Context Travel ,   referring to the growing habit of people visiting a destination for a few hours—maybe a few days—and seeing only a blur of sights with little appreciation for the country, culture, or people.

One of the eureka moments in my five years of research was reading old guidebooks in the   Library of Congress.

The Baedeker Guides were written in consultation with historians and archaeologists who presumed the tourists wanted to immerse themselves in a country. They included a short dictionary of the language of the country and, only at the very end, short lists of hotels and restaurants.

Today it is the reverse: Guides have short paragraphs about history, culture, and politics and long lists of where to eat and sleep.

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My advice is to first be a tourist where you live. Explore the museums, the farms, the churches, the night life, the historic monuments—and then read up on local politics and history.

If you’re interested in volunteering overseas, first volunteer at home. Then when you’re planning your next trip abroad, use that experience as a template and study up on the destination you’re about to visit.

Don’t forget to try to learn something of the local language. It is a gift.

Q: Are there any tourism trends that give you hope for the future of travel?

A: People are again recognizing that travel is a privilege. Responsible tourism in its various forms—volunteer tourism, adventure tourism, slow tourism (where people take their time), agro-tourism (where visitors live and work on a farm), ecotourism , geotourism—all speak to tourists’ desire to respect the places they visit and the people they meet.   I think people are also recognizing that bargain travel has hidden expenses and dangers.

Costa Rica was an eye-opener for me; it deserves its reputation as a leader in responsible tourism that nurtures nature and society.

Finally, several groups including the United Nations World Tourism Organization have put together a global sustainable tourism council with a certification program to show tourists which places are genuinely making the effort.

Thoughts? Counterpoints? Leave a comment to let us know how you feel about this important topic.

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Overtourism: Causes, Consequences and Solutions

Overtourism : one of the words that people use most in recent years. In effect, more and more often, tourist destinations suffer from overtourism, tourism overcrowding . Places that everyone wants to see because they are “famous”. Movie scenes shot in locations (such as Lake Braies ) that now attract hordes of tourists looking for a short trip. Simply, they stop the time for a selfie and then leave for the next famous stage. This type of mass tourism causes pollution, the devastation of nature and distress of local populations. Let’s see in detail what is overtourism, what are its causes , what are the consequences , and what can be done to avoid it.

What is overtourism?

Overtourism is a neologism that indicates the overcrowding of tourists on a holiday destination. The term was first inserted in the Oxford dictionary in 2018 and nominated as the year’s word. Overtourism, literally “too much tourism” , is a complex phenomenon that we should analyze from various points of view. In essence, we could sum up the concept in one question. Is this place affected by the presence of more tourists than the place and the inhabitants can support?

When it comes to natural tourist destinations , tourism must respect flora, fauna, and microclimate. When the destination is a city , tourism must primarily r espect residents , as well as local culture and archaeological sites . The latter in particular are small microcosms blocked in time that tourism should protect. If this doesn’t happen, we talk about overtourism, or unsustainable tourism for the place, for nature, for the people who live there.

The Causes of overtourism

More than 1.4 billion people are moving around the world every year, and they are growing at an exponential rate. The World Tourism Organisation predicts that by 2030 the international flow of tourists will exceed 2 billion . This very high number of people focus on a few tourist destinations in the world, which suffer from the excessive presence of tourists . The causes of too much tourism are many. From the famous films that make tourist destinations famous to the ease with which you can reach any corner of the world. Also, we can name the cruises that bring large quantities around the seas. We talked about cruises and their environmental impact in this article .

Cultural tourism, a new trend

A trend of the moment is tourism i nfluenced by mass culture . According to this kind of tourism, people chose the destination based on social media , influencers, television programs and films. Tourism influenced by film and TV series products, also known as film tourism , has in some cases led to real disasters. An example is what is happening in the Pacific Islands : in Thailand at Maya Bay , where the film “The Beach” was shot with Leonardo Di Caprio. Over the years, tourists who wanted to see the film set invaded the small beach. This forced the Thai government to prohibit the entry of tourists to restore the delicate balance of the beautiful bay.

The increase in low-cost air flights and cruises is certainly one of the causes of Overtourism.

The numbers published by the World Tourism Organisation (Unwto) speak for themselves. Even in Italy , we have examples of how mass tourism damages the nature and residents of cities invaded by travelers. Venice , for example, is visited by about 20 million people a year. A number a little too high for such a delicate city, devastated also by cruise ships causing pollution .

Even Florence , Capri and the Cinque Terre National Park in Liguria suffer from the excessive number of tourists arriving every year. This influx is leading the administrations of the various Italian municipalities to take steps to limit the number of revenues.

Consequences of overtourism

1 destruction of natural ecosystems.

The flora and fauna are usually the first to suffer overtourism in the most popular natural tourist destinations. In some natural destinations, environmental issues led to the destruction of entire ecosystems. Among these problems, we can mention deforestation, exploitation of the soil and pollution . But also, no policy of raising awareness and protecting natural environments. In some cases, this situation has no possibility of redemption, such as, for example, what happens to coral reefs around the world. As global warming and tourists irreparably ruined them, corals are part of a natural system that is becoming extinct.

2. Increase in the amount of waste

Another consequence of mass tourism is the large accumulation of waste that people don’t differentiate. Inevitably, it creates a major environmental problem of disposal and pollution.  Boracay Island , in the Philippines, has been closed to restore the ecosystem after years of uncontrolled tourism. The waste problem is also very important on the island of Bali , which is trying to combat it thanks to the thought of Zero waste Bali.

3. Escape and malaise of residents

Too much tourism affects mainly the locals. Across Europe, in cities like Barcelona or Venice, the phenomenon of overtourism has unleashed strong tensions from the inhabitants.  Residents complain about the rising of housing prices and rentals. In effect, they inflated them due to the spread of online platforms such as Airbnb. But also, they talked about the disappearance of small shops, replaced by tourist shops, and the inviolability of their cities. The last consequence is the escape of residents from their cities, which have become tourist theatres, thus losing their authenticity.

Solutions to overtourism for destinations

As tourist flows around the world increased, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has dedicated an entire Report to overtourism. Certainly, there is not one single solution, but many small things that we can do during our holidays . The Report thus proposes 11 strategies and 68 measures to combat excessive tourism.

Here are the 11 suggestions that tourist destinations can follow to counter the phenomenon of overtourism.

• Encourage the dispersion of tourists within the city, and even beyond the territory, suggesting the visit of lesser-known destinations and less touristic areas.
• Promote tourism in different periods (for example out of season) and at different times from the most popular.
• Create new and different itineraries and tourist attractions.
• Review and improve regulations , such as closing some overcrowded areas to traffic.
• Attract more responsible types of travelers.
• ensure the benefits of tourism to local communities, for example by increasing the number of inhabitants employed in tourism, and by involving residents in the creation of tourism experiences.
• Develop and promote experiences in the city or territory that benefit both tourists and residents.
• Increase the infrastructure and services of the resort.
• Involve the local community in tourist decisions and choices.
• Educate travelers and tell them how to be more responsible and respectful of the place.
• Monitor and measure changes.

And what can we do?

With Ecobnb we promote responsible tourism , avoiding overcrowded famous destinations and promoting the close destinations. Often we don’t know what surrounds us and which beauties we can find without necessarily taking planes that emit huge amounts of CO2. Slow and sustainable tourism offers authentic locations. These places enrich local communities and those who invest in eco-sustainable activities. The real holiday could also be for you the relaxing and unplugging holiday. You could simply recharge the energies in contact with nature. Nonetheless, remember to try and lessen as much as possible for your environmental impact.

The good news is that each of us can do our part to counteract overtourism and promote sustainable tourism.

Here’s your vademecum

Here are 5 simple ideas , a vademecum, to promote quality tourism, instead of quantity, every time we travel.

• Avoid air flights and cruises, move by train and public transport whenever you can.
• Don’t take your decisions following the mass. If everyone goes to the mountains on August 15, why don’t you choose a different date?
• Organize your holidays in an alternative way, choose authentic and less touristy destinations .
• Travel out of season : spring and autumn are beautiful and less expensive seasons.
• Respect the places you visit (here you find 40 tips to travel green ), try to live like a local”, immerse yourself in the culture of the place and make friends with the inhabitants.

Cover image: photo by Elizeu Dias via Unsplash

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This post will highlight some of the common disadvantages of tourism, and the negative impacts it can have on destinations when it is not managed in a sustainable way.

Table of Contents

The problem with tourism

In 2019 (pre-COVID), international tourist arrivals grew to 1.5 billion and the industry generated 1.4 trillion USD dollars of tourism receipts ( UNWTO ). It was the tenth straight year of growth, with arrivals continuing to increase each year. The receipts from tourism were even growing at a faster rate than global GDP! Ten years of rapid growth, and in many destinations, limited restriction or control on that growth has left tourism causing some pretty serious damage to the destinations it occurs in. It is only in recent years that sustainable tourism has really become a serious priority for destinations and operators around the world. In many cases, it has been out of necessity, in an attempt to resolve the issues unsustainable tourism has caused over the years.

Now, I love to travel. And this list is by no means designed to try to make anyone stop travelling (COVID has already done that for us…). But I think it is really important as travellers to be aware of the issues we are contributing to. Either directly or indirectly. The negative impacts of tourism are usually classified into three different areas, economic, social and environmental. In this post, I will share four negative impacts tourism can have in each of these areas. This list is by no means exhaustive, and there are (unfortunately) many other disadvantages of tourism. But the idea of this post is to highlight the problems with unsustainable tourism.

Economic disadvantages of tourism

It might seem hard to believe that there can be economic disadvantages of tourism when it produces so much revenue. But the economic side of tourism is more than just profits. And unsustainable tourism driven by profits only can have dire consequences for the destinations it occurs in.

Over reliance on tourism

Countries can become over-reliant on tourism, with a large portion of their economy and GDP coming from tourism. The situation the world finds itself in now with COVID could not be a better illustrator of the damages of being over-reliant on tourism, a very volatile industry. But even before a global pandemic, this was still an issue. Tourist’s destination preferences change easily, and it doesn’t take much to sway them away from a particular destination. Relying on tourist’s to come back to the same place year after year is risky. Events such as natural disasters, terrorism, health concerns or even just a change in trend can leave countries that were thriving on tourism empty.

Low quality employment

It’s true that tourism generates employment for many. But often these jobs are low paying and seasonal. With employees completing menial tasks with little room for progression or career advancement. It’s not uncommon for establishments like resorts to hire international staff for senior, managerial roles. Usually from more economically developed countries. This leaves local workers stuck in low-level roles, paid peanuts and not guaranteed year-round work.

Tourism dollars leaking out of local economies

A major economic issue with the tourism industry is that of leakage. You can read about this issue in more detail here. But basically, leakage is when a portion of tourism income does not stay in the destination where the tourists visited. Money ‘leaks’ out to more developed countries. This usually occurs through international companies such as airlines and resorts taking their profits back to their headquartering countries. And the local destination and community do not get the economic benefits of the tourists that have visited.

Favoured over other industries

In countries where tourism is a major industry sector, the government can sometimes focus all their energy and funds on the industry. This is often at the peril of other important industries like education, infrastructure and healthcare. This can result in pristine tourist areas, new infrastructure and funding for the benefit of visitors. But what about the locals who live in the country? They might not enjoy anywhere near the same level of development.

Social disadvantages of tourism

The impacts of tourism on society and culture are often contested and deeply complicated. Tourism is just one of many forces that can impact on and change cultures, like globalisation, technology and the media. But there is no denying that tourism and culture and society are inseparable. And there are some major disadvantages of tourism in this area.

The commodification of culture

This is one of the most complex, morally challenging and difficult parts of tourism. It warrants an entire discussion of its own, but in short, tourism can turn culture into a commodity. When traditional culture becomes an attraction, that people pay to see, this raises complicated ethical issues. Often times the culture that is presented to tourists has been adapted to be more appealing to the visitor. Traditional dances and costumes are amended, ceremonies or rituals are shortened, and handicrafts are often made smaller or lighter to fit in suitcases. Only certain elements of a culture are deemed worthy of presenting to tourists. And usually, there is a whole host of problems behind closed doors that tourists are never exposed to or aware of. The culture of a destination as seen through the tourists’ eyes is not authentic at all.

Erosion of culture

This issue is different to the previous issue in that culture can not only be commodified but in many cases lost altogether as a result of tourism. The ‘demonstration effect’ occurs when locals, particularly in traditional or indigenous cultures, observe the behaviours of visitors, usually Western tourists. Exposing the locals to a completely different way of life can lead to changes in their local culture, particularly from younger members of the community. They can begin to mimic and replicate the cultures of the tourists who visit and move away from the customs and traditions of their own culture.

Tourists behaving badly

When people are on holiday they tend to leave their moral compass at home. They are relaxing, want to have a good time, and outside of their usual environment. This can lead to major clashes between tourists and locals, and leave the locals wishing the tourists had never arrived. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, tourists can offend locals and make them uncomfortable in their own homes. Dressing inappropriately, not being aware of culturally unacceptable behaviours and general bad behaviour through the use of alcohol and drugs are just some of the bad behaviours tourists bring to a destination.

Physical damage to built culture and heritage

The Colosseum, Petra, Angkor Wat, the Great Wall of China. Some of the biggest tourist attractions in the world are ancient, historical sites, built centuries ago by different civilisations. These physical representations of ancient cultures are old and fragile. And having thousands, sometimes millions, of tourists tramp through them each year places a lot of strain on the structures and can cause irreparable damage. Not all damage is deliberate on the part of the tourists, but simply having people walk over old stones, touch rock walls and lean on sites can cause irreversible erosion and damage. However many sites are suffering from the deliberate actions of tourists. Littering, graffitiing, taking pieces of the site home with them and climbing on off-limits structures.

Environmental disadvantages of tourism

The negative impacts of tourism on the environment are often the most publicised and talked about. They are easier for us to physically see and quantify, so it can be easier to talk about them. But the impacts that tourism can have on the environment are very complex and can be both direct and indirect. The environment is a complicated web of ecosystems, and one small action can have rippling effects throughout an entire area or species. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the negative things tourism can do to our environment. But some of the issues listed are a bit easier to quantify, where tourism has a direct impact.

Intense use of resources

Tourists, like all people, use resources such as water and energy. However many popular tourist destinations around the world are already dealing with resource scarcities, and tourism can severely exacerbate the problem. Tourism as an industry is a massive overuser of water. Swimming pools and golf courses require a lot of water, and I can’t think of something more synonymous with a holiday than a swimming pool. Tourists themselves tend to use more water than when they are at home, and doing their laundry can consume a lot of water and energy. Cooling and/or heating large hotels and resort complexes and their swimming pools also require a lot of electricity.

Physical damage to natural and marine areas

Tourism takes place in some of the most pristine, yet fragile natural areas in the world. Hiking in the rainforest, snorkelling in coral reefs and climbing alpine mountains are just some of the many activities that can physically impact and damage the natural environment. Vegetation can be damaged having tourists continually trampling over the same paths (and often going off the path too). Corals are damaged by boats and anchors, and tourists (accidentally or not) touching and breaking them. This damage has major flow-on effects on the wider ecosystems and can indirectly impact entire ecosystems and species.

Increased waste, pollution and emissions

From rubbish to sewerage, carbon emissions from transport carriers and water pollution – tourism produces a lot of unwanted waste. In many lesser developed countries around the world, tourism has come on quicker than their local infrastructure can handle, and disposing of the increased waste tourists bring has proven troublesome. Sewerage can end up in local rivers and lakes, and rubbish can be burnt or end up in the ocean. And transporting tourists from point A to B, by planes, in particular, releases a ton of carbon emissions into our atmosphere.

Land use and infrastructure development

Tourists need places to stay, airports for planes to land in and ports for boats to depart from. Natural areas are often cleared to make way for this construction, displacing animals and destroying forests or wetlands. A lot of tourism occurs in coastal areas, and building hotels and resorts right along the coastline can have major impacts on the ocean and surrounding reefs due to erosion and sand runoff. The same goes for constructing marinas and ports, where sand mining and dredging can have disastrous consequences for marine ecosystems.

The disadvantages of tourism: Conclusion

As I mentioned previously, this list is by no means exhaustive and unfortunately there is a range of other disadvantages of tourism. The problems tourism can cause in destinations around the world are complicated and entangled with other deep societal issues such as development, globalisation and colonialism. The purpose of sharing these negative impacts was to highlight that tourism is not a perfect industry. And as travellers, we should be aware of the damage that we can contribute to when we travel. But it’s not all bad news! Tourism, when managed sustainably, has the opportunity to contribute to positive change for our planet. And there are countless examples of the positive impacts of tourism!

What do you think? Have you experienced some of these disadvantages of tourism first hand? Can you think of any other negative impacts tourism can have on the economy, culture and environment? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Sally Rodrick

Sally Rodrick is the voice behind Sally Sees. She has spent 12 months travelling in Mexico and Central America, and has her sights firmly set on South America. Sally helps thousands of readers discover the magic of Latin America. Sharing detailed guides to inspire and equip them with the knowledge they need to plan their own epic adventures in this incredible part of the world.

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The comments.

M.K.CHETTRI

It’s nice as you have studied and observed tourists and tourism from the very near…..it’s fantastic. but the thing is that, tourism must go strictly and very sincerely with modern technological facilities keeping in mind about our extremely valuable resources security and conservation.

Thankyou for your comment. I agree, for tourism to be beneficial for all parties involved, and the environment it has to be managed carefully with strict limitations in place to protect resources.

Thanks for simplifying it for me

My pleasure, I hope it was helpful 🙂

Hi Sally, I enjoy your travel blogs very much and appreciate the way you approach your travel experiences. They have been particularly helpful as I am planning a road trip to BCS.

Regarding the negative side of travel, it is much like the negative side of modern life in general. Our collective efforts and our individual choices can have an impact, however it is governments and large corporations who cause the most damage and reap the most profits from industry and development, and also have all the power to either continue down a path of environmental and cultural destruction or make crucial policy changes to preserve our world. Unfortunately, preservation isn’t lucrative but exploitation is. That’s why our environmental crisis is worsening, not improving, no matter how many reusable straws people are buying.

While I firmly believe that as individuals and consumers we must make conscious choices and also “vote with our dollars”, I find it frustrating that we as a collective society of caring individuals have fallen for the greatest psychological trick of industry: that it’s up to us, the consumer, to make sure our world doesn’t get destroyed, while governments and industries continue to knowingly create mass scale destruction, pollution, waste and overdevelopment.

This same problem applies to most areas of modern life, not just travel, and frankly it is extremely distressing. As someone who is very conscious of the dangerous effects of modern consumerism, I am often extremely troubled and sometimes paralyzed by it. So for me it becomes important to live with balance in this regard. I will always live consciously, but I need to be careful not to feel the enormous and distressing weight of these problems squarely on my shoulders alone. Ultimately, industry and government need to be held accountable more so than individuals. Plus, not all individuals are on board with these efforts. Many plainly do not care. Those individuals who contribute most to environmental and cultural destruction aren’t the ones who will be reading blogs like this, or refraining from purchasing multiple homes, or living beyond their share of resources. They don’t care and never will. We need our leadership to change and to lead us all into conservation and preservation.

Certainly we as caring citizens of the planet should live consciously but our small efforts are no match for the unbridled and unregulated industries that are the true source of our worlds demise.

I certainly appreciate the message you are putting forth here and everything you point out is absolutely accurate, but I fear the ones who need to hear it the most won’t be the ones this message will reach.

Thank you for being a conscious and caring citizen of the planet and thank you for your lovely and helpful blogs. Best wishes and happy trails.

Hi Marissa,

Thankyou for your insightful comment. I couldn’t have said it better myself and completely share your sentiment on the situation of our planet.

To be perfectly honest, I try not to think too much about what our governments and large corporations are doing to our earth. It often feels to overwhelming to even comprehend, when it is so far out of our control.

You are completely right in saying that they are the ones that are really doing the damage, and the only ones that have the potential for real change. But for that to happen profit must be sacrificed, and planet must come first. There are small hints of this happening in some places around the world, and I think countries with large tourism industry are amongst some of the first to say no to profitable industries that are detrimental to the environment. Finally they can see the long term condition of the environment is more valuable than a quick financial win in a destructive industry. A pristine environment with rich biodiversity will be worth financially more to tourists in the long term, so there is incentive to keep it that way.

That’s why I think travel can be so powerful. Sure, travelling produces emissions and has its own set of challenges for our environment. But as you say, modern living in any context, at home or while travelling, is damaging by its very nature. I believe pros of travel can outweigh the cons if done right.

It’s a very tough line between knowing that really, as individuals, we have very little power to make meaningful change. But if we swing too far in the opposite direction it turns into an attitude of not even bothering at all. Little steps can have little impacts, and whilst it won’t solve the enormous problems our earth is facing – it can’t hurt to do the right thing where and when we can.

Keep exploring our beautiful world, and take on board the issues you can solve. All the best, Sally x

Sinadi Aanya

This is grate I got a lot of information thank u so much 🙏🏻☺️

I’m so glad it was helpful Sinadi! All the best, Sally

What Is Overtourism and Why Is It Such a Big Problem?

Travel destinations are becoming too popular for their own good.

• Chapman University
• Sustainable Fashion
• Art & Media
• Definition of Overtourism
• Consequences of Overtourism

Can Overtourism Be Reversed?

• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Maya Bay, Thailand
• Mount Everest
• Venice, Italy

Overtourism happens when the number of tourists or the management of the tourism industry in a destination or attraction becomes unsustainable. When there are too many visitors, the quality of life for the local community can diminish, the surrounding natural environment can be negatively affected, and the quality of the tourists' experience can decline.

According to the World Tourism Organization, there were 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2019, a 4% increase from the previous year. International tourist arrivals have continued to outpace the global economy, and the number of destinations earning $1 billion or more from international tourism has doubled since 1998. Tourism is growing, and some places just can’t seem to keep up.

Overtourism Definition

Although the term itself didn’t appear until around 2017 (a writer at media company Skift is often credited for first coining it in the summer of 2016), the problem of overtourism is hardly a new one. The "irritation index," known as Irridex, has examined the change between resident attitudes towards tourists throughout different stages of tourism development since 1975. According to the Galapagos Conservation Trust, tourist satisfaction rankings have been steadily decreasing since 1990 due to overcrowding; the official guidelines for visitor numbers set in 1968 when the Galapagos Island National Park first opened had risen 10-fold by 2015.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization has defined overtourism as "the impact of tourism on a destination, or parts thereof, that excessively influences perceived quality of life of citizens and/or quality of visitors experiences in a negative way." Environmental consequences are a symptom of overtourism, and the recent boost in awareness surrounding the buzzword is simply because there are more destinations around the world experiencing it.

As for what exactly is to blame for overtourism, there are numerous factors at play. Cheaper flights are making travel more accessible, cruise ships are dropping thousands of tourists off to spend several hours at a destination without spending money locally, social media is inspiring users to get that perfect selfie at travel hotspots ... the list goes on and on.

Studies even show that television and movies can impact a place’s desirability. Episodes of Game of Thrones filmed in the historical Croatian town of Dubrovnik corresponded to 5,000 additional tourism overnights per month (59,000 per year) after they aired. Most of these tourists stayed under three days, packing the Old Town walls with day tours that increased pollution and put new strains on the 13th-century infrastructure.

Like so many others, the travel industry has focused too much on growth and not enough on environmental impacts. Rising awareness of overtourism consequences has inspired local and national governments to protect their commodities through sustainable tourism practices and ensure that tourism behavior isn’t damaging—or even better, can be beneficial—to the local environment.

The Consequences of Overtourism

Needless to say, the environmental consequences of overtourism can be catastrophic. Accumulation of trash, air pollution, noise, and light pollution can disrupt natural habitats or breeding patterns (baby sea turtles, for example, can become disorientated by artificial lighting when they hatch ). Both natural and local resources, like water, will degrade as destinations or attractions struggle to accommodate numbers they simply weren’t built to handle. And even as these spots begin increasing tourism development to keep up, they may turn to unsustainable land practices or deforestation to create more accommodations and other tourism infrastructure.

Sustainable tourism management is important since the number of visitors a destination is designed to handle is unique to each one. Short-term rentals may work for certain places, but they could raise rent prices for others and push out local residents to make more room for visitors. In Barcelona, 2017 saw 40% of tourist apartments rented out illegally, making it harder for the locals to find affordable accommodations—only one of the many reasons why the city’s residents organized protests against unregulated tourism over the following years.

It’s the same thing with the environment. Large crowds of tourists in natural destinations may drive wildlife to places outside of their natural habitats, disrupting the delicate ecosystem. In some cases, crowds can negatively influence fragile environments or create more opportunities for human-wildlife conflicts . 

That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of positive aspects to tourism, however. When tourism is sustainably managed, it can be an incredible tool for protecting the environment. Admission dollars to natural areas or animal sanctuaries often go directly towards conservation and environmental education. Tourism can also strengthen local economies and help support small, family-run businesses at the same time. It’s finding that delicate balance between using tourism to fuel the economy while keeping the surrounding environment protected that often presents the greatest challenge.

What Can We Do?

• Plan your trip during the off season or shoulder season .
• Dispose of your waste properly (don’t litter) and bring along your reusables .
• Show respect for local customs and attractions.
• Explore areas outside of the most popular spots.
• Prioritize family-owned and local businesses.
• Educate yourself on sustainable travel practices.

In most places, overtourism is not a hopeless case. Destinations all over the world have already demonstrated ways to overcome the obstacles presented by overcrowding and unsustainable tourism management.

East Africa, for example, has turned gorilla trekking into an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experience by issuing limits on daily permits, all while maintaining conservation efforts inside native forests and steady employment for local guides. In Antarctica, the Antarctic Treaty restricts the size of cruise ships that land there as well as the number of people they can bring ashore at one time; it also requires a minimum guide-to-tourist ratio while tourists are off the boat.

Local governments and tourist organizations, of course, are largely responsible for maintaining sustainability in the tourism industry, but certain approaches to mitigate the negative effects of overtourism can come down to the individual traveler as well. One of the best ways to become a responsible tourist is by looking outside of the mainstream travel destinations. Consider outer cities or less-visited attractions, or head towards more rural spots to avoid crowds altogether while experiencing a glimpse of a destination’s daily culture outside of the popular areas. There are countless places that want and need more tourists just waiting to be explored.

However, if you just have to visit that bucket-list destination known for its large crowds, consider visiting during its off season or shoulder season instead of peak travel season. Residents who rely on tourism as a source of income need support during the off season more than any other time of year, plus it will save you money as a traveler since accommodations and flights tend to be cheaper. Even better, off season travel puts less pressure on the environment.

Overtourism in Machu Picchu, Peru

John van Hasselt - Corbis / Getty Images

The tourist industry surrounding the famed archaeological city of Machu Picchu in Peru has been largely responsible for the country’s economic growth since the early 1990s. The number of tourists who travel to the 15th-century citadel has quadrupled since the year 2000; in 2017, 1.4 million people visited, an average of 3,900 per day. The site, which sits on a series of steep slopes prone to heavy rains and landslides anyway, is being further eroded by the thousands of visitors who walk the ancient steps each day.

The sharp rise in visitors, combined with a lack of management strategies, prompted UNESCO to recommend that the Peruvian state redraft its overall vision for the site with conservation in mind rather than primarily tourism growth. UNESCO threatened to put Machu Picchu on the “List of World Heritage in Danger” in 2016 if the property didn’t clean up its act.

Beginning in 2019, a new set of tourist restrictions was put into place at Machu Picchu, including limitations on visitors, admission times, and lengths of stay. Tourists are now limited to two daily time slots to relieve pressure on the site and are required to hire a local guide on their first visit.

Overtourism in Maya Bay, Thailand

First made famous by the movie "The Beach," the stunning turquoise waters of Thailand’s Maya Bay have been attracting visitors ever since the film’s release over 20 years ago. Seemingly overnight, the small bay went from a quiet hidden beach on the island of Phi Phi Leh to one of the country’s most popular destinations, bringing hoards of beach-goers along.

According to BBC reports, Maya Bay went from seeing 170 tourists a day in 2008 to 3,500 in 2017, resulting in the death of a majority of its coral reefs. By June 2018, the environmental depredations from litter, boat pollution, and sunscreen had gotten so bad that the government decided to close the beach completely for four months to allow the bay to heal. After the initial four months were through, the government went on to extend the closure indefinitely .

The extreme measure has brought a few positive signs for the environment there. About a year after the initial closure, park officials shared footage of dozens of native black-tipped reef sharks re-entering the bay . A team of biologists and local residents are also working on an ongoing project to plant 3,000 corals in the bay to increase the number of fish and improve the ecosystem.

Overtourism on Mount Everest

While we tend to think of Mount Everest as a remote and unattainable adventure, the destination has actually been suffering from overcrowding for years. Images of hikers standing in line as they try to reach the summit from the Nepalese side aren’t uncommon, and in a high-altitude environment completely dependent on oxygen, long waits can get deadly fast.

Those crowds also accumulate a lot of waste. Between April and May 2019, nearly 23,000 pounds of garbage was collected from Mount Everest, a Guinness Book of World Records in terms of trash. The trash was spread out almost equally between the main basecamp, nearby settlements, high-altitude camps, and the most dangerous portion of the summit route.

One of the most challenging problems lies in the economic value of Mount Everest, which is Nepal’s most lucrative attraction. In the 2017-2018 fiscal year, Nepal received an estimated $643 million from tourism , accounting for 3.5% of its entire GDP.

Overtourism in Venice, Italy

Venice has become the poster child for overtourism in the media, and for good reason. Over the years, the government has been forced to set limits on the number and size of cruise ships that spill visitors into the city, as well as a proposed tourist entrance tax.

The tourism industry hasn’t just resulted in an increased cost of living, but in a decreased quality of life for Venice residents. The local population in Venice has declined by two-thirds over the last 50 years, its cruise ship industry accommodating several hundred ship departures and 1 million passengers each year. According to Bloomberg, there were a total of 5 million visitors in 2017 compared to the resident population of just 60,000 .

In late 2019, when the city experienced a series of floods from record-breaking high tides, some Venetians argued that cruise ships were to blame . The wakes from massive ships were literally eroding the city, while widening the canals to accommodate larger ships throughout the years had damaged coastal habitats for wildlife as well as the physical foundations of the city.

Most of these tourists stick to the city’s most famous landmarks, concentrating large numbers of crowds into small spaces that were not designed to hold them. Its historic buildings and watery ecosystem, already fragile, are certainly feeling the pressure, while the influx of temporary visitors continues to inhibit locals from living their lives. As one of the most active cruise ports in the whole of Southern Europe, Venice is on track to become a city with virtually no full-time residents.

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Pavlic, Ivana and Portolan, Ana. " Irritation Index, Tourism ." Encyclopedia of Tourism , 2015, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_564-1

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" 'Overtourism'? Understanding and Managing Urban Tourism Growth Beyond Perceptions ." United Nations World Tourism Organization .

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" Are Tourists Still Welcome After Protests? " British Broadcasting Corporation .

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" Thailand: Tropical Bay from 'The Beach' to Close Until 2021 ." British Broadcasting Corporation .

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9 destinations struggling with overtourism

Recently updated on November 27th, 2023 at 06:27 pm

Overtourism has become a major problem in cities and countries around the world. While tourism often leads to a welcome economic boost, overtourism – overcrowding from too many tourists – is incredibly damaging to the environment and local communities. But it’s not all bad news. Many overtourism destinations are now putting in measures to manage the crowds while protecting the rights of locals. As a global tour company, we also play our part to try and combat the overtourism problem. From travelling in off-peak seasons to supporting local communities and lesser-known destinations, there are plenty of steps we take to travel responsibly and reduce the burden of overtourism. Read on to discover 9 iconic destinations struggling with overtourism, and what we can do to help.

1. Dubrovnik, Croatia

Croatia has taken off in recent years and Dubrovnik is struggling to cope, due to an influx of cruise ships and Game of Thrones fans. The city’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and there is concern that the thousands of tourists walking the ancient streets and defensive walls could damage the buildings. The cruise ships are a huge problem, with 529 cruise ships bringing 799,916 passengers to Dubrovnik in 2016 alone. Thousands of passengers pour in and usually only stay for a few hours, so while they bring the noise and congestion, they spend very little money. The noise and crowds are also forcing residents out. There were 5,000 residents in 1991 but in 2017 there were only 1,157 people living in the Old Town. The Dubrovnik city mayor Mato Frankovic has since announced the city will only accept two cruise ships a day in 2019, with a limit of 5,000 passengers allowed.

What you can do to help

• Plan your visit to Dubrovnik during the shoulder seasons of May to June or September to October, instead of the peak summer season.
• Try to visit for more than one night so you can experience the local food and culture.
• Spread out your Croatia trip to also include visits to less crowded places like Zadar, a city on the Dalmatian Coast, Pula, a coastal city on the Istrian Peninsula, and Vis or Korčula, two beautiful islands in the Adriatic Sea.

What we’re doing to help

• You can take our Croatia trips during the shoulder seasons including May, June, September and October.
• We stay in Dubrovnik for at least two to three nights on our Croatia trips.
• We visit lesser-known destinations in Croatia that aren’t suffering from overtourism, like Pula, Korčula and Zadar.
• When we are in Dubrovnik, we only organise small group sightseeing walking tours to avoid clogging up the streets of this stunning medieval city.
• We see the famous sights but we also get out of the main city to ‘Connect with Locals’. We’ll take you to Osojnik, a village in the Dubrovnik area, where you’ll join the Muhoberac family for a traditional ‘Be My Guest’ dinner. Their ancestors have lived in the village for over 500 years and you’ll get to hear some wonderful stories.

GET INSPIRED BY: Balkan Delight

2. Machu Picchu, Peru

This iconic destination in Peru has struggled with overtourism for decades. The number of tourists visiting Machu Picchu, has jumped from less than 400,000 tourists a year to over 1.4 million visitors in just 20 years, and this ancient Incan site isn’t built to handle it. After years of littering, eroding pathways and visitors climbing all over the ancient ruins, UNESCO threatened to put Machu Picchu on its “List of World Heritage in Danger” in 2016. The Peruvian government has since announced a five year, $43.7 million plan to preserve the ruins. They’ve limited tickets to 5,600 per day, although that’s still more than double the number suggested by UNESCO. Tourists must enter in staggered time periods, all visitors must be accompanied by an approved guide and they must stick to the specific trails through the site.

• Always stick to the trails and never touch or climb the ancient ruins.
• Try to stay in Machu Picchu and surrounding areas like Cusco and the Sacred Valley for more than one night so you can experience the local food and culture.
• All our Machu Picchu trips are led by expert Local Specialists who take you on an incredible tour through the temples, terraces and palaces of the Incas.
• All our trips to Machu Picchu stay in the area for at least two nights.
• We ‘Dive into Culture’ on our Machu Picchu trips and learn about the natural dyeing techniques used by native weavers. We’ll take you to the Pisac handicraft market where you can sample the sweet flavours of chicha, the beloved drink of the Andes. 
• We stay local with our ‘Stay with a Story’ experience, where you’ll sleep in a centuries-old mansion located in the historic centre of Cusco.

GET INSPIRED BY: Land of the Incas

3. Santorini, Greece

Greece’s tourist numbers have more than doubled in less than a decade, jumping from 15 million in 2010, to 33 million in 2018. The little island of Santorini is one of the most popular destinations, but it also suffers from overtourism, with millions of visitors flocking to its shores each year. Cruise ships can drop off up to 18,000 passengers a day in peak season. That’s an alarming number considering there are only around 15,000 residents on the island. The island is famed for its gorgeous sunsets, whitewashed buildings and iconic blue domes, but sunset is now like rush hour. Santorini’s streets are typically packed with thousands of people waiting to capture the scene on their smartphones. The island has been pushed to its limit and is struggling to keep up with the increasing waste disposal and water and energy consumption. In response, the city has limited cruise ship visitors to 8,000 per day since 2019.

• Consider spending more than a day or night in Santorini. The drawback of a cruise is that visitors usually only spend one day there and the island doesn’t benefit from the income of an overnight stay. If you are cruising to the island, consider staying in a local hotel and eating at local restaurants.
• Try to venture further inland to smaller villages, rather than just the main towns of Fira and Oia.
• Travel in the shoulder seasons of April to early June or September to October, rather than the peak summer season.
• All our Santorini trips spend at least two to three nights on the island.
• You can take our Santorini trips in the shoulder seasons from April to June and September to October.
• We stay at local hotels and eat at local restaurants, including an acclaimed winery in Baxedes where you can sample the locally-produced wine and meze.
• We visit smaller villages like Pyrgos, where you can see beautiful blue-domed churches and classic Cycladic architecture.
• You’ll ‘Connect with Locals’ at a traditional Greek wedding show. Observe the ceremony, meet the family, and take part in all the customs like eating, dancing and breaking plates.

GET INSPIRED BY: Best of Greece with Santorini

4. Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is one of the most well-known destinations suffering from overtourism. An estimated 32 million tourists visit Barcelona each year, yet the city has a population of just 1.6 million. The city is overwhelmed with visitors, largely due to the fact that Barcelona has the largest port in the Mediterranean. It’s also one of the most polluted in Europe. Millions of cruise ships dock in the port each night, yet the passengers don’t spend the night in the city. They tend to stay for a few hours, hit the congested hot spots, then leave without spending much money. In 2019, Barcelona’s mayor Ada Colau pledged to reduce the number of tourists in Barcelona by capping cruise ships and limiting airport expansions. They’ve also banned large coach buses in the city centre and cut the number of beds available in hotels and tourist apartments.

• Stay in a local and licensed hotel during your stay in Barcelona.
• Discover some of the hidden treasures like Gaudi’s lesser-known masterpieces or the El Born area, where you can take a tapas walking tour.
• We know you’ll still want to visit the famous sights like La Sagrada Familia and Parc Güell, but try to visit them during off-peak times and seasons.
• Our Barcelona trips always use local and licensed hotels for our guests.
• We travel to Barcelona throughout the year so you can take a trip during the off-peak season.
• We’ll take you to the iconic sights but we also venture to the lesser-visited gems like the mountain town of Montserrat, the Sant Antoni market, and the UNESCO listed Roman ruins at Tarragona.

GET INSPIRED BY: Highlights of France and Barcelona RELATED CONTENT: 5 alternative things to do in Barcelona that take you off the tourist trail

5. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

This iconic 12th-century Hindu temple complex in Siem Reap saw nearly 2.6 million people in 2018. While the city of Siem Reap is happy to receive visitors all year round (and largely depends on tourism income), the issue is that visitors are only flocking to the main Angkor Wat temple and Ta Prohm (the temple made famous in the Tomb Raider film). The large crowds are damaging the ruins, and in an attempt to protect the ruins, the Cambodian government has doubled ticket prices and moved ticket booths further away to stop human traffic jams. A cap of 100 people at a time has been put in place in the central tower of Angkor Wat, but no limit has been enforced on the number of tourists coming in and out of the complex.

• Consider spending more than one night in Siem Reap to support the local economy.
• Spend more time exploring the whole Angkor Wat complex rather than crowding around the main attractions. You can also venture beyond Angkor Wat to the lesser-visited, but equally beautiful, temples in Siem Reap.
• We spend four nights in Siem Reap on all of our trips to Cambodia, where we delve into the culture, famous sights and hidden treasures.
• Our expert Local Specialist in Siem Reap, a renowned Khmer scholar, will take you on a special journey through Angkor Wat. They’ll bring to life the stories behind the carvings and murals, and take you to lesser-visited stops like the 10th-century Banteay Srei Temple.
• We ‘Make a Difference’ in Siem Reap by visiting Artisans d’Angkor, an organisation that supports the lives of rural youths through the revival of Khmer arts and crafts.
• We ‘Dive into Culture’ in the nearby Peak Seng Village where you’ll gain insight into ancient craft traditions. See locals weaving Cambodia’s national hats from palm leaves or folding Lotus flowers into pretty works of art.

GET INSPIRED BY: Thailand and the Temples of Angkor

6. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam received 19 million visitors in 2018, which has overwhelmed its population of around one million people. Visitors tend to congregate in areas like the Red Light District and the Museum Quarter, while disrespectful behaviour from some tourists has led to an outcry from locals. The city has taken measures to alleviate the burden, like banning new tourists shops from opening in the city centre and encouraging visitors to visit less busy areas with apps. They’ve also limited Airbnb rentals and banned beer bikes. Police officers can now deliver on-the-spot fines for littering, public drinking and disorderliness.

• Consider staying longer than a night, stay in local hotels and eat at local restaurants.
• Go to iamsterdam to discover all the less-visited sites and destinations you should visit.
• Our expert Local Specialists will show you around all the hidden treasures of Amsterdam. From the Royal Palace in Amsterdam (built in 1648 and still in use by the Dutch Royal Family), to Museum Van Loon (the grand former private residence of artist Ferdinand Bol built in 1672), there are plenty of lesser-known gems to explore.
• We take you just outside Amsterdam, to special destinations like Haarlem, Zaanse Schans, Volendam, Gouda, Delft, Rotterdam, Kinderdijk and The Hague.
• We take you on a tasting tour led by a Local Specialist. You’ll learn about all the beloved Dutch foods, sampling flavours from a family restaurant, local cheese shop and a beer garden.

GET INSPIRED BY: Amsterdam Explorer

7. (Some) US National Parks

While some parks in the US see very few visitors, other national park destinations are suffering from overtourism. Of the 59 national parks in the US, 27 parks receive half the total national park visitation. Some of the most popular are Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Yosemite National Park, with millions of visitors passing through each year. The US national parks received over 330 million travellers in 2017 and visitors spent more than 1.4 billion hours across the parks.

• Consider visiting during the off-peak seasons of autumn, spring and winter, as the summer season brings the largest crowds. You’ll enjoy milder temperatures, quieter parks and gorgeous autumn foliage, spring blooms or winter snow. If you are visiting in winter, be sure to check NPS sites to make sure it’s safe to visit.

We visit the most famous US national parks but we also venture to some of the lesser-known gems. Here are some of our favourite off-the-beaten-track national parks.

Wrangell St. Elias, Alaska

The most visited US national park is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which received 11,421,200 tourists in 2018. In comparison, Wrangell St. Elias is one of the ten least-visited parks in the US, with only 79,450 visitors in 2018. At 13.2 million acres, it’s also the biggest national park in the US, filled with all kinds of landscape from rainforest to frozen tundra.

Great Sand Dunes, Colorado

This unique park received just 442,905 visitors in 2018. We explore the epic dunes towering up to 750 feet high with a Local Specialist and expert geologist.

Kenai Fjords, Alaska

We’ll take you on a cruise through the Kenai Fjords National Park to spot Humpback whales and glacial icebergs. With only 321,596 visitors in 2018, you won’t have to share the scenery with many other people.

Mesa Verde, Colorado

It’s hard to believe this spectacular national park received just 563,420 visitors in 2018. Our Local Specialists will show you the ancient cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan people at this UNESCO-listed park. You can also explore several other protected archaeological sites in the area.

GET INSPIRED BY: Majestic Alaska

In 2018, Iceland received around 2.3 million visitors. That’s over six visitors per resident of Iceland. With an infrastructure that’s built to serve a population of fewer than 400,000 people, it’s easy to see how this destination is struggling with overtourism. There are also big concerns for the environment, with natural attractions like the Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall and the Blue Lagoon suffering under the swell of visitors. The Iceland government has started to put in measures to disperse the tourists away from the hotspots, like adding infrastructure to lesser-visited areas.

• Consider visiting during the off-peak seasons like autumn or winter. It may be much colder but you won’t have to compete with as many crowds. Plus it’s the best time to see the dazzling Northern Lights.
• It’s okay to hit the famous sights, but consider branching out to lesser-known, but equally stunning, places like Stykkishólmur and Breidafjordur Bay.
• You can take our Iceland trips all year round including the off-peak seasons of autumn and winter.
• Our tours venture to lesser-visited destinations like Stykkishólmur, where you can board a cross past the tiny coves of  Breidafjordur Bay. We also visit the pretty fishing villages, lava fields, glaciers, volcanoes, hot springs and black sand beaches of Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
• We ‘Connect with Locals’ with a ‘Be My Guest’ dinner experience near Selfoss. You’ll join a local storyteller and her songwriter husband as they share their colourful family history.

GET INSPIRED BY: Iceland including the Blue Lagoon

9. Venice, Italy

Venice is one of the worst-affected destinations from overtourism, with tourist numbers (and water levels) steadily rising each year. The city receives more than 35 million visitors each year , and less than a third of them stay overnight in Venice (many stay on cruise ships and spend only a day in the city). There are just 50,000 residents but that number is quickly dropping as rising rent prices leave many locals unable to afford a home in the city. The crowds and cruise ships are also damaging the surrounding coastlines. The Venice council has started to take serious measures including introducing a tourist tax (tourists must pay a fee to visit the city). They’ve also banned people from sitting or lingering too long around famous attractions like the Rialto Bridge.

• Plan your Venice trips for the shoulder seasons of April to June or September to October to help reduce the summer congestion.
• Consider staying more than one night in Venice and spend your money at local hotels and restaurants.
• Try to spread out your itinerary and visit some lesser-known sights so you’re not contributing to the crowds.
• You can take our Venice trips all year round, including the off-peak seasons like winter.
• We spend at least two to three nights in Venice on all our Italy trips.
• We ‘Dive Into Culture’ on Giudecca Island, where you can learn about the delicate Venetian art of glassblowing and support local artisans.
• You’ll discover Venice in a Small Group Sightseeing walking tour. Your expert Local Specialist will show you all the secrets of Venice, like hidden alleyways and markets.

GET INSPIRED BY: Contrasts of Italy

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The dangers of modern tourism and how to avoid them

When early explorers traveled the seas, all they had was a compass and a map. When you travel the seas today, all you use is your smartphone—and its endless applications. But in recent years, we’ve seen this endlessness lead to overtourism, exploiting hotspot destinations and hurting the environment. Nevertheless, there are actions we can take to make modern tourism a win-win situation.

In the early stages of tourism, people would typically book their trips at physical travel agencies, through agents who were experts in their field. After the internet emerged, more and more information became available, and instead of having to rely on an expert, we became the experts. Online travel agencies such as Booking and Kayak became the norm, and traveling today is as easy and accessible as ever. Prices are constantly dropping due to the growing number of competitors (cheap airlines, AirBnB, etc.) catering to this exponential demand. 

Modern tourism and its dangers

Due to this accessibility, the travel sector today is booming. The industry makes up 10% of the world’s economy , with 1 out of 10 jobs being in tourism . Spain specifically has the second-largest number of international tourist arrivals in Europe with a whopping 83 million per year. Yet, the way we travel has changed fundamentally, where instead of asking locals and navigating with guidebooks, we simply take out our phone and let it do its magic.  

Photo by Giancarlo Silva

Why is this a bad thing?

Increased connectivity and access to apps such as Instagram and Google Maps has led to the tourist invasion of undeveloped areas. The modern-day traveler is now called an “explorer.”  Buzzwords like “off-the-beaten-track” and “authentic traveler” are favored self-portrayals. 

The modern tourist craves Insta-worthy snaps and undiscovered corners of the world. They stray from over-crowded hotspots full of other camera-wielding, Birkenstock-clad visitors, so they can feel like a local… at least for a day. 

Unfortunately, locals in these hotspots often don’t reap the benefits of these waves of visitors. Sudden mass tourism can disrupt the area’s economic system and ultimately decrease of the locals’ quality of life . 

And it’s not just the locals who are affected. Mass tourism wreaks havoc on the planet, primarily in the form of air travel. In 2020, we’re flying more often than ever, and commercial airplanes contribute 1 gigaton of CO2 to the Earth’s atmosphere every year.

Protect—don’t just promote—destinations

So what can we do as a society to cut down our carbon footprint ? 

First, it’s travel agencies’ responsibility to identify overtourism as a potential danger to both people and the environment, putting a halt to destination marketing and prioritizing destination management.

On the other hand, governments and tourism boards need to realize that there’s such a thing as a maximum number of tourists a country can bear, and thereafter, use the appropriate metrics and data to set smart restrictions. Stricter rules about Airbnbs, for example, ensure locals don’t get pushed out of their homes. This type of regulation keeps tourism sustainable and cities livable. 

Finally, we as individuals can change the way we travel, opting where possible to travel by ground rather than air, staying in eco-friendly accommodations, and spending your money at local, independent businesses rather than big corporations. 

Instead of fighting modern tourism entirely, we should work to find solutions as we encounter them, so that tourists—or “travelers” or “explorers” or what have you—can keep discovering the world while protecting locals and taking care of the environment .

Community Voice

Hawaii’s Unhealthy Relationship With Tourism

It’s time to shift focus and invest in our own communities, residents and industries.

By Kayte Jones

July 24, 2020 · 6 min read

About the Author

Kayte Jones

Growing up on the windward side of Oahu, I was used to crowds of tourists. I saw a few tourists increase to busloads of tourists over the years.

In the last few years, my family made the decision to move to Big Island, for many reasons. Although it is not the primary reason, I can’t deny that being “priced out” of Oahu was a contributing factor. We moved to the windward side of the island, since that is my comfort zone, where we have found a new home and community that we love.

I couldn’t help but notice the difference in services and infrastructure. I saw the lack of public transportation. There’s a bus system here on Big Island, made up of retired tour buses and City and County of Honolulu buses, that doesn’t run that often or go to most residential areas.

Well, that’s funny. This island is huge. Public transportation would be so beneficial to the residents. Not only would a better bus system create more jobs, it would connect people with more job opportunities in different areas.

I shared my thoughts with a friend who told me, “Well, the county of Hawaii has less tourism, so therefore has less money. What did you expect?”

Abundance Of Opportunity

Recently, I took a trip to the Kona side, which is filled with hotels, strip malls, golf courses, just like Oahu. As I walked through a perfectly manicured strip mall, I felt myself becoming angry and resentful. All of a sudden I felt this boiling resentment. No one invests in locals, the people that actually live here. We only build nice things for tourists.

My “bold and creative” solution for the future of Hawaii is to shift our focus from tourism and invest in our own communities, our own residents and our own industries. Tourism has been profitable for our state. However, the impacts of COVID-19 on tourism highlighted just how completely dependent our state is on tourism — and it’s an unhealthy relationship.

We should continue to attract tourists and profit from it, but we should not be completely dependent on it. It’s time to shift our focus.

Don’t we have more to offer than the exploitation of our land, people and culture? Couldn’t we be a model of sustainability for the future through research of our unique ecosystem and climate? Through developments in agriculture and green energy like solar power, wind power, algae farms and geothermal energy? Couldn’t we be an educational destination through investment and development into our university system?

I recently read an article about opportunity zones in Civil Beat, which stated, “More than two years after Congress created opportunity zones as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, business advocates on Hawaii island say there’s frustration among local entrepreneurs about a perceived lack of movement from the state to bring new investment into the island’s economically disadvantaged communities.”

I followed the link and clicked my way to the Factsheets section where there was a handy-dandy break down of “Investment Drivers” for each area there are Opportunity Zones, including Hilo, Kona, Honolulu, Kahului and Molokai. On the factsheet for Hilo, I found multiple “investment drivers” listed: economic, health care, government, education and research, ports and cultural, along with areas, institutions and businesses ripe for investment in each category.

Apparently, there is an abundance of opportunity out there. Imagine my surprise to see all of this opportunity in my own community, listed so neatly on this factsheet.

Hawaii has more to offer than hotels, luaus and Instagram-worthy photos. Our tropical climate and fertile land are ideal for agricultural development, yet we import most of our food. Investing in our agricultural industry would not only shift our focus from tourism and support local farms, but would also help Hawaii to be less dependent on exports for food.

Hawaii’s climate also creates a unique opportunity for our state to be a model of sustainability via research and development into sustainable sources of energy, such as solar power, wind farms, geothermal and algae farms. The University of Hawaii is a land-, sea- and space- grant institution recognized as a research university. Investing in research and education can make Hawaii an educational destination.

Lastly, and most importantly, we can shift our focus from tourism to our people here at home through infrastructure investments. That means that even areas with low tourism rates get nice things too. Why should we expect outside investors to come in and invest in areas of our state that we don’t invest in ourselves?

Not only would strengthening agricultural infrastructure help Hawaii become less dependent on exports, it will keep our money in the state. Every time there is a crisis, or a natural disaster, residents of Hawaii worry about whether or not cargo ships will make it into our harbors. We worry because most of us are accurately aware of our state’s dependence on exports.

I’m not OK with accepting that my new home has less infrastructure because we have less tourists.

While I loved living on Oahu, I love living on Big Island for different reasons. But this move has shown me the differences between an island catered to and funded by tourism and an island sustained by residents. I have no problem going to the post office to get my mail because we don’t have mail service.

I don’t mind that county water isn’t available in many areas. I enjoy living off the water grid and utilizing a catchment system because I want to live sustainably. I don’t mind some unpaved roads. A poor bus system doesn’t bother me, because I have a car.

What I’m not OK with is accepting that my new home has less infrastructure because we have less tourists.

A community’s value is not determined by its average number of tourists. Our state is more than a tourist destination. Our culture is not meant to be marketed and sold. The people of Hawaii are worthy of investments that improve residents’ standard of living, and not just projects that attract more tourists.

We’ve known for decades that we need to diversify our economy to be less reliant on tourism. It’s time to shift our focus to a more sustainable future for Hawaii.

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Community Voices aims to encourage broad discussion on many topics of community interest. It’s kind of a cross between Letters to the Editor and op-eds. This is your space to talk about important issues or interesting people who are making a difference in our world. Column lengths should be no more than 800 words and we need a photo of the author and a bio. We welcome video commentary and other multimedia formats. Send to [email protected] . The opinions and information expressed in Community Voices are solely those of the authors and not Civil Beat.

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Pritchett: Excess Baggage

By John Pritchett · July 26, 2020 · 0 min read

Local reporting when you need it most

Support timely, accurate, independent journalism.

Honolulu Civil Beat is a nonprofit organization, and your donation helps us produce local reporting that serves all of Hawaii.

Kayte Jones, originally from Oahu, is a resident of the Big Island where she works in the mental health field.

Latest Comments (0)

This article makes a great point but the author forgets that many people today are against progress unless it's progress to build new stores. The NIMBYs and CAVE people do their best to stop progress. They are against geothermal energy, carbon neutral energy, space exploration(from telescopes to space ports), and any other form of progress that would give Big Island a step away from relying on tourism. We sit between a rock and a hard place. Whomever figures out this problem and gets everyone on board will be in the running for the Nobel Prize.

hawaiianreyes · 3 years ago

PLEASE send this thoughtful, well written article to Governor Ige, Lt. Governor Green and all county Mayors!

Jimmy · 3 years ago

Mahalo for this piece.I totally agree we need to move towards self-sustainablilty and protecting this beautiful culture, people and land.

Judy · 3 years ago

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IDEAS is the place you'll find essays, analysis and opinion on every aspect of life and public affairs in Hawaii. We want to showcase smart ideas about the future of Hawaii, from the state's sharpest thinkers, to stretch our collective thinking about a problem or an issue. Email [email protected] to submit an idea.

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Volunteer tourism: what’s wrong with it and how it can be changed

Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of North Carolina – Charlotte

Disclosure statement

Andrea Freidus does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Volunteer tourism, or voluntourism, is an emerging trend of travel linked to “doing good”. Yet these efforts to help people and the environment have come under heavy criticism – I believe for good reason.

Voluntourists’ ability to change systems, alleviate poverty or provide support for vulnerable children is limited. They simply don’t have the skills. And they can inadvertently perpetuate patronising and unhelpful ideas about the places they visit.

The trend of voluntourism has come about partly through initiatives by large-scale, well established organisations such as UNICEF, Save the Children, CARE International and World Vision. They raise money for programmes they have developed for orphans and vulnerable children.

Their appeals have been effective because needy children tend to arouse compassion and because modern communication technology makes it easy to share the call to help.

But there are dangers in these appeals, which are mostly aimed at Western audiences. For example, singer Madonna, in her documentary I Am Because We Are , says Malawi is in a “state of emergency”. She says there are over a million children orphaned by AIDS in the central African country and that they are

living on the streets, in abandoned buildings, and are being abducted, kidnapped, and raped.

Madonna’s description is inaccurate. There are not a million children living on the streets of Malawi, nor are there high levels of abduction and rape .

Aside from sometimes creating an inaccurate impression, these appeals have attracted increasing numbers of student volunteers, best described as amateur humanitarian workers. They intend to serve people, especially children, but do they?

The trouble with voluntourism

Most students bring few relevant skills to their volunteer sites. They are not required to commit to long-term involvement either. Instead, volunteers take part in service projects like basic construction, painting, tutoring in English and maths, distributing food, or “just being a friend” to children perceived as alone and in need of social support.

Voluntourism with children also perpetuates the notion of a desperate Africa needing the benevolence of the West. Volunteers are led to imagine that their engagement directly addresses suffering. Many believe the children they work with don’t have any other social systems to support them materially or socially.

This is evident from the images and anecdotes they circulate of a suffering, sick Africa. The images they portray is that Africa is incapable of escaping poverty and violence without Western intervention.

The ways volunteers get involved tend not to address the causes of suffering .

The design of these programmes leads to superficial engagement for volunteers. This makes it hard for them to think about – or do anything about – the structural issues that create humanitarian crises in the first place.

These issues include the history, social, political and economic conditions that frame people’s lives.

My research suggests that students who engage in these programmes actually contribute towards the mystification of larger systems that produce inequality, poverty, particular patterns of disease distribution, and various forms of violence.

Programmes need to be reworked

The problems outlined here do not necessarily mean that volunteer work should be abandoned. In an increasingly violent and xenophobic world, these kinds of cross-cultural engagement can help people understand and appreciate each other.

But if this is to be achieved, volunteer experiences need to be reframed and programmes reworked. Any organisation taking young people to volunteer sites in Malawi ought to be preparing them with adequate information before they go as well as opportunities for critical discussion during and after their trips. Many of these programmes are associated with college campuses or organised religious groups that have the capacity to learn about, teach, and support a more sophisticated cultural exchange.

Students need to learn about the political, social, economic and cultural histories of the places they visit. They should be given the opportunity to explore systems of poverty and inequality in greater depth.

Most importantly, students need to think about these experiences as cultural exchanges meant to generate knowledge and respect about other ways of being and not as trips that “help” the poor.

If volunteers can understand the people they work with as citizens with rights rather than objects of charity, they can begin to think about long-term partnership, justice and structural change.

I believe long-term commitment is key. Doctors, engineers, computer scientists and particular types of educators have important skills and could make more enduring contributions. Doctors, for example, they could train medical personnel on new procedures to use once the volunteer leaves.

For the shorter term, volunteers should see their presence as a cultural exchange rather than as humanitarian relief.

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Pushback against over-tourism in Spain is reflected in new signs across Madrid

Miguel Macias

Tourism is important to the Spanish economy but critics are arguing the country is too reliant on it.

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'Your paradise, our nightmare': Thousands attend anti-tourism protest in Majorca

Tourism generates roughly 45% of the Spanish island's GDP, but locals are calling for limits to be imposed.

Monday 22 July 2024 12:04, UK

Some 10,000 people took to the streets of Majorca in the latest protest against mass tourism there.

Locals carried banners that read: "Your paradise, our nightmare" and "Tourism yes - but not this much" as they marched in Palma de Majorca on Sunday.

An anti-tourism movement has swept the Canary and Balearic Islands - as well as Barcelona - in recent months, with locals claiming housing is in short supply and prices are being pushed up due to the sheer number of visitors.

Majorca receives around 14 million foreign visitors a year.

There are fewer than a million full-time residents on the island.

Read more from Sky News: Barcelona set to 'substantially' raise tourist tax for some visitors The bloody history of holiday island Who is Kamala Harris?

Pere Joan Femenia, of Menys Turisme, Mas Vida (Less Tourism, More Life), which organised Sunday's protest said: "Mass tourism is making it difficult for local people who cannot afford to live on their own island because tourist flats push up prices.

"Tourists fill up beaches and put a strain on public services in the summer.

"We want to cut mass tourism and to ban non-residents from buying houses which are just used for a few months a year or for speculation."

Similar rallies took place in Majorca and Menorca in June - and in April.

In Ibiza and Majorca, fines have been introduced for people caught drinking in the street as a way to disincentivize people from visiting.

Affordable travel is to blame for Europe’s overtourism problem, spoiling its most sought-after cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam and Athens

If you pick a famous European city for your summer vacation, you’re likely signing up for congested airports, attractions, and TikTok-famous restaurants. 

You probably also have to snap up your holiday rental before one of the hundred others eyeing it doesn’t beat you to it.  

That’s a sign you’ve encountered an effect of overtourism.

Travel is a phenomenon as old as time. Historically, it was seen as a positive experience where visitors engaged with a country’s culture and boosted the local economy by supporting businesses. It was seen as a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that often took months of planning. Lately, however, travel has become easy and affordable—and that’s tipped the scales towards overtourism, changing people’s experience for the worse and degrading residents’ quality of life.

Anti-tourism protests in Europe started in the 1990s with “touristification” of culturally significant places. In recent months, authorities and locals have become noticeably bitter about the uptick in visitors. In Barcelona, protesters sprayed water and screamed “go home” at tourists earlier this month, highlighting how the tourism industry’s impact often overflows into residents’ lives. The Spanish city welcomed nearly 26 million visitors last year—roughly 16 times its population of 1.6 million.

Protestors in Mallorca in May called for a more sustainable form of tourism that prioritizes locals’ ability to buy property and imposes controls on holiday stays. Such protests could spread further, a top UNESCO official warned , if the right action isn’t taken to nip the problem. 

“Tourism is dying of success in some of the destinations. No famous destination that [is] overcrowded has found the formula to avoid this phenomenon of overtourism,” said Manuel Alector Ribeiro, an associate professor in tourism management at the University of Surrey. He thinks there’s a lack of management as “tourism is supposed to be an industry or sector for social good,” instead, it’s breeding hostility between residents and tourists.   

Cities have tried to tread lightly, given their complicated relationship with tourism. On the one hand, it’s a significant revenue contributor to local finances. For instance, travel and tourism directly contributed to 7.7% of Venice’s GDP in 2022, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council . On the other, the visitor boom has made housing exorbitant , with more places catering to short-term stays over long-term rentals, ultimately pricing locals out.  

People’s attitudes towards tourism have also changed with time. A majority of Barcelona residents don’t see tourism as much of an economic driver as they did before and think the city has reached its limit, a 2023 city council survey revealed. The report also found that locals resist cheap tourism which makes travel more attractive—but at what cost?

How did we end up here?

Mass tourism has been building up for a while now. A confluence of post-pandemic travel demand, strong U.S. dollar against the euro, and higher disposable income in countries like India and China have contributed to it. But at the center of it is the access to affordable flights, Boston Consulting Group’s managing director and partner Yassin El Khourouj told Fortune.

“The rise of low-cost airlines has allowed the development of cheap city breaks and short trips. In parallel, in most cases, overtourism has yet to be properly addressed by destination authorities,” he said. Discount airlines offer double-digit fares to different parts of Europe , making impromptu weekend trips to Barcelona, Bordeaux and more, possible. 

He added that the sprawling short-term rental business, such as Airbnb, have made stays at the heart of historic cities within reach.

Overtourism has become a hot topic in European cities this summer because it’s reached a tipping point, and residents are increasingly bearing the brunt of it. This could look different depending on the destination. 

For instance, more restaurants could serve international food instead of local food or there may be more souvenir stores that threaten the “authenticity” of neighborhoods, Khourouj said. Locals also face safety concerns and higher noise pollution if they live near popular areas due to overtourism. 

The impact goes beyond just social factors. Parts of Europe, such as Sicily and Barcelona, have been facing water shortages amid rising temperatures, forcing them to curb visitor numbers or ration water usage. Mass tourism can also result in environmental deterioration through more waste and pollution. Amsterdam plans to ban cruises in the next few years as they drive up emissions in the city. 

Unfortunately, as tourists typically make pit stops at different destinations for a few days at best, they aren’t fully aware of the impact they’re having. 

“Many visitors arrive in their destinations on a package holiday or cruise. They’re somewhat insulated from the places they’re visiting and in general I’d say awareness [of their impact] is low,” Simon Lynch, the global sales and product director at tour operator Scott Dunn, told Fortune .

But it’s starting to weigh on their decisions as they consider off-season travel more or opt for off-beat locations. 

To be sure, tourism has immense benefits in areas such as job creation and infrastructural improvements. In the Portuguese town of Porto, the local authorities see a trend of repeat tourists as a way to regenerate the city and revive it to new glory.   

It comes down to promoting a more measured form of tourism that puts residents and the city first while still encouraging visitors. 

Changing gears

Cities have started acting against mass tourism in various ways, such as banning cruises and capping crowds at popular sites. Barcelona announced a short-term rental ban in 2028 to stem its housing crisis . Venice, Athens, and Amsterdam have also grappled with overtourism and tried to counter it by introducing entry fees for attractions and capping new hotel constructions .

Bruges’s “ hotel stop ” model limits where hotels are constructed to promote livability in the city and its outskirts.  

Spreading tourists out in different parts of a city or country can mean a more enjoyable experience for all, Ribeira said. Government policies should aim to create benefits that can translate to an “increase in the quality of life and well-being of the people who live in the destinations,” he added.

Elsewhere in Europe, authorities are trying to make tourism a positive force by encouraging visitors to help with the city’s clean-up in exchange for free access to attractions. 

Scott Dunn’s Lynch pointed out that authorities should stop promoting the “Instagram hot spots” that create more chaotic city centers. London’s 90-day cap on short-term rentals in a year aims to balance tourism demand with long-term rental needs. Involving local communities in policy decisions could also help cities find a more sustainable way to manage the influx of visitors during peak seasons. 

“Ultimately, it’s about creating a high-quality experience for visitors and maintaining a high-quality environment for residents,” Lynch said. “Deterring tourists isn’t the answer.”

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Latinx Files: When the anti-tourism movement hits close to home

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Periodically, the Latinx Files will feature a guest writer. This week, we’ve asked De Los contributing columnist Alex Zaragoza to fill in. If you have not subscribed to our weekly newsletter, you can do so here .

Recently, a friend who is white headed to Mexico City on vacation to meet up with another friend who was living there for a month as one of the growing population of “digital nomads” taking over the city. I told her to enjoy herself, but to be aware that there’s loud, and quite frankly understandable, backlash against American tourists in the country’s capital.

Over the years, gentrification has created untenable conditions for locals being priced out of their neighborhoods — this on top of the many issues that have long been present ( corruption , police violence , organized crime , gender-based violence and femicide among them) in the country. While tourists blissfully peruse and extol the Michelin-star restaurants, designer stores and cool coffee shops, people are struggling .

More and more, the tourism industry is being seen as a blight and harbinger of problems for locals in Mexico, and that sentiment is being reflected elsewhere. Just this month, protesters in Barcelona squirted travelers with water guns as a call against the effects of mass tourism in the city. Chief among them were rising housing costs.

The comments on that news story included “Shameful,” “Never bite the hand that feeds you” and “Don’t abuse or harass innocent people.” God forbid your tapas get wet while locals demand the right to live a dignified life in their own city.

As I was telling my friend this, I realized I was basically giving myself the same reminder as my partner and I planned a trip to another destination plagued by the same issues facing Mexico City: Oaxaca de Juárez.

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Among the aromatic panaderias, boisterous calendas and brightly-hued walls of post-colonial buildings were messages from the most frustrated, forgotten and marginalized people who call the picturesque city home: “A México su cultura y su gente se les RESPETA,” read one wall. Other taggings cut right to the point, with one reading, “Odio al gringo.” Another demanded that gringos “F— off.”

Already one of Mexico’s most visited cities, Oaxaca has experienced a 77% rise in tourists nationally and from outside of the country since 2020, according to the Oaxaca-based research organization the Center for Social Studies and Public Opinion. The post-pandemic-lockdown travel boom hit the city hard, and the research organization also reports that rents in the city center more than doubled in the last five years. Many who lived in these neighborhoods for generations have been forced out into areas that lack proper infrastructure, affecting their livelihoods.

In January, a protest organized by local activists in Oaxaca decried over-tourism, which they claim results in a type of gentrification that’s whitewashing the local culture and raising prices. Airbnb rentals are a major sticking point .

I nodded in agreement as I read the tags on pink and orange-painted walls, even as I walked the streets alongside my gringo boyfriend, displaying an act of cognitive dissonance that I’ve been unpacking for days. While we moved respectfully with acknowledgment of these issues, our presence could still constitute an act of complicity against an important resistance that I agree with. After all, I grew up in Tijuana, a city that has been affected by tourism on a cultural and systemic level.

León Lory Langle curates experiences for tourists in Oaxaca. The 45-year-old was born in Mexico City but relocated with his family when he was 9. He spent years working as a bartender before the COVID-19 pandemic led him to his current line of work. We met Langle on a daylong mezcal tour, during which his love of the region, deep knowledge of the agave-based spirit and his rooted personal connections made his enthusiasm infectious. The dude gets wildly giddy over agave plants.

As he sees it, Oaxaca has always been a destination. Vilifying tourists doesn’t sit right with Langle because he claims it’s locals who are raising the prices.

“It’s a complicated topic,” he said, after letting out a lengthy oof . “At the end of the day, the tourists will pay. Yes, all these problems and topics, it’s not just because of the tourists. It’s different factors that will create a movement.”

Langle argues that locals choose to raise the price of their rentals, or rent out their homes in the city center to companies that charge a higher rate. Everybody is making money, he says.

“It’s easier to blame foreigners than Mexicans,” he said. “In a tiny city, it makes sense. Pretty much everybody knows everybody. The majority are family. You don’t want to fight with your family. It’s easier to blame tourism.”

Pech, a trans tattoo artist born and raised in Oaxaca, doesn’t believe locals should shoulder all the blame.

“It’s not like this increase [in cost] that people who own cafes or other businesses are doing are going to realistically change the influx of gentrification,” they said. “In reality, it’s the responsibility of the state to create regulations. Gentrification responds to a structural system. It’s more than just raising prices. It’s a capitalist system.”

Pech points to the upcoming Guelaguetza celebration as one source of their frustrations. The annual festival highlighting local Indigenous cuisine and culture is a major tourist event.

“For that, there are resources,” they said. “It’s a whole month of parties because supposedly it brings in an outpouring of money from tourism. But that’s not money that the public sees.”

The event is steeped in hypocrisy, Pech said, arguing that Indigenous populations are routinely pushed off their lands, killed or imprisoned, becoming the victims of state violence. To put their culture for sale at a price that is inaccessible is infuriating.

“It makes me sad,” they said. “Seeing how much the place that I grew up in is changing in a way that’s more commercialized. I also feel anger.”

Growing up in Tijuana, I saw how much catering was done for tourists. There were many days where we woke up to no running water, relying on baby wipes to clean ourselves. Those troubles didn’t befall the hotels in the area. How much service we are expected to provide to the gringo builds resentment, especially when that comes with ridicule, mistreatment and a political system that targets us in inhumane ways — accommodation to the point of dehumanization.

And while I love to blame the gringos for everything (and they have much to be blamed for), this is also a local class issue. Middle- and upper-class residents also have this expectation of service, and those who perform those services are exactly who you might imagine: poor people, Indigenous people, darker-skinned people. Classism and racism are as abundant in Mexico as a hoarse throat at a Luis Miguel concert, or a mug shaped like a breast at a mercado de artesanias crawling with people wearing Tevas.

Despite my upbringing and fluent tongue, it’s dawned on me that as a white Mexican with some (not a lot of) disposable income and social capital, I might also be contributing to the problem. I also hold a genuine belief that we are better human beings when we embrace other cultures and places. These two seemingly incongruous ideas beg the following questions: How can we still explore the world without hurting anyone? How do we move about ethically?

“We aren’t against travel, but we are against tourism,” activist Andrea Bel.Arruti told Bloomberg after anti-gentrification protests were held in Oaxaca earlier this year. “What we’re against is tourism as a capitalist economic system that is based on a colonial model of extractivism of peoples’ resources, knowledge, ways of living and culture, where they are not the people that are befitting from this model.”

Some places perhaps should be left alone. However, Pech made the simple suggestions of being mindful of where your dollars are spent when traveling and always listening to locals.

As for me, taking a squirt from a water gun is the least I can do if it means supporting the most affected fighting for their rights.

— Alex Zaragoza

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Opinion If Europe’s anti-tourism protesters think it’s bad now, just wait

Post-pandemic ‘revenge tourism’ keeps surging in European hotspots, and the problem may soon worsen.

BARCELONA — It was easy to tut-tut or roll your eyes when local protesters squirted water guns at mystified tourists snacking at sidewalk cafes on a recent sun-soaked afternoon in Barcelona, one of Europe’s top summertime destinations. But the anti-tourism demonstration here was also a telling snapshot — and a warning — of the tensions building on the continent and beyond as this summer’s record travel levels collide with climate change, social disparities and absorption capacity in even the most visitor-friendly cities.

If you believe the world’s tourism hot spots are already saturated, think again — specifically about so-far mostly untapped markets of international travelers from China and India. When they add hundreds of millions more visitors over the next decade or two to jam-packed peak-season crowds, places that think they face a breaking point now will remember this summer as the good old days.

Tourism worldwide has been swelling for decades, and its impact falls disproportionately in Europe, especially southern Europe’s sun belt. Barcelona, an achingly charming place whose popularity has rocketed since it hosted the Olympics 32 years ago, is a case in point.

The city, a densely packed dreamscape of 1.6 million inhabitants, had fewer than 2 million tourists in 1990. This year, city officials expect nearly 13 million, accounting for roughly 38 million overnight stays. That doesn’t include millions more cruise ship passengers or the day-trippers who join the throngs on the Rambla pedestrian boulevard, Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia cathedral and other must-see sights.

Rents in the city have soared, up almost 70 percent in a decade , driven by Airbnb and similar platforms, along with digital nomads and holiday home buyers. Roughly 150,000 people have tourism jobs in Barcelona, but many can’t afford to live in the city.

Similar concerns beset Lisbon , Athens , Las Palmas , Ibiza and other prime destinations. They are victims of their own success, awash in tourism dollars and increasingly fearful of losing working-class residents, neighborhood grocery stores — and their souls.

No European city has been as thoroughly overrun by tourists as Venice, where 70 percent of its population has been driven out since the 1950s and more than 20 million annual visitors cram the city’s fairy-book three square miles. This year Venice imposed a $5.30 entry fee on day-trippers, a gesture that seems pointless .

Pushback and protests by locals on the tourist onslaughts are intensifying — not only in southern Europe but also in Amsterdam, Tokyo, Seoul and elsewhere. In Barcelona, where tourism was almost universally seen as positive 15 years ago, nearly one-quarter of residents now say it has brought negative effects .

“The likely scenario is that the tourism industry keeps on doing what it’s been doing, and tensions between residents and tourists will rise,” Sebastian Amrhein , a tourism scholar at Germany’s Rhine-Waal University, told me.

In Barcelona, I spoke with Jordi Valls, deputy mayor for the economy, tax, economic promotion and tourism, who took the job last year. Almost immediately he determined that tourism, which accounts for almost one-fifth of the city’s nonpublic economy, was at its limit — and also unstoppable.

“I can’t control the demand,” he told me. “I can only affect the supply.”

In pursuit of that goal, the city has banned room rentals in private apartments and, by 2028, plans to abolish another 10,000 short-term rentals through Airbnb and the like. The city has also raised the municipal tax on overnight stays, capped new hotels in the city center and limited the size of tour groups.

Part of the idea is to ensure public spaces aren’t colonized by visitors wielding selfie sticks. That’s proving hard enough in some parts of town. Then there’s the long-term stress that tourists exert on water, electricity, transport and other resources.

An equally stiff challenge is protecting the character of residential neighborhoods where apartments have been snapped up by outsiders. The few thousand new units Barcelona plans to build annually aren’t likely to slow the city’s steady march toward anglophone gentrification.

Squeezing supply tends to raise prices, shifting available capacity to richer tourists at little or no benefit to the workforce. In the trade, that’s known as “quality tourism,” a euphemism for deep-pocketed visitors whose lavish travel habits take a major toll on the climate.

The end of the pandemic brought a wave of “revenge” tourists bingeing on new sights after long sojourns in their living rooms. Projections last summer that travel would ease this year have proved wrong: Revenge tourism is becoming rampage tourism, now surpassing pre-pandemic records .

Tourists are a golden goose for many places, especially the sun-and-sand meccas of southern Europe, whose economies depend disproportionately on them. Few places will muster the political will anytime soon to slash numbers meaningfully.

But if governments don’t proactively diversify their economies to become less tourist-reliant, and redistribute tourism revenue more aggressively to demonstrate its benefits, then social protest or resource overload might force their hand — unless tourists themselves, sick of the crowds, abandon destinations altogether.

The writing is on the wall — literally. In the Canary Islands, anti-tourist activists have lately taken to posting phony signs near the beach : “Closed due to overcrowding.”

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Squirt Guns and ‘Go Home’ Signs: Barcelona Residents Take Aim at Tourists

Locals confronted visitors to the Catalan capital in a whimsical (but very serious) demonstration against mass tourism and housing shortages.

By Amelia Nierenberg and Rachel Chaundler

Amelia Nierenberg reported from London and Rachel Chaundler from Zaragoza, Spain.

For the last few months, tourists in certain areas of Spain have found fewer welcome mats and more hostility. Anti-tourism graffiti loops across buildings, and tens of thousands of people have protested this year against unsustainable mass tourism.

Over the weekend in Barcelona, locals’ anger over housing shortages, overcrowding and the cost of living was tangible — and wet.

Residents of the Catalan capital took to the streets on Saturday with water guns, squirting them at diners eating al fresco.

About 2,800 people demonstrated, the police said, a figure that some organizers said was an undercount. Some carried signs with messages like “tourists go home” and “you are not welcome,” and doused families at restaurants.

“Spraying someone with water is not violent,” said Daniel Pardo Rivacoba, who helped lead and organize the protest.

“It’s probably not nice,” he added, “but what the population is suffering every day is more violent.”

Rosario Sánchez, a high-ranking Spanish tourism official, condemned the protests. She argued that the citizens were “not saying ‘no to tourism,’” but instead looking for changes that addressed their quality of life.

“Spain is one of the safest tourist destinations that exist,” she wrote in an email. “Specific incidents with tourists are reprehensible uncivil behavior that has nothing to do with the reality of our country.”

The headlines could drive people away and hurt the tourism industry, which is core to Barcelona’s economy, said Christian Petzold, the director of BCN Travel, a tour operator in the city. Tourism accounts for 14 percent of Barcelona’s gross domestic product and about 150,000 jobs, according to data from the City Council.

The protesters and their supporters say that the demand for short-term housing is exacerbating an increasingly unaffordable rental market. The mayor, Jaume Collboni, announced plans last month to get rid of all short-term housing by late 2028. He called it the city’s “ largest problem .”

Mr. Petzold suggested that some of the anger was misplaced, citing a high number of expatriates and digital nomads, who bring higher salaries to the competitive rental market.

“These people have more impact on the city and everything than the actual tourists,” he said. “This blame on the tourists is a bit cheap.”

And, locals say, tourists are everywhere, crowding monuments, streets and restaurants. In catering to them, locals say, businesses end up selling a bland simulation of Barcelona (paella and sangria, anyone?) that could overtake the city’s genuine character.

“Our city has been sold as a postcard,” Adrián Suárez, a 27-year-old engineer and activist who participated in the protests, wrote in an email.

In other parts of Spain, where nature is more of a pull, ecological challenges are more central.

“The Canary Islands have a limit,” said Sharon Backhouse, the director of GeoTenerife, a science, travel and research company in the Canary Islands, who participated in the protests there. “They don’t want any more hotels and they want a new tourism model. They want their natural spaces respected, not cemented over.”

And it’s not just happening in Spain. Cities worldwide are trying to find the right balance.

Venice is testing what amounts to an admission fee for tourists . Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, has urged young British men to “ stay away ,” barred cruise ships from the city center and is banning new hotels .

Officials in Japan, also reeling from a glut of visitors , put up a screen to block a popular view of Mount Fuji that was often used as a selfie backdrop. Bali asked tourists to pay a visitor fee . The Galápagos Islands, which had a record-breaking 330,000 visitors last year, will too .

Barcelona, a bucket-list destination , has been especially inundated. It has a population of 1.7 million, and more than 12 million tourists stayed at least one night last year, up from 10.7 million in 2022. This year could set a record, city officials said.

“We should be happy and grateful that people are interested in coming to our country,” said Carmen Sánchez, who has been a tour guide in Barcelona for 18 years.

“Tourism is fundamental,” she said, adding, “Attacking tourism is not the way forward, because we are all tourists. Everyone travels and anyone who says they don’t is lying.”

Regardless of the source of the problem, for locals, “there is no place to go anymore,” said Tarik Dogru, an associate professor of hospitality management at Florida State University who studies Airbnb. “It’s kind of a city for tourists only.””

Residents, who are struggling to stay in their city, are skeptical about the plan to eliminate short-term housing rentals. “Let’s see what’s happened in five years,” Mr. Pardo Rivacoba, the protest organizer, said.

But if Barcelona does not come up with a sustainable path forward for its residents and its natural resources, experts said, it risks its future.

“The city will be left with no resources,” Dr. Dogru said, adding, “There won’t be any tourists. And it’s a dead city.”

Amelia Nierenberg writes the Asia Pacific Morning Briefing , a global newsletter. More about Amelia Nierenberg

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