Goodwin H (2022), Overtourism Solutions, in D. Buhalis (ed.), Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing, Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA, USA: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Goodwin H (2019) Overtourism: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Tourismus Wissen – quarterly April 2019
Goodwin H (2019 )Managing Tourism in Barcelona 3rd Edition
Goodwin H (2019) Barcelona: crowding out the locals in R. Dodds & R. Butler Overtourism: Issues, Realities and Solutions, de Gruyter Studies in Tourism
Goodwin H (2017) The Challenge of Overtourism
Goodwin H (2016) Managing Tourism in Barcelona Progress in Responsible Tourism Vol 5(1) pp. 28-48
Data
2024/09 European attitudes to overtourism YouGov
Posts by Harold Goodwin on
TravelTomorrow 
2025
08 May Tackling Overtourism in Spain
06 March Overtourism spreads to winter destinations in Europe
06 February Who manages a destination?
2024
12 December The sharing economy and overtourism
07 August Are tourists the new pariahs?
01 August Overtourism is not a new phenomenon
24 July The politics of overtourism
11 July Balancing tourism growth with housing affordability
24 June Barcelona’s radical plan to manage overtourism
20 June Overtourism is now regularly in the newspaper and it is negative coverage
06 June Tourism: to use or be used?
30 May Undertourism is a problem too
21 May Consequences of overtourism in the Canaries
16 May The Canary Choking in the Canaries – action required
28 February Overtourism in Antarctica
21 February Holiday lets – good and bad
15 February Resilience Matters
2023
nd Overtourism is complex – careful analysis is required
30 November Who owns a destination?
22 November The dangers of Instagram tourism in national parks
13 October There are limits to growth in tourism
29 August Tourists arrive with an attitude of entitlement
22 August Destination management is a local government function
10 August New Zealand shows the way to fight overtourism
07 June Overtourism, parasitism and the tragedy of the commons
25 April Whitewashing overtourism
2022
24 August People and places are under pressure – and they are fighting back
29 June "Incomers” second homes and inequality in Wales
2021
18 May Barcelona launches new app to enable visitors to avoid congestion
21 January Mobile phones: selfies, trophies and managing tourism
2020
10 August Tourist destinations are having a holiday
Media Coverage
Christopher de Bellaigue (2020) The end of tourism? The Guardian
Loic Ple & Catherine Demangeot (2020) ‘Dear tourists… get lost!’: When social contagion creates tourismophobia The Conversation
Jon Henley, Mach 2024 Entrance fees, visitor zones and taxes: how Europe’s biggest cities are tackling overtourism
Ellie Hunt July 2018 Residents in tourism hotspots have had enough. So what's the answer?
Chris Haslam July 2024 Europe’s hostile holiday hotspots — and where to go instead
Henschke & Wijaya The fight for Dragon Island
Back in May 2024, Rachel Dixon wrote a major article in The Guardian about how to “Be a better tourist! 28 ways to have a fantastic holiday – without infuriating the locals: From badly behaved travellers to horrendous carbon emissions, summer holidays aren’t always an unmitigated good. Here is how to travel responsibly and still have a great time” She came up with 28 ways to be a better tourist
Country Reports/Advice
Spain’s new tourist rules for 2025: What you need to know
Video & Radio
July 2018 Crowded Out: The Story of Overtourism
2024 The Last Tourist
June 2024 The Tourist Trap: The travel industry is booming with millions more people holidaying abroad each year. How can we stop overtourism and protect the planet from its impact on the environment? There were three programmes on Radio4
Rajan Datar wrote an InDepth piece on the BBC website: Global tourism is booming. These people would rather it wasn’t
March 2025 Rethinking overtourism: Expert panel discuss how to travel more responsibly – and avoid the crowds. Independent TV
Global travel editor Annabel Grossman led the talk with Justin Francis, CEO of Responsible Travel, and travel editor Ben Parker. They explored overtourism’s impact, the cruise industry’s role, tourist taxes, and how travellers can be more responsible when they’re away from home.
January 2025
Italy's Roccaraso ski resort was overwhelmed with an unexpected surge of up to 10,000 visitors in a travel frenzy; tourists reportedly arrived in 220 buses from Naples, blocking mountain roads and causing severe traffic delays in the area. This was apparently caused by videos on TikTok, which have been viewed > 1.4 m times. "The busloads of tourists overran facilities, restaurants, ski lifts, car parks and toilets at the Apennine mountain town of just 1,500 residents.' more Nice is to ban cruise ships to combat pollution and overtourism and block ‘low-cost clientele’ At FITUR, the Balearics announced 1.12 billion euros of investment in environmental and water cycle projects, tackling tourism seasonality, historical and cultural heritage, responsible tourism, research and development, and training and quality of employment in the tourism sector. Funded by 860 million euros of tourist tax revenue raised since 2016 and 260 million euros from EU Next Generation Funds. In 2024, 30% of international tourists visiting Japan reported experiencing challenges linked to overtourism in a Development Bank of Japan and Japan Travel Bureau survey found that 60 per cent of respondents expressed their readiness to pay higher fees at tourist spots and other facilities, up from 43% in 2019. In Japan, security guards are to stop tourists from taking selfies in Otaru after a tourist was killed standing on the railway track to take a selfie at a point popularized on social media. Kyoto could become a much more expensive place to stay. The cost of climbing Everest is to be increased. INRIX reports that London is the most congested city in Europe, congestion costing the UK £7.7 billion, followed by Istanbul, New York City, Chicago, and Mexico City. Phuket is struggling to cope with mountains of rubbish, "a surge in tourism and construction has pushed waste volumes beyond pre-Covid levels." Mykonos and Santorini are addressing overtourism with a 20€ cruise fee to protect their charm, infrastructure, and local communities. In 2023, Santorini, with 25,000 residents welcomed approximately 800 cruise ships, bringing in 1.3 million passengers.
December 2024
Overtourism
In the Serengeti climate change, burgeoning human and livestock populations, invasive plant species, threatened water resources, and more, are creating a perfect storm of threats for the Serengeti ecosystem and Maasai pastoralists are under pressure to leave their ancestral lands to make way for more tourism. "Tourism compounds these threats by adding vehicles, roads, lodges, and other infrastructure to the ecosystem, in the process disrupting wildlife hunting and reproduction and access to key river areas."
In Tenerife, anti-tourism protesters have daubed 200 sunbeds with slogans such as “Canarias se defiende” (The Canary Islands defend themselves) and “Canarias no se vende” (The Canary Islands are not for sale) can be seen written in black spray-painted lettering on the sunbeds’ fabric.
Mexico plans to impose a new $42 immigration fee on each cruise ship passenger. Mexico’s Immigration Institute will issue a “collective visa to every person on the ship’s passenger list.”
Ginzan Onsen, a popular hot spring town in Japan known for its picturesque winter scenery, historic ryokan inns, and peaceful atmosphere, has imposed a limit of 100 day visitors after 17:00. After 20:00, only hotel guests, local employees, and vehicles for official or business purposes will be permitted access. Until February 2025 day trippers will have to use, and pay for, a shuttle bus to take them to the hot springs. more here
The government is targeting the Labuan Bajo the Komodo National Park gateway for tourism growth in Indonesia, as one of five New Bali destinations. Regular temporary closures are being considered for 2025 to "reduce the pressure in the park, minimize the negative impact of tourist activities, and revive alternative tourist destinations surrounding the park area."
Fodor's 2025 No List includes Bali, Mount Everest, Barcelona, Mallorca, Lisbon, the Canary Islands and Venice, Koh Samui, Thailand ( the new season of the “The White Lotus” premieres this year) and Agrigento in Sicily, this year's Italian City of Culture.
Travel and Tour World reports on the rise of AI in travel planning with 66% of travellers planning to use technology to make informed decisions that respect the locations they visit while contributing positively to local communities and 41% of tourists expressing interest in using such tools to curate meaningful journeys. " Nearly 44% of tourists have pledged not to tag lesser-known locations on social media to prevent them from being overwhelmed by “Instatourists.” However, 47% of Gen Z and 44% of millennials would reconsider visiting a destination if they couldn’t tag its location—Booking.com's AI-powered search function.
Chris Crampton, chair of Pata UK and Ireland, argues that "there needs to be a lot less shaming of travel and tourism as a whole and more promotion, education and encouragement of the positive impact travel has. ... There is so much change for good happening, we should be proud of the progress that is being made and highlight that. Tourism is a net positive that creates opportunities to profoundly benefit individuals, families, communities and countries. Let’s celebrate that."
Londoners are reported to be posting fake reviews to push tourists away from their favourite restaurants.
Short Term Rentals [Airbnb]
Tourists in Italy will no longer be able to access short-term rentals using key boxesafter the country's police chief said owners must verify the identity of guests in person. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri welcomed the order, saying it would mean "more effective controls on access, and a first break on unfair competition". Guests’ personal detailsand identity documents must be sent to police authorities by owners within 24 hours of check-in.
In Rome17 per cent of housing in the centre is already listed for rent online, "neighbourhoods with distinctive, centuries-old characters are morphing into bland tourist dormitories." Filippo Celata, a housing expert at La Sapienza University in Rome, explains: " “In Italy, short-term rental properties may be 1.3 per cent of the total, but they account for an enormous 13 per cent of rentals, and that’s why rental prices are soaring, forcing residents out of cities.”
Airbnb is reported to have introducedanti-party technology to prevent "unauthorised and disruptive parties" and blocked nearly 74,000 people around the world from booking rentals around New Year's Eve. Airbnb revealed that in the UK, around 7,800 people were blocked or redirected on its platform last Christmas Eve - approximately 2,900 guests were in London and 470 in Manchester. Amanda Cupples, Airbnb general manager for the UK and northern Europe, said "Airbnb is committed to supporting hosts and the communities they live in, and we hope these defences allow guests, hosts and neighbours to celebrate the holiday with added reassurance.”
Analysis by DataAppeal reveals that "among 25 European capitals, NYE night hotel prices rise by 2.7%, while short-term rentals soar almost 8%, with Innsbruck’s average rental rate of €417 surpassing hotels at €323—highlighting the growing demand for flexible, unique accommodation options this New Year’s Eve."
November, October, September 2024 to be added
August 2024
Policing visitor behaviour
Overtourism
Caitlin Moran, has written an Op-ed in The Times I’m too scared to go on holiday to somewhere I’m not welcome" She concludes "The irony of all my travel agonising — my profound wish not to overcrowd somewhere I’m not welcome — is that I live in one of the biggest tourist hotspots in the world: London. London has 30 million visitors every year — clogging up the streets; taking selfies outside Nike Town; getting drunk in Leicester Square — and I find it all quite jolly. If I knew where they were coming from — Venice, say, or Amsterdam — we could swap places, on a kind of one-in, one-out basis." She suggests that it would be sensible to " build a Holiday Land, somewhere hot — people like hot places. People also like to take pictures of themselves in front of famous landmarks so they can post them on Instagram, with the caption “Another one crossed off the bucket list!” — so it would make sense to build replicas. A couple of pyramids; an Eiffel Tower; Michelangelo’s David; the Trevi Fountain; maybe a Buddhist shrine. And to stop all the housing stock being pillaged by Airbnb, you’d ram places with motels and hotels, with massive swimming pools, so everyone got a sun lounger. Et voilà! Holiday Land solves all the problems of mass tourism in one stroke." We already do this - think Disney and this tourism resort for local people in Borneo.
Overtourism a "blasphemy" according to Italy’s tourism minister Daniele Santachequoted in La Nazione newspaper "“the problem is managing and governing [tourism] as we have started to do since we have been in government. We are also preparing the ground for future challenges, from Milan-Cortina [2026 Winter Olympics] to the Jubilee [a 2025 religious festival in Rome] which will be an opportunity to make lesser-known realities known, build diversified tourist offers and enhance our wonderful villages.”
Venice has limited tourist groups to 25 people and tour guides will no longer be allowed to use loudspeakers to make themselves heard to clients. PBS Radio station WHYY broadcast a radio documentary "You Don’t Want to End Up Like Venice" Listen to it as a podcast
Oslo has produced a viral tourism advert "teaching us to 'life-see', not sightsee." August Jorfald, who directed the film and wrote the script, explained why his film has caught a new tourist: "I don't want the Disney World. I want to be at someone's kitchen table and drink wine from a milk glass." The clip begins "I wouldn't come here to be honest."
Valencia Nuria Montes, Valencia’s head of tourism, has announced that the Valencia region will fine homeowners as much as €600,000 ($647,000) for renting rooms for short-term vacations. The President of Valencia said The “unorderly growth” of short-term rentals “creates damaging effects which, in the case of tourist apartments, could create social problems, a drop in housing supplies and the consequent increase in prices,”
Seville " a review is underway checking up on the credentials of Seville’s rental apartment stock. Owners have had two years to act on rules introduced in 2022 stating that all rentals above the first floor must have their own independent entrance. ... The municipality [plans] to ask the state-run water company Emasesa to shut off the water supply to those properties unless the owners cease renting them or comply with the independent door requirement." Drought-prone Andalucia is seeking to reduce tourism rentals to reduce water consumption.
Japan: The screen blocking the Mount Fuji view introduced in May has been removed thanks to a drop in antisocial behaviour
The Save Windermere campaign in the English Lake District is raising serious concerns about the failure to adequately regulate both the growth of tourism and the treatment of sewage which is damaging Lake Windermere, demanding that the Lake District National Park Authority reject a planning application on sewage pollution grounds.
Santorini On 23 July Santorini experienced 11,000 cruise passengers, the carrying capacity is reckoned to be 8,000 according to a 2018 study by according to a 2018 by the University of the Aegean. There has been outrage on social media when Panagiotis Kavallaris, president of the Thira municipal community, posted an urgent plea online "“Emergency Announcement. Another difficult day for our city and island with the arrival of 17,000 visitors from cruise ships!!! We ask for your attention and we reduce our movements as much as we can !!!” , Nikos Zorzos, Mayor of Santorini has announced plans to better schedule cruise ship arrivals and condemned the government said it should stop issuing permits for “irrational tourist development”, which “consumes the place and reduces its advantage as a destination”, adding that “overbuilding” makes resources like water and electricity scarce.
Portugal in 2023 international arrivals were 7.7% up on pre-pandemic levels. "The Graça neighbourhood of Lisbon is so overwhelmed by tuk-tuks serving tourists, that some residents say they cannot leave their houses. .... The nearby town of Sintra is “in danger” . The WTTC advises that it is "the government that must continue to seek balance between such “unprecedented growth and opportunities” and ensure a country that is liveable for everyone." The Express reported that 'tourists pay more' for meals with locals having 'secret code', "According to a report by the Portuguese newspaper Expresso, the code for the lower prices is “transmitted verbally, in whispers or indicated on menus placed in inconspicuous or even hidden areas".
Encouraging tourists and trippers to visit less crowded places may relieve the pressure on over-touristed areas, but may spread the problem of overtourism to places lacking any infrastructure to cope with increased visitor numbers. In 2021 Breda University experimented in the eastern Dutch province of Overijssel with a new planning tool for tourists. "Travel with Zoey" highlighted the least visited spots as unmissable experiences. The research suggested that "a site’s renown is less important to tourists than its perceived accessibility and entertainment value." Amsterdam and Copenhagen are going to trial Zoey.
Rubbish and worse: Amsterdam is drowning under tourist-generated rubbish and being overrun by rats and seagulls, according to its residents. The actor Carlo Verdone says Rome is "filthy, choked with traffic and has a disastrous lack of public lavatories... If you spend 20 minutes looking out from Ponte Garibaldi or Ponte Sisto bridges, you’ll see someone drop their trousers and leave a souvenir. It’s shameful, unthinkable for a ‘normal’ European capital.”
Pro-Tourism: The first demonstration in favour of tourism took place at the end of August in Majorca. The Association of Food, Beverage, and Cleaning Distribution Companies (ADED) in the Balearic Islands has launched a campaign in support of the tourism sector, voicing concerns over increasing tensions and negative attitudes towards visitors. The New York Times has pointed out that ", Barcelona remains reliant on tourism, which contributes 14 per cent of the city’s revenues and directly employs 150,000 people. Hotels, vacation-home hosts, restaurant servers, kiosk owners — all are adamantly opposed to anything that might disturb the golden goose."
"My Barcelona is being destroyed by mass tourism – but kicking visitors out isn’t the answer" Xavier Mas de Xaxàs a writer for La Vanguardia. He writes " Tourism attracts more drug trafficking, petty crime and sex work, all of which has an impact on a city’s character. Local shops are often replaced by tourist-oriented businesses" and concludes his piece in The Guardian "... putting up barriers won’t give us back our Barcelona. It is a model for contemporary architecture and urbanism, for cutting-edge art, culture and food. Only by educating tourists and the tourist industry about the harms they are doing by treating my city as a playground – instead of a community of people who must be treated with respect – will the situation improve. And the tourists themselves will benefit too: making local friends and better memories to take back home."
Edinburgh & New Zealand Tourism Tax
Manchester was UK’s first city to bring in a tourist charge in spring 2023,. It raised nearly £2.8m in the first year,
In Scotland, Edinburgh, the Highlands and Aberdeen expressed support for a charge six years ago, saying they could not cope with the financial pressures that tourism management entails. Edinburgh has announced plans to introduce a fee by summer 2026, lead councillor Cammy Day saying it would bring “huge benefit” to the city and that £5m of the ensuing revenue would be spent on housing and 35% would be allocated for the arts, and there are reports of a council commitment to invest £5m of the new Tourist Tax into council & affordable housing. The Edinburgh charge is intended to be levied as a percentage on accommodation costs, with room providers responsible for collecting the fee. Some politicians among the Scottish Greens have already said the draft proposal of 5% is too low and that the figure should be around 8%. Paul Lawrence the new chief executive of Edinburgh city council
argues that street sweeping, pavements and potholes are underfunded and a visitor levy would enable the council to invest in the arts and the festival.
The transient visitor levy (TVL) covers hotels, B&Bs, self-catering accommodation and rooms and properties let through websites such as AirBnB. Council leader Cammy Day said "“It’s equivalent of a few pounds worth of a cup of coffee. The evidence that we’ve done and research from across the world shows a levy has no impact on tourism. ..“People don’t come here to see the insides of hotel rooms, people come here to see the world heritage centre, the castle, the palace, the hills, the sea around the city, the amazing capital that we are. I can’t see a few pounds putting somebody off visiting the city. If you can afford to spend hundreds of pounds on a hotel room, you can afford a few pounds to support the city that you are visiting.”
In October last year in an attempt to curb the expansion of short-term letting accommodation, Edinburgh introduced new regulations requiring hosts to license their homes if renting them as a short-term let, or face a fine of up to £2,500.'
New Zealand has announced that it will nearly triple tourism tax on all international visitors except Australians. The international visitor and conservation and tourism fees from 1 October to NZ$100 ($61.85) from NZ$35 (introduced 07/2019) to “ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand”. The tourism minister, Matt Doocey, said the levy ensures “international visitors contribute to high-value conservation areas and projects, such as supporting biodiversity in national parks.
July 2024
“GROUNDBREAKING. The New Tourist waking up to the power and perils of travel will enable you to have much better travel experiences. McClanahan understands that what we make of tourism has to do with the ways we interact and behave when we holiday in other peoples' homes. The choices we make about how, when, and where we travel make a real difference in whether we have positive or negative impacts.”
—Harold Goodwin, Professor Emeritus at Manchester Metropolitan University and Director of the Responsible Tourism Partnership - published by Porchlight
How To Be a “New Tourist,” the Powers and Perils of Tourism With Paige McClanahan interviewed for the Zero to Travel podcast.
Paige McClanahan in conversation with Aziz Abu Sarah
Is New Tourism emerging?
Paige McClanahan's The New Tourist has been well-promoted but it has given voice to, and in many ways shaped, a sea change in the way tourism is understood and discussed. For example, Kathleen Rellihan writing on the BBC's travel pages in a piece entitled Why it's time to rethink what it means to be a tourist accepts that she, a travel writer, is a "tourist – but while it's a label to not take lightly, it needn't always be a bad one." In a review of McClanahan's new book, she writes "in the post-pandemic travel boom – last summer in particular – tourists behaving badly seem to have reached a tipping point. ... we need to shift how we view tourism, and tourists, now more than ever."
The Times in the News Review, not the travel pages, on Sunday, July 21st, Katie Gatens, wrote a piece entitled "Continent in revolt: why tourism rage is sweeping Europe" and asked, "Is the backlash righteous or self-defeating?" Gatens reminds us that "it wasn’t until Thomas Cook developed the package tour in the 1870s — taking small groups to France, Germany and Italy — that the idea of the “holiday” was brought to the masses. It inevitably aroused snobbery among the leisure classes towards fellow “Brits abroad” that endures to this day." As Gatens points out "The vocal anti-tourism movements in Europe have a populist flavour, reflecting frustrations over the cost of living and especially housing. Younger Europeans seem especially unhappy about their continent turning into a giant museum." In Mallorca the campaign group "Less Tourism, More Life" echoes a movement in the Canary Islands.
In Gujarat mid-day published "To travel or not? Decoding the overtourism and irresponsible tourism catastrophe". In The Atlantic Chelsea Leu wrote Don’t Give Up on Tourism. Just Do It Better. The Bangkok Post
reports on Thailand's Socialgiver’s Meaningful Travel campaign. " Through the Meaningful Travel campaign, every journey to Thailand can now support the noble cause of preserving the nation’s lush landscapes and majestic trees, marking a step forward towards a more sustainable and responsible global tourism ethos."
Emer McDevitt of marketing agency Social Chain on GenZ "rejecting aspirational trips in favor of more authentic and culturally rich experiences." "They want a unique, personalized experience that won’t impact the local community.... they’re a generation of sustainable travel seekers - 56% of Gen Z travelers believe that choosing an eco-friendly travel option is important for ensuring a positive experience for local people and tourists."
Sebastian Ebel, chief executive of TUI speaking in Madrid argues that only tourism that is accepted and supported by local people can be sustainable. "Social sustainability is particularly about the living spaces of local people – education, training, jobs, local culture, affordable housing."
How to be a new tourist ...
First the problem: tourists behaving badly.
Writing on BBC Travel Lynn Brown has written a long piece addressing the question "Why do tourists behave badly on holiday?" There is no pay wall – it is worth reading.
Michelle Singletary wrote in the Washington Post about "How to be a better tourist and not annoy locals ... Locals in cities around the world are getting fed up with tourists, and I don’t blame them." Nora Biette-Timmons writing in Conde Nast Traveller titles her piece "This New Book Is Reframing How We Think About Tourism" an interview review of McClanahan's book. Asked whether there are other books for people who want to read more about "thoughtful tourism" McClanahan recommends The Last Resort: A Chronicle of Paradise, Profit, and Peril at the Beach, by Sarah Stodola. Polly Pattullo's Last Resorts, the cost of tourism in the Caribbean published in 1996, and the second edition in 2005, did not have the advantage of the mounting content about overtourism which is with us now. Claire Irvin, Travel Editor at The Times wrote on 14th July "Having a great time on holiday means choosing your destination wisely and respecting the place and people you’re visiting. Here’s how" She concludes her article "As a tourist you can help drive change by considering the effects of your choice of accommodation, and who will benefit from your money. The easiest option is to pick a hotel. Yes, it may cost more, but your choice will sustain livelihoods not only for those working on the premises but also along the entire supply chain, from towel attendants to taxi drivers. Water pistol manufacturers may be the only casualty."
In Northumberland "A responsible tourism campaign is being relaunched in Northumberland - just days after two people had to be rescued, along with a dog, when their campervan became stranded by the tide on the Holy Island causeway. ... Love It Like It’s Yours aims to ensure that visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience while minimising the impact on the environment along with clean-up costs."
Switzerland: "A new alpine garden in Zermatt aims to educate visitors about the local flora and prevent them from destroying rare plants"
Prague “Respect Prague” aims to harmonize the city’s thriving tourism sector with the preservation of its historic charm and natural environment. .. crucial for maintaining Prague’s allure amidst its growing popularity."
Copenhagen is incentivising tourists to become new tourists, rewarding climate-friendly tourists with pastries and perks. CopenPay is now closed and will be evaluated. It may relaunch in 2025. More here in the Washington Post.
The Algarve as part of its Futourism drive is asking tourists to save six suitcases of water during their stay, "using snappy catchphrases such as “fewer pools, more oceans” and “fewer showers, more diving”. According to Lídia Monteiro, a Board Member for Turismo de Portugal, “this campaign could have focused more on the more restricted issues of water availability, but we deliberately chose to encourage the adoption of behaviours in a surprising, intriguing way, with a bit of humour and that could also arouse curiosity about the Algarve destination. It seeks to highlight what is most relevant in this destination: the ocean.”
Mallorca has launched a new campaign “Diviértete con Respeto” (Have fun with respect). " The focus is on the protection, regeneration and preservation of the island."
Barcelona is rebranding from “Visit Barcelona” to “This is Barcelona”. Mateu Hernández, General Director Turisme de Barcelona: "visit” has reached its ceiling and it was time to change it." Today, Turisme de Barcelona makes an affirmation of the importance of our identity as a city and that is why we have gone from Visit to This is Barcelona. Watch the video
Overtourism
James, a Kiwi living in Spain with a Spanish wife, is on a mission "to help you experience this wonderful country deeply. With 253K followers, his 15-minute video addressing the question "Is Spain Sick of Tourists? is worth watching.
On July 7th the demonstration in Barcelona when residents turned water pistols on the tourists was carried in the mainstream media around the world. Isambard Wilkinson and Simon Hunter wrote in The Times about the demonstration in Mallorca "under slogans including: “Let’s change course and set limits on tourism.” Other banners read: “Stop destroying Mallorca”; “Your luxury, our misery”; and “This isn’t tourismophobia, it’s numbers: 1,232,014 residents, 18 million tourists” Demonstrators were concerned about housing, the impact on natural resources and the stretched public services. Also in The Times Katie Gatens points out that "The global middle class is flooding places that are growing resentful of their money and selfie sticks. " and asks "Is the backlash righteous or self-defeating?" As Gatens reminds us "The vocal anti-tourism movements in Europe have a populist flavour, reflecting frustrations over the cost of living and especially housing. Younger Europeans seem especially unhappy about their continent turning into a giant museum."
Nick Beake, Europe Correspondent at the BBC interviewed 25-year-old Pere Joan Femenia in Majorca, part of a movement called "Menys Turisme, Més Vida", or "Less Tourism, More Life". "“Businesses are changing from ones selling traditional products to multi-nationals selling ice cream and we are losing our identity. We want to preserve our culture," "He says it is a myth that Majorca needs ever-expanding tourism to survive and that the reality is many locals are preparing to leave for good because they can no longer afford it here.
The Tourist Trap is a series of programmes/podcasts from BBC Radion addressing the question How can we stop over-tourism and protect the planet from its impact on the environment?
Regulations
Barcelona: the biggest problem the city has is the housing crisis, the Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni announced plans to ban short-term rentals in the city starting in November 2028. The 10,000 apartments currently listed as short-term rentals on Airbnb and other platforms in the city will return to the housing market. Laura Hall has written on BBC Travel about how bans like this will affect how we travel.
Japan:has introduced a £5 per bag over 160cm fee on trains (locals prefer to courier their bags ahead of them); there are ¥10,000 (£50) fines for anyone taking a photo of a geisha without her consent, locals-only nights are being introduced in some restaurants and other restaurants are giving a discount to locals. In Kyoto tourist-only bus routes have been introduced and a “Mind Your Manners” campaign will remind English-speaking visitors of local customs. Mt. Fuji has capped visitor numbers at 4,000 per day and introduced a fee of ¥2,000 / £10) for those walking the Yoshida Trail. The Studio Ghibli Museum in Tokyo limits visitor numbers to 3,500 during the week and 4,000 at weekends. The Japan Rail Pass, much used by tourists, does not provide access to the high-speed Nozomi and Mizuho services.
Lake Tahoeis promoting “Rules to Lake By” for visitors and locals alike.
Denmark: The combination of holidaymakers seeking cooler climes and the increasing popularity of camper van breaks and “van life” culture has resulted in a 27% increase in camper vans in Denmark in the last five years, some municipalities are introducing new regulations to restrict "wild parking" with the attendant litter and dame to the view for others.
Calpe, on Spain’s Costa Blanca"setting up chairs, sunbeds and parasols before 9:30 am has been banned under a Municipal Ordinance for the Use and Management of the Coastline. The council is not looking to take sides in the night-owl versus early-bird battle royale, but it does want its beach cleaners to be able to do their job properly, it says. Leaving unattended paraphernalia on the beach “makes it difficult to clean the beaches, so the ordinance establishes that all items installed on the beaches before 9:30 am may be removed and the owners denounced. ... the new measure means anything left unattended on the beach for three hours or more at other times of day can be confiscated too.
Barcelona city councillor Jordi Coronas explains "“Barcelona, through its ‘souvenirs’, is also projected to the world. Penises with the Barcelona brand or t-shirts with sexist and homophobic messages do not project the values of the capital of Catalonia. We ask for regulatory changes to improve the image of the city and its commerce. " Jordi Valls, the city’s deputy mayor for the economy, who also supports the measure, noted another potential barrier to implementation, remarking that it will be “difficult to standardise it because what is considered in bad taste is a matter of very high subjectivity.”
Tenerife e-coli contamination in the water means visitors will not be able to go for a dip at the Playa Jardin one of Tenerife's most popular beaches
Greece 70% of beaches must be sunbed-free, a percentage that could go up depending on whether or not the area is protected (85%) or ecologically sensitive (100%). In order to allow access to the sea to everyone at all times, sunbeds also need to be placed at least 4 metres away from the shoreline, as do umbrellas. Drones are being deployed to monitor compliance and a MyCoast App enables reporting of infringements.
Taxes: Managing tourists and their impacts on destinations requires funding. The Times presented both points of view. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are bringing in from October an overnight charge of £2.40 per room "equal to less than a cup of coffee" Rosie Radwell of the Accommodation Business Improvement District in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole points out that "We must ... maintain our reputation as a safe, clean, green and welcoming destination by improving visitors’ experiences, attracting investors to the town, driving footfall and ultimately increasing spending." Rick Everitt, the Labour leader of Thanet district council in Kent argues that bed night levies only apply to overnight tourists and not to day excursioniasts. We want people to feel that they are welcome here, not tolerated on sufferance or charged for things that add no immediate value for them. We all benefit from cleaner beaches and streets, properly managed parking and the prosperity that a thriving visitor economy can create, especially residents." Circumstances alter cases. Decisions about tourist taxes are best taken locally.
In Japan, Kyoto has introduced a levy on hotel rooms of ¥200–1,000 a night (£1-£5). Hokkaido, charges every guest an extra ¥2,000 (£9.80) per night.
Copenhagen is considering introducing a tourist tax but that would require new powers from the central government.
At €5 the day tripper fee for entry to Venice is to be doubled in 2025 to €10. Michele Zuin, the local budget councillor explains “We hope to discourage arrivals. The first experimental phase did not show major disincentive effects, but we did not expect them. The situation will change when the maximum ticket is increased to 10 euros." The €5 entry fee has applied on only 29 days but it has raised €2 million.
Barcelona is planning to raise the tourist tax on cruise passengers who visit the city for less than 12 hours.
Quality: The Express reports that the slump in visitors to Mykonos over the past three years may be due to a lack of infrastructure able to sustain the large number of visitors it received and to high prices, according to sources in the tourism industry who spoke to Greek news outlet Ekathimerini. The Express has covered overtourism extensively. In Hawaii, the Governor has signed 16 pivotal bills that expand the state’s efforts to preserve Hawai‘i’s natural resources and foster sustainable tourism practices. In an attempt to alleviate chronic traffic congestion on Tenerife, there are plans to create an extensive rail network by 2045. In Spain, Turespaña is shifting from "pursuing volume, to more recently, “quality tourism” or attracting visitors who contribute value to the destination economically, socially, and environmentally... developing new indicators that better reflect the local communities’ quality of life and the tourism industry’s quality of jobs." Spain has launched a series of talks about Caring for the Future.
The Galapagos Islands "Since 2020, an interdisciplinary research team from EHL Hospitality Business School, the Catholic University in Quito, and the Charles Darwin Research Station at the Galapagos in Ecuador have been studying the challenges associated with tourism dynamics at the world-famous UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Galapagos Islands. This article summarizes the main findings of this collaboration: the carrying capacity of the islands, the sustainability transition of tourism, and the political challenges that have been affecting sustainability efforts in the archipelago."
National Policy locally focussed: The national Ministry of Tourism in India has created "a robust framework for integrated development of tourism destinations in partnership with the States/UTs and local governments for promoting sustainable and responsible tourism in the country."
Businesses are taking action too. AE Expeditions is planning to use only 130 passenger vessels on its Antarctic and Arctic itineraries next season, AE Expeditions “recognise our responsibility to protect and preserve the remote places we travel to, and we are proud to be one of the few companies visiting Antarctica and the Arctic with under 150 passengers.
Destination Marketing: Alex Lemecha-Sim of M&C Saatchi argues that "Tourism is at a turning point, with many popular spots struggling to balance visitor numbers and sustainability. Marketing and placemaking have pivotal roles to play in this balancing act. By crafting campaigns that champion responsible tourism and spotlight lesser-known destinations, we can spread the economic benefits more broadly and ease the strain on overcrowded hotspots."
Wildlife
June 2024
Improving Tourist Behaviour - advice and regulation
Paige McClanahan has a long piece in the New York Times "Why You’ll Pay More and Behave Better When You Travel This Summer"
Rachel Dixon in The Guardian Be a better tourist! 28 ways to have a fantastic holiday – without infuriating the locals
VML published on Taming Tourism "Global hotspots are countering undesirable tourist behavior by reinforcing basic travel etiquette."
> There has been a rapid rise in the amount of consumer-facing information for those seeking to travel more sustainably.
NEWS18 published advice on How to Choose Sustainable Properties for Your Travel?
Iberostar has used its Wave of Change movement directly in their marketing: promoting its "three pillars of responsible tourism – moving towards a circular economy, promoting responsible seafood consumption, and improving coastal health – create better holidays, and are working to reduce the impact of its hotels, while also working to regenerate and support individual destinations. It's a win-win."
The Pagosa Daily Post published in Colorado published editorial 28 Ways to Be a Better Tourist Part 1 Part 2; Part 3; Part 4
Outer HebridesThe PLACE acronym stands for Parking—park only in designated spots; Litter—leave no trace; Animals—dogs on leads; Campers—book sites where possible. Park in designated spots and leave no trace; and Engage—follow the Scottish Outdoor Code.
Indian Express ran an article on "Seven ways to travel with minimal environmental impact, By choosing sustainable accommodations, embracing slow travel, packing thoughtfully and supporting local initiatives, you can reduce your carbon footprint."
>Efforts to control behaviour by fines
Marbella is set to follow Vigo's example from two years ago and impose a €300 fine for “physiological evacuation at sea and on the beach”, amongst a host of other regulations special beaches are being designated for dogs.
The Yungang Grottoes a UNESCO World Heritage site in Datong, Shanxi Province has fitted the visitor toilets with a digital timer. The innovation has caused considerable controversy
Under new regulations in Platja d’Aro, people found “on the public thoroughfare without clothing or only in their underwear or with clothing or accessories representing human genitals or with dolls or other accessories of a sexual nature” will be liable for fines starting at €300.
Venice has banned loudspeakers and limited tour group size to 25.
Tokyo had banned the consumption of alcohol on public streets
Indonesia: "Minister of Creative Tourism and Economy Sandiaga Uno stated that Indonesia will not tolerate foreign tourists who violate the law. Sandiaga also asked tourism actors to remind foreign tourists to obey the rules and maintain their behavior while traveling."
Running contrary to the trend the Balearic government's revised tourism of excesses decree - now known as responsible tourism and quality improvement - has reduced the zoning in Magalluf to which the decree applies by 90%. There is controversy about how much of Mallorca should be covered by the responsible tourism and quality improvement in tourist zones decree.
Overtourism -
Destinations need to decide whether to use tourism or be used by it.
Overtourism is now regularly in the mainstream media and it is negative coverage
Across Spain Airbnb is under pressure: "In the space of a fortnight, the cities of Palma, Malaga, Valencia and Barcelona have clamped down on short-term rentals (STRs), announcing strict restrictions.
Barcelona is to ban apartment rentals to tourists by 2028
In June The New Yorker asked Is Travel Broken " Global tourism is projected to reach an all-time high this year. How do we square our zeal for exploration with increasingly pressing reasons to stay put?"
The Majorca Daily Bulletin carried a letter asking "the British, are being bombarded with campaigns and messages about being on their best behaviour while on holiday in Mallorca, how about the clubs and pubs playing their part in all this?
Cinque Terre is struggling to manage tourism sustainably, to use tourism rather than be used by it.
In Barcelona Park Güell timed tickets will only be sold online as a way to spread the crowds through the day,
Iceland CNBC reports that Iceland wants to switch up its tourism tax to protect nature — and fight overtourism
The Menorcan town of Binibeca Vell, built to resemble a traditional Greek village, has become an unlikely overtourism battleground. This private housing development is now divided between those who live there and the daytrippers who arrive on account of its "growing star status on social media sites such as Instagram and TikTok. Within four years posts under the hashtag for Binibeca on Instagram have almost doubled to 61,600. "
Two German tourists and two local workers died when the rooftop area of the Medusa Beach Club collapsed onto diners eating and drinking on floors below, some blamed overtourism.
Japan - dual pricing
Two-tier pricing has been introduced by businesses to restore their profitability following the decline of the yen which has lost around one-third of its value over the last three years. Japan needs more tourists despite the problems of overtourism. In an effort to manage tourism, Japan has introduced tourist taxes, introduced charges on the popular walking trails on Mount Fuji, built screens to prevent photographers from crowding some vantage points, imposed street drinking restrictions and warned tourists to stay out of private streets in the geisha area.
Japanhas received 3 million international tourists each month for the last three months. Despite the problems of overtourism, litter, noise, crowding and anti-social behaviour Japan is seeking to double arrival numbers. Ichiro Takahashi, the tourism commissioner is planning to go from 25 million tourists a year to 60 million. The strategy is dispersal: " There are still many little-known places in Japan that are left unexplored by tourists from overseas – I believe Japan has infinite tourism resources.” As the local mayor has pointed out Himeji Castle, the honeypot attraction, is a finite attraction:"“A wooden structure will be worn out and become more brittle after many people climb up and down”. So the mayor is introducing dual pricing and quadrupling the price for foreign visitors.
Antarctica - more regulation and management needed
The IUCN warns that existing regulations, like the Madrid Protocol of the Antarctic Treaty System, fail to protect against tourism impacts, including site damage, travel route disruptions, and wildlife disturbances. A record 122,072 people visited Antarctica in the 2023-2024 austral season, with peak tourist time coinciding with penguin breeding season. Adventure activities such as skiing, snowboarding, ice walking, snorkelling, and scuba diving are steadily increasing in Antarctica, a continent with no native human inhabitants. “Developing this legally binding framework is complex due to Antarctica's unique status as a global commons.
What is "the potential of conscious tourism as a powerful tool for conservation efforts. While the industry can introduce hazards to the Antarctic ecosystem, it offers promising opportunities for scientific research and public awareness. These should be considered in the endeavor to save the continent." "IAATO reports that "over 100,000 people visited Antarctica between December 2023 and March 2024. This comprised approximately 32,000 cruise tourists and 71,000 landing visitors. This number represents a 42% increase from the previous season of 2022-2023 and prompts scrutiny of its potential impacts on the Antarctic ecosystem. "A 2022 study revealed alarming findings, indicating elevated concentrations of black carbon in the snow around popular tourist sites. This soot, originating from tourism activities, accelerates snow melting, worsening the effects of global warming." There is more on overtourism in Antarctica here.
May 2024
Regulating Tourist Behaviour
Tourist behaviour is one reason that host communities feel overtouristed. More and more destinations are attempting to regulate tourist behaviour and reduce negative impacts. Prague is considering banning bachelor party costumes to reduce “chronic noise,” and "one city dweller has recently undertaken a 10-day hunger strike to protest the noise pollution in the old town." Milan is planning to ban drink, ice cream and pizza sales after midnight “to seek a balance between sociability and entertainment and the peace and health of residents.” In Costa Rica, SINAC has detected the entry of 558 people through unofficial sites in national parks and other protected wildlife areas - the actual number is thought to be much greater, illegal entry exposes people to "hazards such as precipices, problems of hypothermia, ash fall, acid rain, ballistic impacts, and mudflows,."
In Spain, holidaymakers in Llucmajor, Palma, Calvia (Magaluf) in Majorca and Sant Antoni in Ibiza are subject to a range of new regulations, including being unable to buy alcohol from shops between 9.30pm and 8am. The new regulations are backed by a budget of £14m for security, inspections and advertising, In 2019, officials in Mallorca warned tourists they faced fines of up to €3,000 for antisocial behaviour or “causing a public nuisance”. The 2020 law imposed by the Balearic Islands banned bar crawls, defined as “excursions promoting excessive consumption of alcohol”. Thomas Cook warned holidaymakers in 2022 that “all-inclusive” no longer means “unlimited drinks” with local laws in the Balearic Islands determining people can have a maximum of six alcoholic drinks a day. The behaviour which has resulted in these new regulations was documented on British TV in three episodes of What Happens in Kavos or search online. Balearics now has a new Decree for Responsible Tourism and the Improvement of Tourist Areas.
BBC Travel has a long article on The world's revolt against 'bad tourists'
Encouraging Responsible Travellers
The Guardian has published extensive advice: Be a better tourist! 28 ways to have a fantastic holiday – without infuriating the locals. In the US, Visit Oceanside has launched Love O'Side to encourage more responsible traveller behaviours. And encouraging walkers to go and return by rail. ‘You can walk virtually everywhere in England by using the train’: the man connecting rail-based walks railwalks.co.uk
The World Travel & Tourism Council and IC Bellagio have partnered to launch a new consumer campaign focusing on Community Conscious Travel, raising awareness on how responsible tourism can positively impact the communities travelers visit each year. Cornish Stuff is promoting seven crucial tips for tourists aiming to travel sustainably in Cornwall.
Destinations and businesses are putting more effort into attracting particular market segments. Data Appeal analyses consumer perceptions of destinations. It has published its LGBTQ+ Index for Belgium (67), Brussels (77) and Ghent, which scores 88. Data Appeal can also measure the impact of changes in policy and management, for example, through tourism pressure and LGBTQ+ indexes.
Chinese Luxury Travellers: "Chinese luxury travelers now crave authentic, immersive cultural experiences that forge deep emotional connections.... A focus on genuine, transformative experiences shows that travellers are drawn to destinations that offer both relaxation and a chance to explore the cultural and ecological heritage of the area." Jing Daily’s new Chinese luxury travel report
Overtourism
Spain: On the last weekend in May there were 10,000 marchers on the streets of Palma in Majorca, protesting that tourism was making their lives difficult, "Everywhere you look everyone is foreign.” On Ibiza locals are living in cars as rents soar. On 2023 the IGC, a representative body of the Civil Guard police force, said that "three or four" of its officers were living in vehicles on the island. Campaign group Prou Eivissa (Enough Ibiza) says key workers such as nurses, doctors, police officers and teachers have been priced out of the housing market ..., forcing some to live in their cars or caravans, or even move to mainland Spain and fly in for work.... essential medical care such as cancer surgery is being delayed due to a shortage of doctors to perform operations." In Barcelona, hundreds gathered to block entry to Park Güell, where the French fashion brand was unveiling its latest collection, over what they say is overtourism in the area. On Menorca, Binibeca Vell’s population introduced “visiting hours” last year. They asked visitors to arrive after 11 am and leave by 8 pm to allow residents “to have breakfast peacefully on our terraces and sleep peacefully without noise,” said Monge. The website also pleads with visitors to “avoid uncivic attitudes” including entering homes, taking items, sitting on furniture uninvited and climbing on balconies.
UK In Cotswolds villages, irresponsible parking by coach drivers is an issue.
On Hawaii, plans for a new resort on a black sandy beach at Punaluu " the planning application uses an outdated environmental impact assessment, locals say and does not sufficiently consider problems such as overtourism, or the fact the land is sacred to some islanders, as the site of an ancestral burial ground."
Italy: In Venice , the city earned €1 million in the first 11 days of the entry fee. Hundreds of residents protested, " Claiming the ticket system turns the historic city into a museum or a theme park, and armed with sarcastic catchphrases like “Welcome to Veniceland”, between 300 and 1,000 protesters descended upon Piazzale Roma, the city’s road entry-point. A spokesperson for anti-cruise ship campaign group No Grandi Navi, told CNN, “We rose up against the mayor’s idea of a closed city, a museum city.” He went on: “A ticket does nothing. It doesn’t stop the monoculture of tourism. It doesn’t ease the pressure on Venice. It’s a medieval tax and it’s against freedom of movement."
Nepal: There are new regulations for Everest climbers in 2024, the size of climbing groups will be limited to 15 people and all climbers will be required to carry emergency tracking devices, use the dedicated shared toilet tents, "and anyone proceeding higher than Everest Base Camp will be required to transport their bodily waste down the mountain in a poo bag and carry out at least eight kilograms (almost 18lb) of rubbish at the end of their expedition."
Japan In Fujikawaguchiko, a black barrier fence has been erected for Mount Fuji snappers; there are now fees for climbing Mount Fuji, and tourists have been banned from the Gion entertainment area where tourists were harassing Geishas.
The New York Times ran a piece Why You’ll Pay More and Behave Better When You Travel This Summer
Podcasts BBC Radio 4 (2024) a series of three programmes on overtourism: The Tourist Trap and the BBC World Service
The Canaries
In 2023 13.9 million people visited the islands, which have a population of 2.2 million. Figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute show that 33.8% of people in the Canaries are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the highest proportion for any region except Andalucía. The housing situation and water shortages in many parts of the archipelago are also dire because of high prices, low wages, a lack of public housing and the continuing cost of living crisis. The eleven people on hunger strike lasted 20 days from April 11. The protests have involved tens of thousands of people. “Canarias tiene un límite” – The Canaries have a limit. Víctor Martín, a spokesperson for the collective Canarias se Agota – The Canaries Have Had Enough, explains, “I realised we’d reached the limit when I saw people who were working as hotel maids or waiters were living in shacks. As filmmaker Felipe Ravina has pointed out "“Ironically, it is tourism itself which is destroying the very same product which it is selling. ”
Generally, tourists and the majority of residents have different, often very different, standards of living – tourists have both leisure and money to travel with. Tourists are concerned about potable water only if their holiday accommodation is without it, and there are reports that tourists may have to pay more than locals for water. Tourists and locals compete in the same housing market. Short-term holiday renters and second homeowners raise property prices and force up the cost of housing for locals. In destinations, local governments can act through property taxes and regulations to redress the balance, but only if national legislation provides them with the power to do so.
Overtourism - Japan
Akari Saunders-Wyndham has written an analysis of overtourism in Japan: Japan's Overtourism: The Downside of Tourism High correlating increasing concern about overtures with rapidly rising visitor numbers pre- and post-Covid. Akari points to the strains on infrastructure, cultural erosion and authenticity. In Kyoto, bans have been imposed on photography in the back streets of Gion, and now a ban on all tourists from entering Gion, the geisha district, to protect geisha and maiko from potential harassment. Tourists seeking selfies have harassed sacred deer in Nara and Miyajima, causing injuries and, in some tragic instances, death due to ingested plastic waste.
A mesh net 8 feet high and 65 feet long is to be built at a popular Mount Fuji photo spot. "The juxtaposition of the convenience store and Mount Fuji has made it a favourite tourist spot to snap photos."
April 2024
Data Appeal has published a review of the primary methods being used to manage the problem of overtourism: demarketing, limiting access, regulating behaviour, site hardening, and regulating short-term letting
Canary Islands Over the last decade, tourist arrivals have increased by 40% from 11.5m to 16 m. The pressure has become intense: water shortages (golf courses, swimming pools and accommodation), food price inflation and housing shortages, with residents sleeping in their cars and, some say, caves. Canarias Se Agota called for a hunger strike and a human chain to make the strength of feeling clear to the government. more The Canary Islands are exhausted. The eleven people who went on hunger strike lasted 20 days from April 11. more and here
The protests have involved tens of thousands of people. “Canarias tiene un límite” – The Canaries have a limit – are backed by environmental groups, including Greenpeace, WWF, Ecologists in Action, Friends of the Earth and SEO/Birdlife. There were smaller demonstrations in Madrid and Barcelona in support. In 2023 13.9 million people visited the islands, which have a population of 2.2 million. Figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute show that 33.8% of people in the Canaries are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the highest proportion for any region except Andalucía. The housing situation and water shortages in many parts of the archipelago are also dire because of high prices, low wages, a lack of public housing and the continuing cost of living crisis, Víctor Martín, a spokesperson for the collective Canarias se Agota – The Canaries Have Had Enough said. “I realised we’d reached the limit when I saw people who were working as hotel maids or waiters were living in shacks." –“The problem isn’t the tourists,” he said. “It’s a model that was built around, and with the connivance of, a business class that doesn’t want to listen to what needs to be done, and with a political class that serves that business class instead of serving all the citizens.” More
Public space entry charges: In Italy, a daytripper tax is being considered at Lake Como. The Villa del Balbianello has capped visitor numbers to 1,200 per day; numbers had peaked at 2,000. Seville is planning to charge tourists to visit Plaza de España. The Mayor José Luis Sanz wrote on X “We are planning to close the Plaza de España and charge tourists to finance its conservation and guarantee its safety. In addition, we will create a craft workshop school. Of course, the monument will continue to be freely accessible and free for all Sevillians”.
Venice introduced a fee of 5€ for day-trippers (under 14s are free) arriving between 8:30 am and 4 pm; access is free outside these hours. Those who don't pay risk fines of between 50€ and 300€. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro described this measure as an "experiment" to safeguard the city. “With courage and great humility, we are introducing this system because we want to give a future to Venice and leave this heritage of humanity to future generations,” The fees apply on 29 days from April 25 to 30, May 1 to 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26, June 8 to 30, and July 6 to 14, 2024). There have been protests by locals "“Venice should be defended, not put up for sale”/ "“It’s a big lie and propaganda,” Federica Toninello, the spokeswoman of the National Assembly for Homes, said of the new fee. “The problems of tourism in Venice run much deeper, affecting, most of all housing … with Airbnbs eating the city.” more Venice is not a museum "Venice’s Social Assembly for Housing and the Solidarity Network for Housing formed a protest on 9 April, brandishing banners that called for “Homes, rights, dignity” and declaring that “Venice is not a museum”. Susanna Polloni from the Solidarity Network for Housing noted that Venice has “homeless people who work, but they don’t have a home”. Venice council has ringfenced €27.7 million for the rehabilitation of around 500 apartments across its historic centre, islands and mainland neighbourhoods, but it has approximately 2,000 unoccupied properties that could also be put to use. “It’s something shocking, paradoxical,”
Tourist Taxes Barcelona has raised the tourist tax to between €1.70 and €3.25 depending on the accommodation type. In the Balearics the overnight tax ranges from €1 to €4 per person aged 16 or over.
Retail bans: Milan is considering bans on pizza and icecream sales after midnight,
Antisocial behaviour: the mayor of Palma announced at ITB that the city is requesting national police reinforcement and planning to impose fines of up to €3,000 for antisocial behaviour ""The town hall is going to be inflexible." There will be "no turning back" with new policies of zero tolerance of behaviour of the kind that is too common - vandalism, street drinking, fights. "The same things we demand of our citizens, we demand of our visitors."
Hawaii plans to remove the Haiku Stairs, also known as the Stairway to Heaven, an iconic but unofficial attraction on Oahu. The U.S. military installed the stairs during World War II and closed in 1987 because of legal and safety concerns. "The removal process involves dismantling 664 stair modules, which will be transported via helicopter and disassembled on the ground. Additionally, landscaping efforts will replace damaged plants, allowing the natural vegetation to reclaim the area. The removal of the Haiku Stairs addresses long-standing local grievances and opens up opportunities for sustainable tourism initiatives that respect the cultural and environmental heritage of the area."
Short-term Rentals Hawaii is also considering a short-term rental ban to address the islands’ housing and overtourism crisis, through two bills making their way through the legislative. "Above the historic Lahaina town, nearly 90% of the housing stock is short-term rentals. An analysis by the University of Hawai’i’s Economic Research Organization (UHERO) found 33,000 housing units across the state were listed as short-term vacation rentals out of a total of 565,000. Out-of-state residents own 52% of them and 27% possess 20 plus units. Illegal rentals were not taken into account but are thought to be an important part of the problem." more Authorities in Ibiza blame illegal tourist flats for a housing crisis which has left some local professionals sleeping in their cars.
View Blocking: A huge mesh net barrier 2.5 metres (8ft) high and the length of a cricket pitch at 20 metres is being installed to block a popular view of Mount Fuji, reducing littering, parking and road traffic issues. This summer, hikers using the most popular route to climb Mount Fuji will be charged ¥2,000 each (£10.50, $13.35, A$20.50), with numbers capped to ease congestion. more
Hiding a Bus Route a campaign to erase the 116 bus route between Barcelona's city centre and La Salut has finally succeeded. "Elderly residents complained that they were unable to get home using public transport since the 20-seater minibus was always packed with tourists. The city council has now arranged with Google and Apple to have the bus route deleted from the online platforms." Has Barcelona gone loco in its battle against tourists? This simple solution is reported to have worked well for the local elderly population.
Amsterdam, has halted any new hotel developments in their fight against overtourism. "“Amsterdam will no longer be issuing permits for new hotels, except for a ‘new-for-old arrangement’ in which a new hotel may only be built if a hotel elsewhere closes and the number of sleeping places does not increase,” a municipal spokesperson told press. "A cap will also be placed on overnight stays, at “no more than 20 million hotel nights by tourists per year,” the government said, in line with its 2021 ordnance that obliges it to intervene to keep “Amsterdam Tourism in Balance,” when tourist numbers hit 18 million."
Tourism Pollution in Japan visitors have been banned from narrow private streets of the Gion district, where tourists harassing and chasing after geisha for photos is now termed “geisha paparazzi.” Tourist behaviours are an issue Kyoto has tried stopping the sale of one-day bus passes so that travellers would opt for the train, and "putting ninja statues at the end of a train platform to lure tourists to less crowded carriages." “It’s important for a wide range of citizens to understand the meaning and benefits of having tourists come to Kyoto,” said Matsui, an independent who was once deputy chief cabinet secretary in the national government. “We can’t let hatred toward tourists spread among the citizens.” more
Source Market Responses to Overtourism
Skyscanner has taken the marketing opportunity to suggest Underrated Destinations, top picks Tunis, San Sebastian, Boston, Massachusetts and Perth, Australia. The search engine appears to suggest places accessible on cheaper flights.
Anna Somers Cocks, the founding editor of The Art Newspaper, has encouraged people to enjoy the Venice Biennale, "but be aware it's taking place in a dying city". She writes " If Venice, like Amsterdam, were in the Netherlands, it would be protected well beyond 2100 by the highly sophisticated Delta Programme". "It may only be a matter of a few handspans but the mean water level has risen by about 32cm since scientific measuring began in 1897 and it is already doing damage. For centuries, the water was below the level of the stone bases of the buildings, which are almost impermeable. Now, look at the slime line and you will see how high it reaches twice a day, at every high tide. That means it is often in contact with the highly permeable brickwork above those bases, and that repeated soaking is causing the city to crumble." On 25 April ~15,700 tickets were sold while ~13,000 people registered their right to enter for free, either because they had business, family, residence or studied in town. Anna Somers Cocks writes in the Art Newspaper that the mayor "has dodged charging a sensible fee because he fears an electoral backlash, from the airport and the lower-grades of the tourist sector—the pizza restaurants, the water taxi cooperative, the shops selling tat—which are the ones that benefit from the flood of tourists—as many as 100,000 on some days. // Without becoming elitist and limiting Venice to the rich, the municipality needs instead to listen to the experts of Venice’s Ca’ Foscari University and restrict the number of “presences” (over-nighters plus day-visitors) to a maximum of 50,000 a day while raising the cultural expectations of the tourists rather than offering them a theme-park-cum-souq..." She concludes "Each visitor to Venice should be seen as a potential supporter and treated as such, not as a crass intruder or sheep to be fleeced." Only through a much higher charge can the money be raised to secure the future of Venice.
Elements of the UK press have written about attempts to manage overtourism as attacks on UK tourists.
Tenerife goes to war on UK tourists because 'the situation has got crazy' "Residents in the popular Canary Islands holiday hotspot have moved to demand a tourist tax and clampdown on families flying over to "drink cheap beer, lay in the sun and eat burgers and chips" Birmingham Mail
UK tourists travelling to Lanzarote and Tenerife issued warning if visiting after April 20 "The protests have left UK tourists being warned to expect a "frosty atmosphere" if they're visiting this year. Daily Record
UK tourists' Spain holidays at risk due to crisis which is 'worst in 200 years' "The drought in the European Union holiday destination is the worst for 200 years" Birmingham Mail
March 2024
Tourists and Responsible Tourism
Businesses and destinations can influence which tourists arrive at their destination through their marketing, and they can "choice edit": If there are no plastic bottles of water on sale, tourists will not litter the place; they will use the alternatives provided. Travellers are part of the solution; as JoAnna Haugen argues, "people are interested in making better choices when they travel. ... the tourism industry still has a long way to go in making these choices available, accessible, and visible to travelers." We need to engage them and make action easy.
Wales: Eryri National Park (formerly Snowdonia) faces mounting challenges, including parking congestion, littering, anti-social behaviour and illegal parking. Eryri’s National Park Authority, North Wales Police, the National Trust, Cyngor Gwynedd, Natural Resources Wales, and local Councillor June Jones, are joining forces to promote sustainable tourism practices and raise awareness about the importance of respecting the local communities, landscapes and biodiversity. More on the views of different agencies.
Nepal: to require all Mount Everest climbers to be fitted with a tracking chip
Dublin: Tourists asked to stop groping the breasts of Dublin’s Molly Malone statue
Cotswolds UK ‘Lunch in the Prettiest Village in Britain’ Telegraph journalist Jack Rear joined a Cotswolds coach tour to find out why they are so hated
Storytelling: Dr. Jens Thraenhart explains that "Authentic storytelling has emerged as a powerful tool in promoting sustainable tourism, striking a balance between growth and conservation, and fostering meaningful contributions to local communities. ...Authentic storytelling in tourism involves sharing real, unembellished narratives about a destination’s culture, history, and people. It’s about telling the stories that are intrinsic to a place, often told by the locals themselves. This authenticity not only enriches the tourist experience but also fosters a deeper understanding and respect for the local culture and environment."
Destinations & the Industry
Overtourism is complex – careful analysis is required
Entrance fees, visitor zones and taxes are being used across Europe to tackle overtourism, from Seville to Venice to Amsterdam, Europe is learning to improve locals’ lives by curbing tourists’ enthusiasm. More in The Guardian In Australia, ABC News asks "As over-tourism grows, are there places on Earth we should be barred from visiting?" The BBC reports "Tourist taxes are now as much a part a trip as selfies and souvenir shops. And more are on the way."
" As the Hope Standard reported this month, Overtourism is increasingly recognised as a threat in British Colombia, The Sea-to-Sky Destination Management Council launched the impactful “Don’t Love It to Death” program back in 2022.
Scotland & Responsible Tourism
VisitScotland has partnered with Tourism Cares "to profile trade-ready, responsible tourism experiences in Scotland." Scotland is the first European destination to feature on their Meaningful Travel Map VisitScotland is partnering with The Travel Cooperation to reduce carbon emissions in the supply chain, the "first time that VisitScotland and any global tour operator
have committed to work together to share learnings, insights and support each other in accelerating change and being part of the climate change solution." A new guide to reducing climate impact is available online As Shannon Guihan, Chief Sustainability Officer, The Travel Cooperation, points out their "collaboration ... takes a long-term approach, and places equal emphasis on both community benefit and the path to net zero. The latter challenge requires both sides – the destination and the tour provider – to address the elements that are within their purview, in order to see genuine advancement."
Welcome to Fife has become a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. " As sustainable tourism gains prominence as a key visitor demand, it presents an opportunity for growth and resilience in the sector." The South of Scotland Responsible Tourism Strategy and action plan, which sets out radical plans for tourism in the region between now and 2034, was formally unveiled at the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA)’s third Annual Conference. The strategy aims to create 6,000 more jobs and more than double tourism spend, increase the number of higher-spending, longer-staying international visitors and "act responsibly for long-term collective benefit." More on Responsible Tourism in Scotland
Irresponsible Tourists Spain
In Malaga bar owner Dani Drunko has recently been told to move out of his home of 10 years because the owner plans to transform the property into tourism accommodation. The news of the local being kicked out of his home started a wave of signs and posters appearing all over the city, telling tourists to go away. Most of the signs are in Spanish, with messages like “a tomar por culo de aquí” (get the fuck out of here), “a tu puta casa” (go back to your fucking house), “apestando a turista” (stinking tourists) , or, in a milder version, “antes esta era mi casa” (this used to be my house) and “antes esto era el centro” (this used to be the [city] centre).
UK tourists going to Benidorm, Alicante and Majorca this year are being warned in the Express that there are large fines for going to the beach between midnight and 7am, taking your clothes off on a non-nudist beach, and travelling in an unlicensed taxi. Similar warnings have been carried in local papers in the UK Stoke Sentinel, Bristol Post, Birmingham Mail,
GB News is reporting possible new rules on restaurant opening hours as though they are targetted at British tourists; they are not. "Spain tourist backlash: Britons 'will take money elsewhere' as Spain proposes new rules on UK tourists
Barcelona Spanish city overrun by predictable tourists who arrive and ‘visit all the same spots’
Perhaps as a consequence of all this negative press, the Spanish Tourist Office has reported that UK visitors’ average stay in 2023 was 6.91 days, down from 7.29 days in 2019 (a decrease of 5%). The overall trend is for the length of stay in Spain to increase. The TTG reports that "Spain has vowed to tackle a slight fall in the average trip duration among UK visitors, with a focus on sustainability a key part of the country’s strategy."
Last Chance Tourism: Irresponsible?
Last Chance to See NYT correspondent Paige McClanahan has pointed out that Throughout history, "humans have raced to be the first to scale a peak, cross a frontier, or document a new species or landscape", but "now, in some cases, we're racing to be the last." Why last-chance tourism is the latest controversial travel trend
Last-Chance Tourism Surge: Racing Against Climate Change to See Vanishing Wonders
"Destinations like the Mer de Glace glacier in the French Alps are witnessing a significant increase in visitors, eager to experience their beauty before it's too late. However, this influx of tourists and the infrastructure developed to accommodate them, such as new ski lifts, are causing further harm to these already vulnerable sites. The debate around the sustainability of such tourism is growing, with concerns that the desire to witness these natural wonders firsthand may actually be accelerating their demise."
Tourism to Antarctica is also booming in the 2022-23 season IAATO Statistics
For the first time, traveller numbers (104,8970 exceeded 100,000 since the continent opened to scientific expeditions and tourism in the 1950s. In 2019-20, pre-Covid, there were ~74,000
Antarctica is now beginning to experience overtourism. It is a finite and vulnerable continent without a form of governance that can effectively limit its numbers and regulate the activity and impacts of tourism.
February 2024
Resilience Matters - Procrastination is the enemy of resilience.
Abraham Lincoln led the US through the Civil preserved and strengthened the Union, and ended slavery. In 1864, in a letter to then-Secretary of War Edward Stanton, Lincoln wrote “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” The wisdom of these words is reflected in proverbs like ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ (first recorded in 1732), ‘never put off until tomorrow what you can do today’, and ‘prevention is better than cure’. Unfortunately, in the 160 years since Lincoln wrote this, humanity has largely failed to escape short-termism, preferring procrastination and business as usual.
Jennifer Jacquet, Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science at the University of Miami, published “The Play Book” in 2022. Described by geneticist and science populariser Adam Rutherford as “Very funny, as satire should be, until you realise it’s deadly serious.” It is a convincing read, a ‘how-to manual’ for procrastinators.
“Written in the form of a corporate handbook for tobacco, oil and pharmaceutical company executives, it is a litany of obfuscation techniques, denial, delays and outright lies, including: how to recruit an academic ‘expert’ who is willing to compromise their integrity (or is just short of cash), how to massage the statistics, how to use legal and even physical intimidation against reporters and activists, and how, just as in a casino, to keep your customers comfortable, unquestioning, unthinking and playing along for as long as possible.” more
From the outset, the business case for Responsible Tourism emphasised the licence to operate, local sourcing, avoiding dependency on tourism at the destination level, working to address community priorities and partnership in the supply chain and with competitors in the destination.
On a finite earth, we face increasingly difficult challenges we need to adapt and mitigate for our sector to continue to prosper; we are paying a high price for procrastination, and delay increases our costs.
We know what needs to be done. We need to do it.
Holiday Lets
The UK government has announced new controls on short-term lets in England. The new rules will apply only to new short-term lets where the property will be free for less than 90 nights a year. A mandatory national registration scheme is also planned. Airbnb has welcomed the regulations: Amanda Cupples, the company's general manager for Northern Europe, said: "Families who host on Airbnb will benefit from clear rules that support their activity, and local authorities will get access to the information they need to assess and manage housing impacts and keep communities healthy, where necessary." more
The Telegraph reports that there are plans to create a new planning use class for short-term lets and new associated permitted development rights, which would either allow a property to be changed from a short-term let to a residential dwelling or would allow a property to be changed to a short-term let.
January 2024
Overtourism, Pollution, Holiday Lets, Second Homes, and Tourist Behaviour
Overtourism: In Iceland, the supply of long-term housing is dwindling. "In the capital area, almost 8% of all residential housing is listed on Airbnb, according to a study by AirDNA, and homestay licenses increased 70% last year in comparison to 2022. According to a 2019 study, at least half of all apartments in some centrally located districts are tourist rentals, and up to two-thirds of homes listed on Airbnb were previously for long-term tenants. ... a 2021 report found that as many as 7,000 people — just under 2% per cent of the total population — had taken up residency in illegal housing, including commercial buildings. ... Of the roughly 200,000 people currently employed in Iceland, about 35,000 are in tourism."
Pollution: Anjuna is a coastal village on the Arabian Sea in Goa, on the hippie trail in the 1960s, now known for its electronic music trance parties and flea market. The Pollution Control 
Board has closed hotels releasing sewage into fields. Mountainous Himachal Pradesh was declared India's second open-defecation-free state in 2016; now, the state is polluted with rubbish, much of it left by tourists. Video Skiers are leaving “forever chemicals” in the snow on ski slopes. Research by the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen and the University of Graz in Austria has found 14 different types of PFAS chemicals, commonly used in ski wax, in soils at family skiing spots in the Austrian Alps at levels far higher than in areas not normally used for skiing. source
Holiday Lets: In the UK the tax authorities now require hosts with a listing in the UK or who are required to pay tax in the UK to reveal earnings and pay tax. "Under the current laws since data sharing began in 2018, hosts renting out properties through online rental platforms are able to make £1,000 a year before tax under a ‘tax allowance’, with any profits above that amount needing to be declared to HMRC. Those renting out a single room in their property have a much higher income threshold before they have to pay tax [£7,500] as part of the government’s ‘Rent-a-Room’ scheme. New rules outlined by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] will require platforms to report the income that sellers receive on a more regular basis, and the information will be shared between countries that have also signed up to the OECD tax rules. The OECD rules will only be asked to share data about sellers who make at least 30 transactions a year, earning more than £1,735 [€2,000] in that timeframe. Airbnb lists on its site advice on Responsible Hosting including national taxes, business rates, and regional regulations and taxes in the UK and for Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, South America, & Africa. More on the UK rules here
Florence has banned new short-term lets on Airbnb and similar rental platforms within the Unesco-protected centro storico. "The city’s mayor, Dario Nardella, said: “The consequences of the short-term tourist rental market are apparent to us all: a loss of identity in the centro storico, inflated living costs and a dramatic reduction in available housing. We are looking at a steady growth in tourist numbers which has become even more significant since the pandemic, testing the city to its limits.” "Patrizia Asproni, a prominent activist and former president of Florence’s Museo Marino Marini. “Everyone talks about the tourism boom, but few mention the enormous cost and strain on our resources of these millions of people passing through our city: the extra litter, the extra sewage, wear and tear on our streets and buildings, the filling-up of our A&E departments by American students in alcoholic comas. Not to mention the housing shortage and the environmental impact.”
Second Homes: Tenby "Our seaside holiday hotspot is being ruined by second home owners who clog it up in summer but leave it empty in the dead of winter - it's ripping the soul out of our tight-knit town" "In Wells-next-the-Sea, around 35 per cent of properties are second homes or holiday lets and at this time of the year the upmarket Norfolk town is eerily quiet."
Tourist Behaviour: In Venice from June 2024, tour guides will be banned from shouting through loudspeakers, while the groups they lead will not be allowed to exceed 25 people. Mallorca the Bauzá responsible tourism plan is much broader than the existing excesses law.... "the future for the whole of Mallorca does not lie with an outdated booze-based touristic culture. If this offends some holidaymakers and some businesses, then so be it."
Taxation
Greg Dickinson, has an interesting piece in The Telegraph, headlined "A €250 fine for building a sandcastle? Welcome to rip-off Europe". Greg concludes, " As the global clampdown on poor tourist behaviour intensifies, expect to see more fines rolled out in holiday hot spots. And, like them or not, entry fees and nightly tourist levies are going nowhere. Bali, Valencia and Iceland are among the destinations set to introduce new taxes for 2024. More will follow."
In Cornwall, a tourist tax is being considered to help manage the negative impacts of visitors. A council report points out that "our popularity, especially in the peak period, also brings with it negative impacts to our communities such as reduction in air quality, environmental degradation at popular sites, increased demand on services and congestion.” Bali is introducing a levy of USD10 for adults and children from February 14th " to contribute to the preservation and continuation of the island's unique cultural heritage while reinforcing its dedication to sustainable tourism." In Greece, the tourist fee is being rebranded as a climate levy; from November to February, the tax rate is unchanged 1&2* properties €0.5; 3* €1.5; 4* € 3 and 5*€4, From March to October, the tax has been increased to 1&2* properties €1.5; 3* €3; 4* € 7 and 5*€10. The Greek government expects to generate up to 300 million euros for reserve funds for reconstruction efforts following natural disasters. The climate levy will also apply to short-term rentals booked through online platforms.
December 2023
Venice: tourists in a gondola refused to stay seated and stop taking selfies. They capsized the gondola, ending in the canal. There have been other examples in New Zealand and at sea. more here
Canada's Globe and Mail published an article on how to be a responsible tourist.
American Travellers: Carl Friedrik is a purveyor of leather travel goods. They surveyed 1,095 Americans in October 2023 and reported that 94% of Americans want to experience slow travel; Americans take only 8 days of vacation per year; and meeting local people was important to 43% of respondents. Only 31% of respondents cited environmental concerns as an incentive to adopt slow travel methods.
Global Consumer Trends: Euromonitor has identified the Top 6. One of which is Greenwashed Out. "People are Greenwashed Out. They know their eco-friendly choices help to an extent, but real change needs to be a collective effort. So, consumers are pushing the responsibility back on businesses...Consumers realise that their individual contributions can only do so much. They’re tuning out messages that place the burden on their behaviour. Instead, they want organisations to step up and show proof of their eco pledges. People who are Greenwashed Out won’t accept empty promises or false narratives.
Sustainability Dissonance, aka the "Action Gap": A summary of Phocuswright's Sustainability Dissonance: What Travelers Say vs. What They Do (and What to Do About It) has been published. Respondents answered historical trip questions without knowing they were participating in a study about sustainability. In the second half of the survey, respondents answered questions after the study's purpose was revealed. This allowed Phocuswright to compare awareness, attitudes and intentions around sustainability with actual travel behaviour. About half of the respondents said they were more likely to choose a method of transportation for its carbon footprint than for convenience. 1 in 10 people, sometimes less, actually chose their transportation based on environmental friendliness. The results for lodging were similar. According to this research " less than 1 in 5 of people who care about sustainability as a cause are making greener choices in travel products." Crowding "up to 28% stayed in a lesser-known area to avoid crowds on the most recent trip. So we start to close the gap a bit when a sustainability issue directly impacts the consumer experience. But still a significant discrepancy between how many people say they prefer the quieter areas and how many follow through.” There is a 15-minute presentation by their Senior Research Analyst on YouTube: "The money is not where the mouth is."
Overtourism
Venice: the mainstream media are reporting that from June, groups will be limited to a maximum of 25, and the use of loud hailers will be banned. Venice has also announced that visitors will be charged a fee of five euros on 29 peak days between April and mid-July.
Everest 'traffic jams'. 'Everest is becoming a lucrative business, with westerners forking over anywhere between $10,000 and $100,000 for permits to climb it.' Congestion, rubbish, and danger as climbers queue to summit. Suggestions that ladders be fixed on the more treacherous rock faces have been rejected by professionals who do not wish to see the challenge reduced. Before 1985, only one expedition at a time was allowed on the Nepal side. more
Amsterdam is deterring "stag parties", restricting river cruises, converting hotels into hotels and offices, closing bars and clubs earlier and banning the smoking of cannabis in some parts of the city, and distributing tourism more evenly across the city. Amsterdam & Partners have sponsored Lonely Planet to publish a very different guide to the city.
Amsterdam has introduced new rules from January 1st 2024, revealing 'the underlying mission of the Dutch capital to rebrand itself as a city that is more inclusive and open to its residents and is not just a theme park for tourists to get rowdy. The city is going to stop issuing permits for tourist shops, limit the number of private tourism rentals, and reduce the number of B&Bs by 30%. The tourist tax will increase 12.5 %, "which will make it the most expensive charge of that kind in the European Union. ...with an average room price of 175 euros per person, the surge will result in an increase from 15.25 to 21.80 euros per night in 2024. The tax for cruise passengers will increase from 8 to 11 euros per visitor."
November 2023
Governments Taking Responsibility
Two of the critical questions are "Who owns a destination?" & "Will the destination use tourism for sustainable development, or will tourism use and exploit the destination? Only the local government can manage tourism on behalf of the community and assert their ownership of their place.
Amsterdam is pushing tourist shops out of the city centre to prevent a monoculture and make the centre more attractive to locals; there are plans to move the Red Light District to a skyscraper in the south of the city, although there is opposition to the move from local residents. more The city is promoting. a new vision of the city to its residents: " a place of experimentation and creativity, with plenty of room for fresh ideas and new inspiration. Thousands of alternative perspectives make the city unique and constantly evolving. Find your community, revise your opinion and stretch your imagination with these initiatives that will renew your view of Amsterdam." Renew your view
The city is also limiting the number of private tourism rentals and seeking to increase the housing supply for students, teachers and police officers in training. The EU will have new rules on Airbnb-style rentals that should finally be in place by 2026. In 2022, 13 cities, including Amsterdam, Paris, and Barcelona, called for urgent EU action, arguing that long-term rentals were increasingly being converted into short-term tourist accommodation, causing soaring prices and more problems for residents. "A pillar of the new legislation will be the data collection from online platforms, which will have to share information with local councils, feeding into tourism statistics and helping officials to regulate the market." In October, Florence banned new short-term lets on Airbnb and similar rental platforms within the Unesco-protected centro storico. Patrizia Asproni, a prominent activist and former president of Florence’s Museo Marino Marini. “Everyone talks about the tourism boom, but few mention the enormous cost and strain on our resources of these millions of people passing through our city: the extra litter, the extra sewage, wear and tear on our streets and buildings, the filling-up of our A&E departments by American students in alcoholic comas. Not to mention the housing shortage and the environmental impact.”
Tourism Ireland says the chase for growth in visitor numbers from far-flung markets such as Asia needs to be weighed against damage to the environment and the ability of the country to cope. The new Tourism Ireland chief executive Alice Mansergh says he cross-Border body that markets both the Republic and the North abroad will no longer run broad consumer campaigns targeting travellers in many faraway emerging markets. Instead, it will work mostly with tour operators to bring in only high-spending tourists.
Vespestad, Hehir & Koivunen conducted a content and discourse analysis of six European Arctic DMO consumer websites. The findings reveal examples of euphemistic labelling and using morally neutral language to conceal unsustainable activity. There is a sustainability communication discourse in what can be interpreted as moral muteness. Moral muteness helps us to interpret how DMOs downplay the negative impacts of tourism and promote low-effort pro-environmental behaviour to provide a narrative that allows the clients to disengage morally.
Austrade has developed a National Sustainability Framework for the Visitor Economy, which commits to Australia's goal of becoming a world leader in sustainable tourism.
Mallorca is “repositioning” its brand, recognising “the importance of sustainability and responsible travel practices”, with the intention of “not only preserving Mallorca’s natural beauty and cultural treasures but also for ensuring the long-term prosperity of the island and the well-being of local communities”. The repositioning links the social fabric of the island and its purpose is to establish a conscious coexistence of tourists and residents, based on a common awareness and a unique reference point, which is that Mallorca is a privileged island that all must contribute to protect. The Mallorca Responsible Tourism Pledge
Bhutan has cut the nation’s Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) by 50 per cent from September 1, from US$200 per person per day to half that figure. The new rate will remain in place until August 31, 2027. Funds from the SDF will continue to be allocated to measures to offset the carbon footprint of visitors, such as through planting of trees and assisting the tourism sector by upskilling workers, maintaining trails, reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels and electrifying Bhutan’s transportation sector. For a detailed discussion of Bhutan's pricing since it opened to tourists, see Pricing solutions to Bhutan's sustainable tourism policy.
The village of Hochatown, in Oklahoma, close to Dallas, has a resident population of 219. Just before Covid Hochatown had 400 Airbnb rentals, it now has 2,400 and, at weekends, a population of 50,000. The village has " no police officers, no firefighters, no garbage collectors, and most houses aren’t connected to the sewer system. Moreover, the rental houses – many .. with a jacuzzi – put giant pressure on the water infrastructure, leaving many without drinking water at times." A failure of planning control and governance.
Addressing Visitor Behaviour
The BBC has run a piece about more tourists taking responsibility. Ecobnb enables people to search for environmentally-friendly hotels, home rentals, B&Bs, and other forms of accommodation, listing more than 3,000 properties worldwide, from a vegan and organic farmhouse in Tuscany, to an eco mountain lodge in Costa Rica. 2.8 million travellers now use Ecobnb each year, up from 780,000 in 2018. In the Netherlands, Conscious Hotels is a chain of seven eco hotels whose environmental features include only using renewable energy, only buying sustainably sourced furniture, and solely serving vegetarian food, of which 90% comes from a 90km (56 mile) radius. Founded in 2020, flight-free travel company Byway Travel has seen demand for its services grow from 173 bookings in 2021, to 2,200 for this year.
While more travellers are behaving responsibly, there is more "policing" of behaviour. Amsterdam is rebranding itself as a city which is more inclusive and open to its residents and is not just a theme park for tourists to get rowdy. Amsterdam's Stay Away campaign launched in March with pop-ups being activated n Britain, by particular search terms, such as “stag party Amsterdam” and “pub crawl Amsterdam”. UK arrivals are down 22% compared to 2019’s 2.4 million. In The Telegraph, Greg Dickinson writes I know the British tourist isn’t always the classiest, nor the best behaved, but it does feel like the scrutiny should fall on the product as much as the customer. Amsterdam is one of the only places in Europe where you can casually and easily buy sex or cannabis. You can also pay €300 for somebody to “arrest” your friend on his stag do, if you so desire."
Mallorca, too, is cracking down on anti-social tourists, imposing tougher fines. The current decree on excesses will be renamed responsible tourism. It will be in force as the season opens in 2024. Iceland has appointed a "polite tourist bouncer" to enforce a seven-day limit on the stopovers.
The TikTok-famous Elafonissi Beach, on Crete known for its pink sand, sunny weather and watersports scene, has been badly damaged by overtourism; tourists are queuing to get onto the beach. Instagram tourism can also lead to dangerous behaviours by tourists without experience and ill-equipped to cope with the environment. Mountain Rescue teams in Wales and the Lake District get busier every year. New Zealand launched an amusing “Travelling Under the Social Influence” video of the Social Observation Squad (S.O.S) patrolling some of New Zealand’s top tourist spots on a mission to stop people from taking photos under the social influence. It has been watched close to 700,000 times.
Hope and Homes are pointing out that: "The world doesn’t need orphanages. They harm children and they harm society. And shockingly, 8 out of 10 children in orphanages have family members who would care for them – but a broken system hoards money, makes false promises, and keeps children neglected and families exploited." They've teamed up with ABTA and the safeguarding and modern slavery unit of Border Force to help end Orphanage Tourism.
Tourism can be a force for good, increasing understanding, tolerance and solidarity between diverse people. Mark Twain argued that travel broadens the mind: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” Palestinian Arab Aziz Abu Sarah, and Scott Cooper, a Jewish American, were working together for peace when they realised that travel could be a powerful and untapped resource for international understanding and peace. They describe themselves as “business partners, best friends, and consider each other brothers.” In 2009, they founded Mejdi Tours, offering dual narrative tours, initially to Israel and Palestine. They have added tours to Sarajevo, Belfast and Washington D.C., travelling with guides from both sides of conflicts, able to tell the history from the perspective of their community, and with opportunities to meet with people from both sides of the divide. Over 1.5 million people have viewed Aziz Abu Sarah’s Ted Talk – take 5 minutes to watch and listen, it is inspiring.
October 2023
Managing Overtourism
Overtourism is now covered in mainstream media. Monica Pitrelli writing in CNBC quotes Tatyana Tsukanova, “They just come, take a nice selfie, publish them on social media, increase the popularity of this place … and leave.” Local authorities are deploying fees and fines and demarketing. Amsterdam has cracked down on coach buses, tourist shops, new hotel openings and Airbnb-style home rentals, according to the Guardian. It’s also considering banning cruise ships and moving the city’s famous red-light district out of the city center." In April they launched a travel campaign in April telling some visitors – namely young, male British tourists — to “stay away” if they’re traveling to the city for drugs or parties. In Hallstatt in Austria, the villages built a screen to remove a view which attracted way too many tourists following its appearance in a South Korean television series, following an online backlash the screen was taken down.
In Barcelona cruise ships are being displaced to the Moll d’Adossat pier south of the city, a 30-minute shuttle bus ride from the Ramblas and they are limited to seven berthings per day, down from ten. The abandoned quay will be redeveloped as public space. Euronews has a useful review of all the ports clamping down on cruise ships.
Milan is experimenting with banning of late-night sales of food and drink. Milan’s Mayor Giuseppe Sala said “This idea of the 24-hour city in which there are no opening hours, always open, no longer convinces me so much,” according to Italian news agency Ansa. “I believe that cities should also rest like us humans and have timetables that are a little more suitable for everyone,” he continued
Airbnb in Brussels, "Landlords must now provide evidence to show they meet several criteria, including fire safety certificates, criminal record checks, and urban planning stipulations over building use. Buildings classed as “residential” may not be rented out for more than 120 days a year (30 days less than the average Airbnb, which is rented for 150 days each year according to research by KU Leuven). Owners who breach the rules will face penalties of up to €10,000." Airbnb has objected that the rules are disproportionate and the regulations "will continue to be detrimental to many families in the Region, who depend on this additional income to make ends meet. We hope to work with parliamentarians on rules that, rather than complicating it, make life easier for Brussels families who occasionally rent out their accommodation,” Airbnb suggests that "The revised draft ordinance is unlikely to be in line with the new European framework for the regulation of short-term rentals in the European Union which should be adopted before the end of the year”.
In Japan, there is overtourism on the sacred Mount Fuji, the famous “floating” torii gateway to the Itsukushima Shrine receives millions of visitors every year. At the torii gateway, its custodians are introducing a small tax to fund maintenance. With marketing efforts and improved transport links, Japan plans to spread tourism to benefit more communities. Kyoto has promoted a code of behaviour for tourists."～To maximize your appreciation and enjoyment of Kyoto～" There is one for businesses too "～To develop your business while maintaining good relations with the local community～" more
There are limits to growth in tourism
Tourism Taxes - Euronews has the list
Edinburgh is planning to introduce a visitor levy once the necessary permissive legislation passes nationally. The money raised would have to be spent on "facilities and services substantially for or used by persons visiting the area of the local authority for leisure purposes".Edinburgh Council's priorities for spending the extra revenue would be waste, cleansing and improvements to public areas and green spaces.
Iceland: "Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir said that a tourism tax could help combat the impact visitors have on the country’s climate and environment."
Amsterdam: "the city authorities confirmed a tax rise on hotel stays from 7% to 12.5% in 2024. In real terms, this means a hotel costing 175 euros a night would now set a guest back by 191.80 euros – an additional 6.65 euros compared to current prices and taxes.,the tax for cruise passengers will increase from €8 to €11.
July 2023
Tourist Go Home!
Forbes headlined on 31 July: Tourists Go Home! Fed Up With Over-tourism, European Hotspots Impose Bans, Fines, Taxes. "Literally overrun by tourists, a number of the most iconic destinations have become unlivable for local residents and overcrowded, unsafe and uncomfortable for visitors." Florence is now banning short-term private vacation rentals in its historic centre. Amsterdam, attracting more than one million tourists on average each month, has voted to ban cruise ships from entering its main port and mounted a "discouragement campaign". Mayor Femke Halsema explains that they are trying to discourage visitors from taking a “vacation from morals,” and control the tourist influx and the disruption they bring. City spokesperson Carina Noordervliet told Forbes. "The discouragement campaign is targeted at a group of people who in general don't contribute to the city in a positive way." More
In Uttarakhand local government has been analysing the causes of overtourism and developing solutions. "Investing in infrastructure development is essential to accommodate the increasing tourist influx. Upgrading roads, building sustainable accommodation facilities, improving waste management systems, and enhancing public transportation are crucial steps to alleviate the pressure on existing infrastructure. Additionally, implementing carrying capacity limits in popular destinations can help regulate visitor numbers and ensure a better experience for everyone." "Empowering communities to participate in decision-making processes, supporting community-based tourism initiatives, and raising awareness about responsible tourism practices can help foster a sense of ownership and ensure that tourism benefits are shared equitably." and "Educating tourists about the importance of responsible tourism is crucial in addressing overcrowding issues. Promoting responsible behavior, respecting local customs and traditions, minimizing waste generation, and preserving the natural environment are key aspects that tourists should be aware of."
June 2023
Overtourism, a Tragedy of the Commons
There is a symbiotic relationship between the travel and tourism service providers and the destinations. Too often, the relationship is one of parasitism – the tourist and tourism service providers benefit at the expense of the other species, the hosts. Responsible Tourism aspires to develop mutualism where both hosts and guests benefit, and the host is not harmed.
Overtourism, parasitism and the Tragedy of the Commons
Airbnb
Tourism Taxes
UK tax authority launches crackdown on holiday let owners. The HMRC has sent ‘nudge’ letters to those it believes have not declared income from short-term rentals, about 1,000 according to the Financial Times. The FT reports that "About 127,000 individuals in the UK declared ownership of businesses for furnished holiday lets in their tax returns in the 2019-20 tax year, the latest year for which data is available. Arrival reports that "HMRC’s scrutiny comes as the holiday rentals market has grown rapidly in recent years, helped by the preferential tax treatment of short-term lettings compared with traditional buy-to-let rentals."
Bhutan plans to lower tourism tax for visitors who extend their stay ... " until the end of 2024, tourists paying the daily rate for four days will be allowed to stay an additional four days. Tourists paying the 12-day fee can stay for a full month." Last year, "it increased its sustainable development tax to $200 (183 euros) per visitor per night, up from the $65 (59 euros) fee, which lasted for about three decades."
May 2023
Short-term Lets are more profitable than longer-term rentals
Houst offers owners of buy-to- lets - the opportunity to earn 56% with average occupancy rates of 83.1% and now having managed 370,000+ bookings. "Our tried-and-tested flexible lettings strategy combined with a smart pricing algorithm maintains high occupancy while achieving the best nightly rate possible. ... Optimising the letting cycle allows our hosts to earn more money than traditional long-term letting or doing it themselves. You can sit back knowing our team is able to fill void periods, legislation is being followed, and that your account manager is taking advantage of higher rates (up to 300% more) for your holiday lets during the peak seasons."
Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar, Member of the European Parliament, argues that Short-term Rental (STR) has assumed, throughout Europe .. a very relevant role in the reconstruction and recovery of the historic centres of cities, contributing substantially to their hotel capacity. In short, it was an important driving force for towns and the tourism sector. more
Tourism Taxes spread further
Wales is planning to give local authorities powers to impose a tourism tax, Manchester has announced plans for overnight guests in city-centre hotels to be charged an extra £1 per night, per room. In an article in Telegraph Justin Francis is quoted on the case for tourist tax: "... tourists are essentially temporary residents who make use of public services such as water, waste management, and public health and safety without paying for them..“Tourists also enjoy nature and landscapes, street life and culture, architecture and other things supported by local communities, often without making a direct contribution to their conservation. In short, there is a hidden cost to tourism that must be met." Tom Jenkins, executive director of the European Tourism Association (ETOA), argues that they can be counter-productive, asserting that "tourism taxes are generally a misnomer, as they do not tend to take money from tourists but from those local companies who invest in supplying the service which is being taxed. “They have the added side effect of discouraging overnight visitors (who in general pay more), and encouraging day visitors (who pay less)."
April 2023
Whitewashing Overtourism
TimeOut recently reported on eleven “travel destinations that want tourists to stay away.” They reported: “Mass tourism is back, but these spots are fighting against the rising tide.” Last month's RT News reported many examples too.
The concept of overtourism has been with us since at least 2008 when it appeared in an integrated coastal zone management paper about Vietnam. Rafat Ali, who claims that Skift coined the concept, wrote on Skift earlier this month that “The phrase “Overtourism” did its job since we coined it in 2016. Now it’s time to move on for more nuanced solutions.” Ali that its purpose was alarmist and “inducing fear wasn’t a side effect, it was the intent…” Ali is right. The concept “is reductive and doesn’t bring out the nuanced solutions that are required.” He refers to O’Regan’s argument that it demonizes tourists, whereas the focus should be on managing tourism to make it sustainable. Before Skift had even mentioned the concept, Barcelona was studiously avoiding demonizing tourists. There are now a host of different tried and tested ways of managing tourism to avoid overtourism, just as there are a host of tried and tested ways of treating different kinds of cancer. Overtourism exists, it is a problem that needs to be addressed destination by destination. We cannot expect to remove overtourism by ceasing to use the word. We need to apply the tried and tested solutions and manage tourism better. more
African safaris so overcrowded that animals are being run over
In Hawaii, on Maui, locals are stewarding locals-only days and in Italy, the Mayor of Portofino is reported to have introduced a no-loitering rule in two 'red zones' with €275 fines for loitering in selfie hotspots in an attempt to put an end to "anarchic chaos".
Tourism taxes are spreading
Back in January euronews.travel published a list of places where travellers could expect to pay to enter in 2023, it is a very long list.
In Manchester, a City Visitor Charge will mean people face an extra £1 per room, per night. The money will be used to help to run large events, conferences, festivals, marketing campaigns and for street cleanliness. The tourism tax is expected to raise £3m a year to "enhance" visitors' experience.
The Scottish Tourism Alliance has published a local visitor levy manifesto presenting the industry's views
In Indonesia, tourism and Creative Economy Minister, Sandiaga Uno, spoke to the press about the possibility of a tourism tax in Bali which was “currently being studied”.
Following a public consultation in Wales, the Welsh government is proceeding with legislative proposals to enable local authorities to raise a visitor levy in their areas.
"The consumer research found that most Welsh residents surveyed agreed that tourists should contribute towards the costs of maintaining and investing in the destinations they stay in, with support stronger among Welsh residents surveyed who live in areas with lots of tourism.
The research also showed that when introduced to the concept of a ‘visitor levy’ in a place where they go on holiday or in their area, respondents to the survey were more positive than negative – 45% were positive, and 25% were negative." Welsh Government written statement.
'That is why we will be introducing a visitor levy in Wales. We want to bring about a sense of shared responsibility between residents and visitors, to protect, and invest in, our local areas'Rebecca Evans MS and Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru
March 2023
Addressing Overtourism
Lanzarote attracted 2.5 million people, or 17 times its native population in 2022. Emma Beaumont reports Brits are too grotty for Lanzarote in the Telegraph that tourist bosses in numerous destinations are discouraging tight-budget UK travellers - and it's class-based. more And in The Times "Brits are too grotty for Lanzarote" María Dolores Corujo, head of Lanzarote’s local government, has declared the island "a “tourist-saturated area” and that they want to “reduce dependence on the British market”. The objective is to move away from mass tourism and to attract those who spend more in the destination. Annabel Fenwick Elliott wrote a piece in The Telegraph "It’s true – German tourists are superior to the British" She reports that "according to the Spanish Tourist Office, the latest stats for Lanzarote show holidaymakers from the UK spend an average of €34 (£30) per day, compared to €27 for Germans", although the Germans stay longer. more
The President subsequently reiterated her view that the island’s tourist capacity had reached its limit and it had to prioritise a “rational and lasting development based on quality”.But she insisted, in an open letter in the island newspaper La Voz de Lanzarote: “It’s categorically false that in Lanzarote we do not want British tourism or that we want to reduce the numbers of British tourists. .... “In Lanzarote we are also lucky to have an excellent long-time resident British community, a community that is sensitive to the environment and involved in caring for and defending sustainable development for our island. “We share our island character with the British and that makes the existence of limits in an insular, fragile and small territory like ours very well understood.” more in the Evening Standard
Venice has postponed its day visitor tax again, "initially scheduled for January 16, 2023, will not become effective until 2024. The exact date has yet to be specified."
Balearics: Iago Negueruela, tourism minister of the Balearic Islands, told Lonely Planet. "Our islands have so much more to offer
than sun and beach, and we encourage tourists to visit outside of high season to experience our cultural, gastronomic and active offerings, thus spreading the flow of tourism throughout the year."In 2022, the islands brought in a ban on creating new hotels and other tourist accommodations (apartment rentals included) until at least 2026. Existing accommodation can now only extend or refresh its current buildings by 15% and always with the condition of reducing the number of beds by 5%. In Mallorca's capital Palma, Airbnb-style tourist apartments have been banned since 2018. Formentera (the go-slow Balearic sister still only accessible by ferry, off Ibiza's southeast coast) has been limiting vehicle access during high season since 2019. From mid-June to mid-September, non-Balearic visitors who want to drive a car or motorbike here must apply in advance for a permit and, if approved, pay a daily tax of €3 (minimum €15 total) or €1.50 (minimum €7.50 total) respectively; electric vehicles are excluded, while hybrids get a 50% discount. Menorca is now also considering a similar scheme that could begin as early as this summer, as part of the new Menorca Reserva de la Biosfera law approved in January 2023. more
Majorca: Back in November, Director of Tourism Lucia Escribano said the island was "not interested in having the budget tourists from the UK." The government is preventing any increase in bed numbers, effectively capping arrivals. Juan Ferrer, President of the Palma BeaLa Pelosach Quality Offensive, told the German newspaper Bild: "Holidays will be around 33% more expensive in 2023 than in the previous year".: For the next two years, Palma’s port will limit cruise ships to three per day.more
EU: The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias), is expected to be implemented in November 2023. This new visa system will apply to people visiting the EU. President of the Spanish tourism group, Mesa del Turismo, Juan Molas, has called the fee a “threat”, stating it risks undermining the country’s tourism sector. In a statement following its first General Assembly of the year, the board said: “The Tourism Board is especially concerned about the impact of this tax on British tourism, our main issuing market with 18 million arrivals in 2019. more
Thailand's Cabinet has approved a proposal by the National Tourism Policy Committee to charge a tourism fee of 300 baht (US$8.80) per person from international travellers who arrive in the country by air. For travellers who arrive by land or sea, the fee is 150 baht per person,
Sardinia: From June 1st to September 30th access to the La Pelosa beach will be limited in order to protect the environment and prevent erosion. The price is valid for one day and includes the use of toilets and showers. Each user can buy up to 8 tickets per day at €3.50, for adults, children are free.
Skye: Using sensors located at key sites across the island to track the movements of people and vehicles, the MySkyeTime app – inspired by similar technology in use in Barcelona, Amsterdam and Yellowstone Park - will provide live updates to alert visitors as to when best to visit popular places.
In Monterey, California, the council voted 3-2 to terminate city services to process disembarking passengers. Ships will continue to be allowed to drop anchor in the bay and take guests to the shore via tender. However, cruise lines will have to hire staff at the port to process passengers at the city's public dock.
February 2023
Overtourism: Amsterdam, the Balearics and Venice
Residents have been complaining that because of the tourist nightlife, the city has become uninhabitable. In addition to restricting cannabis smoking (see 5 below) Amsterdam City Council additional measures are being introduced: sex workers will have to close their establishments by 3 am, restaurants and bars will only work until 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays, and tourists will not be allowed to enter the city’s old district after 1 am. a ‘Stay Away’ campaign will be launched in the spring at the initiative of the city council. Its aim is to discourage tourists who only visit the capital for the purpose of using drugs, drinking alcohol, and having sex.
In the Balearics, the government is planning to impose a limit of 16.5 million tourists per year, in 2022 Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza welcomed 16,475,579 tourists in 2022. It remains unclear how these limits will be enforced, the government is prioritising quality over quantity. The Supreme Court backed Palma's ban on tourist apartment lets. The town hall justified its measure based on the high cost to rent in Palma and on the fact that it was a city experiencing great housing pressure because of tourist letting. The tourism minister, Iago Negueruela, has said: "We believe that it is feasible to have more occupancy with fewer tourists. Despite the theories of those who bet on quantity versus quality, it has been shown that we are going in the right direction." The 2022 number "is a maximum that should not be exceeded but should tend to decrease". "There must be a clear trend towards the reduction of tourist accommodation places." There is opposition: Antoni Riera, the director of the Fundació Impulsa private-public body for Balearic competitiveness, is reluctant to set a ceiling. "No one knows the actual carrying capacity of the islands. One cannot speak of a number, although the social and environmental impact that it has is undeniable. The important thing is to forge a tourism vision that hasn't been defined yet." more There is a campaign growing to reclaim the centre of Palma from 'touristification'.
Venice was planning to introduce an entry fee for day-trippers from January 16th. In July last year that announced that day-trippers would have to book their visit to the lagoon city online from Jan. 16 and pay between 3 and 10 euros ($3 and $10) for a pass in an effort to control crowd numbers. This had now been delayed for at least six months. There are reported to be some 2000 small vessels abandoned in the lagoon - and no plan to remove them. more
