In the age of Instagram-worthy landscapes and affordable flights, travel has become more accessible than ever before. But this rise in global travel has given birth to a serious problem: over-tourism.
Popular destinations are buckling under the strain of millions of visitors each year, leading to environmental damage, cultural disruption, and deteriorating local quality of life. It’s clear that our wanderlust comes with consequences, and now more than ever, we need to be mindful of our impact as tourists and embrace responsible travel.
What are the consequences of over-tourism?
Over-tourism occurs when a destination experiences excessive numbers of visitors, far beyond what its infrastructure, environment, or local community can sustain. This has profound implications for both the natural landscape and the cultural heritage of the area.
Fragile ecosystems are often the first casualties of over-tourism. Coral reefs in places like Thailand’s Maya Bay and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, for example, have been damaged by uncontrolled tourism, with boat anchors and sunscreen pollution contributing to coral bleaching. Hiking trails in places like Machu Picchu or Mount Everest suffer from erosion, litter, and human waste due to overcrowding.
Below: Australia’s Port Douglas beach, northern Queensland, close to the Great Barrier Reef.
Over-tourism can also erode local cultures. When mass tourism takes over, destinations can lose their unique cultural character, replaced by commercialisation and catering to foreign tastes.
As part of our upcoming programme Transformational Travel, ITN Business spoke to Eduardo Santandar, CEO of the European Travel Commission (pictured below).
“One of the things that we are noticing more and more in tourism is that there is a social component,” says Eduardo. “Social sustainability is something that’s happening now, with regards to social rejection of tourism. In some places we see that it’s creating tensions in the economy.”
Take Venice, for example, a city that attracts over 20 million visitors annually. The tourist hot-spot has seen its local population dwindle as tourism dominates the economy, making it difficult for Venetians to sustain their traditional way of life.
Machu Picchu, one of the world’s most iconic archaeological sites, has faced severe issues from over-tourism. The Peruvian government has had to impose limits on the number of daily visitors to protect the site from damage. Even so, locals in the surrounding areas have raised concerns that economic benefits from tourism are not being evenly distributed, with large tour operators profiting the most, while local communities struggle with the impacts of overcrowding and environmental degradation.
Popular destinations across the world also face immense pressure on infrastructure, from transportation to waste management. Barcelona and Amsterdam, two cities often cited as suffering from over-tourism, have struggled with overcrowded streets, air pollution, and housing shortages driven by short-term rental demand from tourists.
Image: Nostalgic retro red tram on Istiklal Street, a popular tourist destination in Istanbul.
Of course, the majority of travellers want to protect the planet, and preserve the beauty and health of ecosystems and communities — and fortunately, we can each play a critical role in addressing over-tourism. By making conscious decisions and being mindful of our footprint, we can help preserve the very places we love to visit.
“There is a growing interest in sustainability in general,” says Eduardo — a trend reflected in the sharp rise in online reviews that mention sustainability, which has quadrupled since 2018. “When people are commenting on their social channels and leaving reviews, [they’re now mentioning] things that are being done to make things more sustainable.”
Key to the conversation is how to incentivise people to travel off-season, to lesser-known destinations, or to extend the length of single trips as opposed to taking lots of mini-breaks, Eduardo explains. “How can we incentivise people to stay longer, stay local, pay local and consume local?”
The role of responsible travel
What exactly does it mean for a tourist to be more sustainable or ‘responsible’ when visiting places, and what are some of the behaviours we can adopt?
- Choose less popular destinations
While it’s tempting to visit iconic landmarks, consider exploring lesser-known spots. Opting for under-the-radar destinations not only reduces the burden on popular sites but also allows you to discover hidden gems with fewer crowds. For example, instead of joining the throngs in Dubrovnik, Croatia, why not explore lesser-known coastal towns like Trogir or Šibenik?
- Travel off-peak
Touring outside the high season is another way to help relieve the pressure on destinations. Off-season travel reduces crowding, spreads tourism revenue more evenly across the year, and often provides a more relaxed experience. Destinations like Santorini, Greece, are almost unbearable during the summer but offer tranquility and beauty in the shoulder months of spring and autumn.
- Be respectful of local cultures and communities
When visiting new places, it’s essential to respect local customs and traditions. Learning about a destination’s cultural etiquette and engaging with local artisans and businesses helps preserve its cultural heritage. Avoid contributing to the commercialisation of sacred or historical sites, and support local communities by spending money on locally owned accommodations, restaurants, and tours.
Below: The Peruvian historical sanctuary, Machu Picchu.
- Minimise environmental impact
Reducing your environmental footprint while travelling can make a significant difference. Choose sustainable accommodation options, avoid plastic waste, and be conscious of water and energy usage. Many eco-friendly hotels and resorts are designed to minimise their impact on the local environment. Additionally, consider your mode of transport; whenever possible, use public transportation, rent bikes, or even walk to reduce carbon emissions.
- Educate yourself and spread awareness
One of the most powerful tools in combating over-tourism is education. Understanding the impact of your travel decisions helps you make more responsible choices. Educate yourself on the challenges your destination faces and spread the word to other travellers. By raising awareness, you help foster a culture of responsible tourism.
COMING SOON – TRANSFORMATIONAL TRAVEL launches on World Tourism Day, 27 September 2024.
ITN Business will produce news-style programme, ‘Transformational Travel’, launching on World Tourism Day, the 27th of September 2024. The programme will showcase how the sector is changing to meet net zero targets, the impact responsible tourism has on maintaining biodiversity, and the technologies and innovations that are redesigning the customer expectation and experience.
OVER-TOURISM FACTS & STATS
- In 2019, over 30 million tourists visited Barcelona, a city of 1.6 million people
- Over 900 million tourists travelled internationally in 2022
- Cities such as Barcelona, Amsterdam and Venice are among the worst destinations for overtourism
- France is the European country with the highest number of international tourist arrivals
The future of travel: A more conscious and holistic approach
Many destinations are now taking steps to manage visitor numbers. From limiting entry to popular landmarks to implementing taxes and sustainable tourism policies, the global push for more responsible travel is gaining momentum. Real change will of course come with behaviour change, as travellers adopt a more mindful approach to exploring the world, but businesses and organisations, together with governments, are central to this change.
COP29, taking place in November 2024, will for the first time feature tourism as an official theme, as part of the broader climate discussions. This marks a significant moment for the travel and tourism industry, as its environmental and social impacts will be addressed as part of the broader climate action agenda. The inclusion of tourism acknowledges the sector’s growing contribution to global carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation, but also its potential role in promoting sustainability.
The introduction and development of frameworks for measuring impact, not just of environmental sustainability, but also social sustainability and governance (often referred to as ESG – Environmental, Social, and Governance metrics) also reflects strides towards addressing the challenges of over-tourism.
These frameworks offer a holistic approach to understanding the multifaceted impacts of tourism, extending beyond the ecological footprint to include the wellbeing of local communities and the governance structures that manage tourism practices.
