What Is Overtourism: Is Tourism Killing Tourism?
Why We ALL Must Rethink Travel Now
Overtourism, an issue that has once again gained significant attention in recent weeks, refers to the detrimental impact of too many tourists in popular destinations around the world. Tourism overwhelms a destination when the number of visitors surpasses the carrying capacity of a location, leading to many negative consequences for the environment and local communities. Pollution, water scarcity, rising home prices, wildlife decline, coral reef destruction, cultural exploitation – the list goes on. Yes, there are economic benefits from tourism – but who benefits, and how much, clearly needs to be addressed.
The Vastness of Overtourism’s Negative Impacts
Hundreds of people gather on a beach in Europe.
One of the most pressing issues associated with overtourism is its negative impact on the environment. Mass tourism strains delicate ecosystems, leading to pollution, greater carbon emissions, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss. Popular attractions often bear the brunt of this environmental degradation, with overcrowding leading to erosion of natural landscapes and disruption of wildlife habitats.
Beyond its environmental impact, overtourism also impacts local communities and culture. Massive amounts of tourists can result in the commodification of culture, where traditional customs are exploited for commercial gain. Many residents are facing displacement in their own cities, as property prices soar due to the increase of short-term rentals such as Airbnb and mass tourism development pushing them out of their neighborhoods, leading to gentrification and loss of community identity.
The burden of infrastructure costs and resources is another serious consequence of overtourism. Popular tourist destinations often struggle to accommodate the influx of visitors, leading to overcrowded streets, overwhelmed public transportation, and increased pressure on basic necessities such as water and sanitation. This strain not only diminishes the quality of life for residents but also detracts from the overall visitor experience.
Moving Forward...More Quickly
Let’s face it, destinations all have a carrying capacity. Pouring masses of people into neighborhoods or natural areas is detrimental to local residents and tourists. No one wins. Many destinations are implementing policies, such as Amsterdam’s initiative to restrict cruise ships; European cities, including Venice and Athens, Greece, are limiting or dispersing crowds; other destinations like the Galapagos Islands and Aruba are increasing tourist taxes; and Copenhagen’s recent campaign to incentivize responsible travel. While every action counts, the travel industry as a whole must step up now, take more immediate action, and rethink how we conduct business, market destinations, and serve our communities. These fragile places cannot accommodate these pressures.
However, we must be careful not to just recreate the same problems elsewhere. The places we send travelers to are places where people and wildlife call home. We are guests in their spaces. We must ask what they want from tourism as a starting point and treat them as important stakeholders in our business - or we don’t have a sustainable tourism business model.
Tour guide, Jenny Ceballos, welcomes a group of tourists at a community center in Achiote, Panama.
Encouraging, or better yet mandating, more sustainable travel can reduce the friction between residents and tourists, so destinations can better mitigate the negative impacts of the number of tourists in so few places. At Tourism Cares, we have long had a community-first stance when it comes to serving the people and places of travel. From our Meaningful Travel Program to grantmaking to sustainability workshops to education, there are numerous resources out there for travel professionals and tourism organizations to make a positive change. The options are vast, and the impact can be great. It is time to stop waiting and start taking action on overtourism and other issues.
Europe’s most iconic cities, the world’s most beautiful beaches, the plains of the Serengeti – desperately need local officials and the tourism industry to form a clear strategy, in consultation with its local people, about what a place wants or needs from tourism. Anything less is going to kill a sense of place. And our business.
Helping Your Sustainability Journey
For sustainable travel resources, check out the following resources:
Check out the Future of Tourism Coalition toolkit for more information on destination stewardship, climate action, metrics + measurement, and supply chain.
Visit the Meaningful Travel Map to source a comprehensive list of vetted, sustainable organizations, experiences, tours, and more, often located in rural or less traveled areas. Destinations can join the map to highlight impact partners in their own communities and further connect them to the travel trade.
Take a course on Tourism Cares’ online Meaningful Travel Platform and learn more about broad topics like “Sustainability 101” or go into deeper topics like Nature Positive Tourism, DEI, and Destination Stewardship.
Tourism Cares members can make a Sustainability Help Desk appointment, where they have a 1:1 consultation with a Tourism Cares staff member to tackle any questions they may have about where they are with their sustainability journey.
Ask for help! Tourism Cares can connect you with peers, other sustainable travel organizations, and resources to help you on your sustainability journey.