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They did a great 16 page special on overtourism/ destination mismanagement. I am quoted across a central aericle.
“For different destinations, overtourism often means different things, but generally speaking, people are latching on to the fact there is too much of something,” Michael O’Regan, lecturer in Tourism at Glasgow
Caledonian University’s School for Business and Society, told Big Issue.
“It’s a shorthand word for people’s perception there is overcrowding of tourism in their destination.”
The word overtourism has only been used in recent years, but O’Regan said it’s been going on for much longer. “There have always been mismanaged destinations, always been people complaining about too many tourists.” What made the latest surge in tourism feel completely overwhelming was the sharp contrast to the lack of tourism during the pandemic.
“For two or three years, residents lived a very different lifestyle without tourists, and suddenly, there were massive amounts of tourists again,” he said. “It has been a shock.” This year tensions escalated as the number of tourists returned in pre-pandemic levels. In Barcelona, there was backlash from locals angered by water management problems, skyrocketing house prices and drunken tourist dramas.
Although the Spanish protests tookcentre stage over the summer, several other countries scrambled to find solutions as residents raised their concerns about impacts of overtourism. But for the most part, tourists aren’t the problem – mismanagement is, according to O’Regan.
“The term overtourism over-simplifies things and points the fingers at tourists as the instigators or invaders. That they are the perpetrators turning local people into victims. But it’s mismanagement of the destination that causes these issues.” O’Regan doesn’t believe the solution to overtourism is to turn tourists away.
“Many of these cities have been places of international commerce, trade and migration for hundreds of years,” he said. “And tourism brings a lot of benefits. But with it, there also comes issues.” And these “issues” should be addressed by local governments. Airbnb use could be restricted, hotel development halted, nightlife licensing tightened, tourism taxes charged, and infrastructure improved to benefit both locals and tourists. There are countries already using some of these measures to reduce the
impacts of overtourism.
Visitor access to popular destinations like the Acropolis in Athens or Machu Picchu in Peru has been capped. The Colosseum in Rome and Louvre in Paris require tourists to book in advance. Venice introduced a citywide entrance fee for day-trippers. Amsterdam closed its cruise terminal and “demarketed” itself as a tourist destination. Florence banned new short-term private holiday rentals in the historic centre. Portofino now fines tourists lingering in viral Instagram spots. “But many destinations don’t have any strategies,” O’Regan said. “They don’t know what they’re going to do next summer. It’s up to these destinations to create a five- or 10-year strategy for tourism.” And the incentive for action, other than protecting its resources and locals, is that without a plan to curb the impacts of tourism, visitor numbers could drastically reduce, impacting the economy. If a destination becomes too crowded or expensive, people will look to travel elsewhere. Although authorities hold the bulk of the responsibility for overtourism, tourists themselves can play a part in reducing the impacts of overtourism.
Responsible tourism is a term coined to encourage tourists to create better places for people to both live and visit. Instead of diminishing the quality of life for locals, a responsible tourist will travel, sleep, eat
and wander in a way to minimise negative impacts on locals. It could be travelling in off-season months, or visiting unknown sites outside of the city centre, and using money to support local guesthouses, restaurants and tours. “A lot of tourists want to do the right thing,” O’Regan said. “They want to be sustainable. They are generally not swarming around like an army destroying places. But despite wanting to do the right thing, they have no idea how.”
For example, he said if a tourist wants to stay in a hotel or eat at a restaurant, how will they know if it is locally or foreign owned? If it is benefitting the local community or not? “National authorities could do a lot more to develop certification systems, to support local businesses, and help tourists find those businesses,” he said. “Tourists are looking for information but there is nowhere to get it.”
For the majority of the world, tourism remains a force for good, bringing joy and cultural experiences to tourists and economic growth to countries. With planning and the right regulation, tourism can be done in such a way that locals and their homes are protected even when they face large number of visitors.
