Travelgal on the move

If travel is a passion of yours (obviously, why else would you be here?), you’ll have heard the term overtourism. Whether it was Barcelona and Japan restricting the number of Airbnbs, Venice taxing day trippersintroducing strict rules around where you can sit, or Croatia having to limit how many people can visit the city of Dubrovnik at one time—we’re pretty sure you’ll have seen a story on the news about travellers overcrowding destinations to the point where locals start to find it unlivable. In some cases, the location or attraction may even be damaged.

The EU welcomes 1.5 billion tourists every year, a staggering figure, and most of them visit the same spots. Newsflash, that’s where the problems begin. But what exactly is overtourism, and how can you make sure you’re doing your best to travel mindfully?

What is overtourism?

Responsible Travel defines overtourism as tourist activity that “diminishes the quality of life for local residents and creates a negative experience for visitors”. It occurs when too many travellers visit a single destination at the same time. When we say ‘too many’, we aren’t referring to a specific number, but how many people visit a town that is in excess to what their local facilities and infrastructure can service before things start to turn bad.

We’ve seen this happen in Barcelona, Japan and to a growing degree, Lisbon, as homes are rented out as holiday rentals to meet the lucrative tourist demand. This can force rental prices to increase so locals (in some cases) can no longer afford to live there. This causes a breakdown in that community and can lead to locals moving away, leaving it as a tourist town, completely void of the authentic culture travellers came there to see in the first place.

It’s not just people, either. Overtourism places a strain on the environment as pollution increases due to extra cars and flights in the area, waterways get polluted from overflowing trash and wildlife becomes affected when crowds of people disturb their homes. There are only so many people who can stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon at one time, for example, before it collapses and then no one can enjoy it. Maybe not but you get the picture.

What are governments doing to stop overtourism?

In some places, government bodies are already policing tourism and putting restrictions in place to manage travellers. Venice is a famous example, with its many rules around tourist behaviour that may seem ridiculous until you experience the overcrowding first hand. Thailand is another well-known example, with the government choosing to close the idyllic island hot spot of Maya Bay due to tourist numbers destroying the pristine environment.

It’s a wait and see game in some cases, but in others, governments and official tourist bodies have found ways to manage tourism numbers. Dubrovnik for example: instead of turning visitors away, now makes cruise ships abide to a strict, assigned arrival time in the stunning port so there is less overcrowding.

Europe has been forward thinking when it comes to long term solutions and amongst their list of 169 sustainability goals they plan to reach by 2030, many items speak to overtourism, like managing numbers, welfare of citizens and visitors, and protecting the environment. Peru is another good example, where they have capped Inca Trail hiking permits to only 200 per day and close it entirely to visitors for one month every year. This has helped immensely with preserving the trail and manage numbers, while never diminishing its appeal to travellers.

How can you help stop overtourism?

Once you start to understand the impact of overtourism, it’s only logical that you then want to avoid contributing to the problem the next time you travel.

Last year, my partner and I visited Southern Italy and did a seven day cruise in the Mediterranean. My previous travels, and there had been many had been during autumn and spring or at the end of the tourist seasons. I was shocked at the tourists in Rome, crushing crowds at every major attraction. I was part of it. I was a tourist.

And berthing on a damn big ship in Dubrovnik, there were four others in port spewing out hundreds of travellers.

What to do? Transport can be policed plus numbers to attractions, but we can’t draw a line as to who can visit.

But all is not lost! There are a few things you can do to help turn the tide on overtourism, and the answer definitely isn’t to stop travelling (never!), but rather, to spread the travel love:

How can we as tourists respect the environment we are landing on in big numbers? After all, no one wants an encounter with an angry local or to contribute to the demise of a beautiful destination. We all travel to discover cultures different to our own, and if locals are no longer able to live in these locations because they’ve been forced out, we as travellers are unable to have that authentic experiences while abroad.

• Travel to places off the beaten track: visiting the grand European cities like Paris and Venice are total musts, but maybe next time you travel to Europe you can visit lesser known (and less crowded) destinations to discover somewhere new and help those smaller economies and towns outside the already thriving cities. Eastern Europe, for example, is an amazing belt of countries that so many people have never been to and heading there instead of the big ticket destinations will have a lower impact on the environment overall.
• Travel outside peak season: if you prefer fewer crowds and want to save some money, this is responsible tourism. Travelling to Europe in winter, Africa and Asia in their shoulder seasons and even visiting Canada in the summertime are all great options for those who want to travel to specific countries, but to experience it without contributing to the crowding.
• Travel slower and smaller: instead of flying from destination to destination, if you have the time, why not drive (or catch a train) your way to the next stop so you can discover some lesser known towns along the way? You can also choose companies that offer smaller travel groups.

And since Covid, post travel restrictions have loosened. Towns, villages and cities suffered with the tourist dollar and they are making up for lost time and lost income. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

As a tourist I am the problem, not the solution. I was in shock in Venice trying to cross the tiny canal bridges and fight people trundling their luggage and jostling for a view of a gondolier gliding under the bridge. Because I had visited before I spent time at an expensive restaurant on the square watching the herds shuffle by.

I don’t know what the solution is for package holidays, or large groups. I can only do my thing and think each journey through and be mindful of what I do, how and when I travel.

What’s the general consensus? What’s your individual take on overtourism. All comments considered.