Overtourism
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Overtourism is the congestion or
The term has only been used frequently since 2015, but is now the most commonly used expression to describe the negative impacts ascribed to tourism.[3]
Characterisation
The growth of tourism can lead to conflicts between residents, commuters, day-visitors and overnight tourists. Although much attention is currently given to overtourism in cities, it can also be observed in rural destinations, or on islands.
Overtourism is sometimes incorrectly equated with
In the
In 2017 Europe saw a wave of residents' protests in cities, including Barcelona, Venice, and Palma de Mallorca. The problems arising from overtourism began to be discussed in academic publications, but no commonly accepted definition of the phenomenon has been agreed on.[8]
Causes
Overtourism is observed mostly, but not exclusively, when the number of visitors to a destination, or parts thereof, grows rapidly in a short space of time. Also, it is most common in areas where visitors and residents share a physical space.[9] In recent years, developments within tourism and outside of tourism have increased contact between residents and visitors and made the impacts of tourism more noticeable.[10] In addition to the overall growth of tourist numbers, problems associated with overtourism have been exacerbated by the following developments:[3][1]
Enablers of overtourism
Overtourism has developed into a widespread phenomenon. Governments and destination marketing organizations are attempting to address the problem. Enablers of overtourism include greater numbers of tourists, the affordability of travel, a mindset dominated by the wish for economic growth, short term focus on tourism, the competition for local services and amenities, and lack of control over tourist bookings.[11]
There are currently more tourists than ever before in world history. In 1950 the number of international tourists was estimated to be 25 million. In 1963
Factors contributing to overtourism
The rise of low-cost carriers (LCCs), the availability of inexpensive intercity bus service, and the popularity of cruise ship travel are assumed to have contributed to complaints about overtourism. In academic literature government policy, the ambitions of service providers in tourist destinations, as well as the influence of social media are considered enablers of overtourism.[8]
Airbnb and similar online accommodation services can lead to an increase in tourists due to lower prices, compared to hotels or other establishments.[citation needed] There is also the issue of Airbnb's leading to fewer affordable housing opportunities for residents, increased rent prices, and loss of social community within neighborhoods.[15]
Examples
As of 2017, several media outlets published lists of destinations that are not recommended because of an excessive number of tourists.[16][17]
Antarctica
According to CNN, environmentalists are concerned about the effect of tourism on Antarctica, which steadily increased during the 2010s.[17]
Aruba
In Aruba, the chemical Oxybenzone in sunscreen is harming coral reefs and marine life. In 2019, a proposed law called "Choose Zero" was introduced, which includes a ban on importing, selling, or distributing single-use plastic products and products containing Oxybenzone.[18][19]
Austria
Hallstatt, in 2020 had 780 citizens and more than 10,000 visitors a day, primarily arriving via tour bus, stopping briefly for photographs, and moving on quickly.[20] In 2020, the town implemented a system to limit entry of buses.[21][22][23]
Bhutan
Bhutan instituted a US$200 to US$250 charge per day for tourists because of overtourism concerns.[17]
China
The Great Wall of China has been damaged by overtourism.[24]
Croatia
Dubrovnik became so overtouristed by 2017 that UNESCO considered removing it from the World Heritage Site list.[17] The city capped the number of visitors allowed to climb its ramparts and as of 2017 was planning to limit the number of cruise ships that could dock.[17][25] In 2020 they were considering limiting the number of new restaurants allowed to open.[26]
Ecuador
The Galápagos Islands were included on Fodor's 2017 list of places not to go because of environmental damage caused by overtourism.[24] As of 2017 visitors are required to hire a guide.[17]
France
In Paris, workers at the Louvre went on strike over what they said were dangerously overcrowded conditions.[27]
Greece
In Santorini, cruise ship visitors have been capped at 8000 per day due to overtourism[17] after years in which the island of 15,000 residents was receiving up to 18,000 tourists per day.[26]
Germany
The Zugspitze has been plagued by overtourism, especially because of day trippers arriving via gondola.[28]
Hawai'i
In
Iceland
The Fjaðrárgljúfur area was closed after the music video for Justin Bieber's I'll Show You made it so popular the government needed to improve infrastructure.[26][30] Over all there is a challenge that Iceland has been facing around protecting their environment with the increase in tourism to the country. Overuse of natural areas can cause long-lasting and possibly permanent damage to vegetation, soils, and the landscape. An influx of visitors can also cause congestion which can harm the experience. With the rapid growth, there is also a lack of infrastructure on the island to fully support the increase in tourism, as well as the already present resident of the island, causing other issues such as traffic on roads that can be difficult to travel.[31]
India
In 2019, the Taj Mahal started fining visitors who stay more than three hours.[32] CNN in 2017 called the crowds "relentless."[17]
Indonesia
Bali was, in 2020, planning a US$10 tourist tax.[26]
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan is the most toured part of Iraq, especially during Newroz. Tourists come from all around Iraq and the world for Newroz. In Duhok, 3 people were arrested for planning to burn 200 tires for the Newroz fire in 2022.[33][34] In Akre, a city famous for its Newroz celebrations, some locals decided to burn wooden torches instead of tires.[35]
Italy
Venice has faced declining population because of overtourism.[23] In 2019 Forbes called it one of the "most notably overtouristed destinations" in the world.[36] CNN in 2017 called the crowds "overbearing."[17] The city in 2018 tested the use of turnstiles in St. Mark's Square to control the number of visitors.[23] In 2020 the daily tourist tax was US$11.[26]
Capri in 2018 tested ways to limit day tourism.[23] Cinque Terre had 2.5 million visitors in 2015, and local authorities sought to limit visitors to 1.5 million in 2016, but a backlash resulted in this being walked back.[17] CNN in 2017 said that day tourists from cruise ships, who tour for a few hours and don't spend money, are blamed for environmental damage.[17] Officials in Rome made it illegal to sit on the Spanish Steps, with fines of up to US$448, due to damage caused by tourists.[17]
In the 2010s Pragser Wildsee became an area of overtourism, receiving up to 17,000 visitors on a single summer day in 2020; as of 2023, there were vehicle access restrictions.
Japan
Kyoto officials as of 2019 had instituted a US$92 fine for tourists taking photographs of geishas without their permission.[20]
Nepal
Mount Everest has become so overtouristed that climbers die of altitude sickness because of the delays caused by overcrowding.[36] As of 2020 the Nepalese government was planning to limit permits to those who had climbed another Nepalese peak 21,325 feet (6,500 m).[26]
Netherlands
Amsterdam instituted a daily tourist tax in 2019 [37] and eliminated official tours of the Red Light District in 2020.[38]
Peru
As of 2019, Peru limits visitors to Machu Picchu to 5000 per day, but UNESCO believes the limit should be halved.[36] Starting in 2014 foreign tourists were required to hire a guide.[17] In 2020 the site was planning to issue 5,940 tickets per day, which is more than twice the 2,500 UNESCO recommends to preserve the ruins.[26]
Spain
In Barcelona, protesters have demonstrated in tourist beaches and other tourist-heavy neighborhoods and anti-tourist graffiti has appeared.[17][39] By 2013, 9,000,000 visitors were touring Park Güell annually, and officials limited entry to the park to 800 an hour.[39] The New Yorker said, "Park Güell’s shift from a shared public space into a cultural zone occupied almost exclusively by tourists is understood by some worried residents of Barcelona as a story about the prospective fate of the city itself."[39] According to Albert Arias, a geographer with the Barcelona government, the selling of tickets was “a very bad solution,” that "is acknowledging a problem by fencing off public space.”[39] Airbnb has contributed to overtourism, with in some sections of town experiencing a 45% decline in resident population between 2007 and 2019 due to investors purchasing properties to use as short-term rentals via the platform.[39]
By 2017 tourism had become a top concern among city officials, with a survey showing 60% of residents believed Barcelona had "reached or exceeded" its capacity to accommodate tourism.[39] In 2020 Barcelona was planning to limit cruise ships.[26] In April 2020 a proposal for radical change in the organisation of the city, the Manifesto for the Reorganisation of the city after COVID-19, was published in Barcelona, signed by 160 academics and 300 architects. The Manifesto is radically critical towards the touristification and commodification of the city, proposing to: "eliminate cruise ships", "maintain the current dimensions of the airport", "stimulate touristic degrowth", and "eliminate any investment to promote the 'Barcelona brand'".[40][41][42]
Other overtouristed areas in Spain include Mallorca and Alicante.[27]
Thailand
United Kingdom
In Scotland, the Isle of Skye advised visitors not to come unless they had overnight lodging booked.[17]
Vietnam
In Hanoi in October 2019, a train had to make an emergency stop because of tourists on the tracks taking selfies.[20]
Taking action against overtourism
In September 2018, the World Tourism Organization (
- Increase the physical dispersion of crowds among different attractions within a city/destination;
- Increase the temporal dispersion of tourists (e.g., by encouraging off-season visits);
- Promote new and special-interest itineraries and attractions;
- Make effective use of regulations on tourism;
- Tailor activities to specific segments of the tourism market;
- Ensure that the communities and residents benefit from tourism;
- Create experiences beneficial to both tourists and residents;
- Expand infrastructure;
- Involve local residents in tourism policymaking;
- Communicate with tourists about the potential impacts of tourism on communities;
- Use data to monitor and respond to problems related to overtourism.
The consultancy firm McKinsey & Company suggests that to prevent overtourism one must focus on four priorities:[44]
- Build a comprehensive fact base and update it regularly.
- Establish a sustainable-growth strategy through rigorous, long-term planning.
- Involve all sections of society—commercial, public, and social.
- Find new sources of funding.
In addition, systematic public-relations and communication is essential.[citation needed] Goals, measures, successes and failures of local tourism management must be made transparent to the inhabitants so that all relevant institutions become involved.[citation needed]
Criticism of the phrase overtourism
There is no agreement as to when the phrase was coined and by whom. The first known use of “over-tourism” was in a 1986 article by Max Börlin in 1986 where he noted that Like over-fishing, over-tourism can deplete the natural resource on which tourism depends, with resulting heavy hidden costs.[45] Other scholars point to an article by journalist Freya Petersen in the Sydney Morning Herald on December 15, 2001.[46]
However, overtourism only became a widely used phrase in 2016, after it gained significant momentum after a Skift, travel industry news and research company, article. Skift's use of the term brought global attention to a growing problem of perceptions of excessive tourism, sparking conversations about how to manage tourism more sustainably.[47] In 2018, following greater use of the word, Oxford Dictionary named ‘overtourism’ as one of its 2018 Words of the Year. This followed a campaign from the The Daily Telegraph for the word to be recognised in its annual list.[48]
When Michael O' Regan, PhD, a lecturer of tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University, posted an article[49] he wrote about why we should stop using the word "overtourism" and the issues he sees with its usage in 2023, Skift wrote an article entitled 'It Is Time to Ditch the Phrase 'Overtourism.'[50]
Rafat argues that: "There are an increasing number of professionals pointing out 'overtourism' is not a useful analytical concept for measuring mismanagement and directing attention only towards tourists, rather than facilitators of tourism, such as policymakers and license providers. Destinations are trying to move beyond overtourism and look for other ways to talk about complex tourism issues without just blaming tourists for all the ills."
Dr. O'Regan argues that overtourism is made up word, or a discursive formation, like "immigration crisis" or "welfare dependency", which frames tourism as a crisis or threat, and fuels debates over border control, degrowth and management of tourists.[51] Based on a twitter social network analysis, O'Regan found the #overtourism network is held together by a small number of experts, who play a key role in presenting, distributing and circulating information about the topic.[52]
See also
- Congestion pricing
- Conspicuous consumption
- Conspicuous leisure
- Departure tax
- Ecotourism
- Hotel tax
- Impacts of tourism
- Luxury tax
- Pop-culture tourism
- Price discrimination
- Sumptuary law
- Sustainable tourism
- Tax incidence
- Tourist trap
- Tourist tax
- Tragedy of the commons
- Urban vitality
- Veblen good
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