Overtourism
[1][2][3][4] This definition shows how overtourism can be observed both among locals, who view tourism as a disruptive factor that increasingly burdens daily life, as well as visitors, who may regard high numbers of tourists as a nuisance.
In rural areas of Latin America, environmental concerns were the key driver for rising discontent and social campaigns against tourist real estate developments.
In Mexico and Central America vehement protests were triggered by tourist real estate speculation alongside the exploitation of workers, and even dispossession or displacement of local residents.
[11] 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.
[15] 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.
[11] Airbnb and similar online accommodation services have been accused of triggering an increase in tourists due to lower prices, compared to hotels or other establishments.
[19] 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.
[24][25] 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.
[22] The province of Prince Edward Island is visited by millions of tourists every summer, putting strains on the local infrastructure and housing supply.
[31] Local advocacy groups have called on the Provincial Government to put a cap on the volume of tourists to prevent overtourism.
[43] 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.
With the rapid growth, there is also a lack of infrastructure on the island to fully support the increase in tourism, alongside an already present population.
[22] 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.
The government of Florence is currently seeking to ban new short-term rental properties in the city's historic center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city's administration argues that the increased availability of short-term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb, which cater to tourists, have made housing inaccessible for local residents.
[55] In response to a surge in foreign tourists at Mount Fuji, Yamanashi Prefecture has set a cap of daily climbers at 4,000 people and began charging an entrance fee of ¥2,000.
[56] Also in Yamanashi Prefecture, a mesh barrier was set up to block a view of Mount Fuji behind a Lawson convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko popular with photographers due to tourist-caused disturbances in the area.
[57] Tokyo's Shibuya ward restricted Halloween and New Year's Eve gatherings at Shibuya Crossing (which had not been held since 2019 due to COVID-19 and safety issues) in 2023 due to issues with public intoxication caused by overtourism, and introduced an ordinance in 2024 which prohibits public alcohol consumption from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. year-round (expanding from late-October and late-December).
[35] Amsterdam instituted a daily tourist tax in 2019,[64] eliminated official tours of the Red Light District in 2020,[65] and launched a "Stay Away" marketing campaign.
[35] Sintra suffers from long queues, pollution, traffic, and a lack of grocery stores and pharmacies due to receiving 5,000 visitors a day for attractions such as Pena Palace.
[67] 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.
"[67] 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.
"[67] 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.
[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.
[77] 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.
'[81] 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.
