Overtourism

Overtourism has developed into a widespread phenomenon. Governments and destination marketing organizations are attempting to address the problem. Enablers of overtourism include greater numbers of tourists, the affordability of travel, a mindset dominated by the wish for economic growth, short term focus on tourism, the competition for local services and amenities, and lack of control over tourist bookings.[11]

There are currently more tourists than ever before in world history. In 1950 the number of international tourists was estimated to be 25 million. In 1963 Walter Christaller published on the negative effects of tourism. In 1987 Jost Krippendorf followed as international tourist travel increased. In 2016 tourists numbered over a billion, a 50-fold increase compared to 1950. Media coverage on overtourism has focused on Europe, which bears the brunt of tourism arrivals with 50 percent, and South East Asia, which sustains 25 percent of tourism arrivals.[11]

Countries in which EasyJet operates (May 2023)[12][13]

The rise of low-cost carriers (LCCs), the availability of inexpensive intercity bus service, and the popularity of cruise ship travel are assumed to have contributed to complaints about overtourism. In academic literature government policy, the ambitions of service providers in tourist destinations, as well as the influence of social media are considered enablers of overtourism.[8]

Airbnb and similar online accommodation services can lead to an increase in tourists due to lower prices, compared to hotels or other establishments.

The Experience Economy and changing lifestyle patterns have been blamed for the increased use of leisure facilities, contributed to a monoculture of hospitality facilities.

According to CNN, environmentalists are concerned about the effect of tourism on Antarctica, which steadily increased during the 2010s.[15]

In Aruba, the chemical Oxybenzone in sunscreen is harming coral reefs and marine life. In 2019, a proposed law called "Choose Zero" was introduced, which includes a ban on importing, selling, or distributing single-use plastic products and products containing Oxybenzone.[16][17]

Hallstatt, in 2020 had 780 citizens and more than 10,000 visitors a day, primarily arriving via tour bus, stopping briefly for photographs, and moving on quickly.[18] In 2020, the town implemented a system to limit entry of buses.[19][20][21]

Bhutan instituted a US$200 to US$250 charge per day for tourists because of overtourism concerns.[15]

The Great Wall of China has been damaged by overtourism.[22]

Dubrovnik became so overtouristed by 2017 that UNESCO considered removing it from the World Heritage Site list.[15] The city capped the number of visitors allowed to climb its ramparts and as of 2017 was planning to limit the number of cruise ships that could dock.[15][23] In 2020 they were considering limiting the number of new restaurants allowed to open.[24]

The Galápagos Islands were included on Fodor's 2017 list of places not to go because of environmental damage caused by overtourism.[22] As of 2017 visitors are required to hire a guide.[15]

Overtourism at the Louvre

In Paris, workers at the Louvre went on strike over what they said were dangerously overcrowded conditions.[25]

In Santorini, cruise ship visitors have been capped at 8000 per day due to overtourism[15] after years in which the island of 15,000 residents was receiving up to 18,000 tourists per day.[24]

The Zugspitze has been plagued by overtourism, especially because of day trippers arriving per gondola.[26]

In Hawaii, the degradation of corals has been shown to worsen in areas with higher concentration of tourists.[27]

The Fjaðrárgljúfur area was closed after the music video for Justin Bieber's I'll Show You made it so popular the government needed to improve infrastructure.[24][28]

In 2019, the Taj Mahal started fining visitors who stay more than three hours.[29] CNN in 2017 called the crowds "relentless."[15]

Bali was, in 2020, planning a US$10 tourist tax.[24]

Iraqi Kurdistan is the most toured part of Iraq, especially during Newroz. Tourists come from all around Iraq and the world for Newroz. In Duhok, 3 people were arrested for planning to burn 200 tires for the Newroz fire in 2022.[30][31] In Akre, a city famous for its Newroz celebrations, some locals decided to burn wooden torches instead of tires.[32]

Venice has faced declining population because of overtourism.[21] In 2019 Forbes called it one of the "most notably overtouristed destinations" in the world.[33] CNN in 2017 called the crowds "overbearing."[15] The city in 2018 tested the use of turnstiles in St. Mark's Square to control the number of visitors.[21] In 2020 the daily tourist tax was US$11.[24]

Capri in 2018 tested ways to limit day tourism.[21] Cinque Terre had 2.5 million visitors in 2015, and local authorities sought to limit visitors to 1.5 million in 2016, but a backlash resulted in this being walked back.[15] CNN in 2017 said that day tourists from cruise ships, who tour for a few hours and don't spend money, are blamed for environmental damage.[15] Officials in Rome made it illegal to sit on the Spanish Steps, with fines of up to US$448, due to damage caused by tourists.[15]

In the 2010´s Pragser Wildsee became an area of overtourism, receiving up to 17,000 visitors on a single summer day in 2020; as of 2023, there were vehicle access restrictions.

Kyoto officials as of 2019 had instituted a US$92 fine for tourists taking photographs of geishas without their permission.[18]

Mount Everest has become so overtouristed that climbers die of altitude sickness because of the delays caused by overcrowding.[33] As of 2020 the Nepalese government was planning to limit permits to those who had climbed another Nepalese peak 21,325 feet (6,500 m).[24]

Amsterdam in 2019 instituted a daily tourist tax and in 2020, eliminated Red Light District tours.[24]

Tourists at Machu Picchu

As of 2019, Peru limits visitors to Machu Picchu to 5000 per day, but UNESCO believes the limit should be halved.[33] Starting in 2014 foreign tourists were required to hire a guide.[15] In 2020 the site was planning to issue 5,940 tickets per day, which is more than twice the 2,500 UNESCO recommends to preserve the ruins.[24]

In Barcelona, protesters have demonstrated in tourist beaches and other tourist-heavy neighborhoods and anti-tourist graffiti has appeared.[15][34] By 2013, 9,000,000 visitors were touring Park Güell annually, and officials limited entry to the park to 800 an hour.[34] The New Yorker said, "Park Güell’s shift from a shared public space into a cultural zone occupied almost exclusively by tourists is understood by some worried residents of Barcelona as a story about the prospective fate of the city itself."[34] According to Albert Arias, a geographer with the Barcelona government, the selling of tickets was “a very bad solution,” that "is acknowledging a problem by fencing off public space.”[34] Airbnb has contributed to overtourism, with in some sections of town experiencing a 45% decline in resident population between 2007 and 2019 due to investors purchasing properties to use as short-term rentals via the platform.[34] By 2017 tourism had become a top concern among city officials, with a survey showing 60% of residents believed Barcelona had "reached or exceeded" its capacity to accommodate tourism.[34] In 2020 Barcelona was planning to limit cruise ships.[24] In April 2020 a proposal for radical change in the organisation of the city, the Manifesto for the Reorganisation of the City after COVID-19, was published in Barcelona, signed by 160 academics and 300 architects. The Manifesto is radically critical towards the touristification and commodification of the city, proposing to: "eliminate cruise ships", "maintain the current dimensions of the airport", "stimulate touristic degrowth", and "eliminate any investment to promote the 'Barcelona brand'".[35][36][37]

Other overtouristed areas in Spain include Mallorca and Alicante.[25]

Maya Bay was closed to the public after overtourism caused environmental issues.[38] Ao Phang Nga National Park was listed in 2017 in Fodor's list of places not to go in 2018 because of overtourism.[14][22]

In Scotland, the Isle of Skye advised visitors not to come unless they had overnight lodging booked.[15]

In Hanoi in October 2019, a train had to make an emergency stop because of tourists on the tracks taking selfies.[18]