Posted: 9/6/2018 | September 6th, 2018
Years later, I returned to the scene of the crime: Costa Rica. It was in that country that I first fell victim to the travel bug, a disease that would infect me for the rest of my life and lead me to where I am today. There was no place I was more excited about revisiting than Manuel Antonio National Park. Its wild jungles, deserted beaches, and bountiful animal life was the highlight of my first visit and I couldn’t wait to relive it all in this seaside town.
But then wonder turned to horror.
The quiet road to town was lined with endless fancy resorts. Hotels lined the park’s edge. Tour groups cluttered the once peaceful park. They fed the wildlife. They littered. The abundant troops of monkeys had vanished. So had the colorful land crabs. No deer roamed. And the beaches were a sea of bodies.
It was my first experience with seeing a destination shift into “overtourism.”
Overtourism is the term used to describe the onslaught of tourists who take over a destination to a point where the infrastructure can no longer handle it.
While not a new problem (that trip to Costa Rica was in 2011), this “trend” has been in the news a lot the past few months (heck, there’s even a Twitter feed about it) as many destinations have started to push back against the onslaught of visitors inundating their streets, communities, and overtaking their natural resources.
“Stay home!” they scream to visitors. “You’re no longer welcome!”
I believe travel can change the world. Done right, it expands people’s minds, fosters understanding, makes you a better you, and provides an economic boost to local communities.
But, thanks to cheap flights, the sharing economy, and (let’s be honest) an explosion of Chinese tour groups around the world, destinations have gotten a bit crowded lately.
I see it everywhere I travel these days.
There’s the Palace of Versailles, where years ago, I was able to film a video free of crowds. Now, it’s wall-to-wall tour groups slowly shuffling from room to room in the most insane queue ever. Its hard to even enjoy the experience!
There’s Tulum, once a quiet Mexican town, now awash with Westerners trying to turn it into the new Bali (which is also overrun with tourists and where “digital nomads” can float from yoga studio to cafe to retreat to wherever without ever actually having to interact with locals). There’s Iceland, where Reykjavik’s main street, complete with a Dunkin’ Donuts, is now a sea of people, and the city’s roads are cluttered. (Don’t even get my Icelandic friends started on this subject. They are none too happy about all the tourists.)
There the crushing crowds in Prague, Barcelona, Paris, Venice, Edinburgh, the Gili Islands, Ko Lipe, Chiang Mai, and Queenstown, where tourists are overrunning locals, acting idiotically, and littering.
Sure, crowded destinations are simply a by-product of a globalized world where travel has become attainable for more and more people. The number of international tourist arrivals is expected to increase by 3.3% worldwide each year until 2030 when it will reach 1.8 billion. And, on balance, that’s a good thing if you believe in travel as a transformative tool.
Yet the very things that make travel cheaper — budget airlines, Airbnb, ridesharing, etc. — have also made destinations unable to cope with all the visitors — and pushed out locals in the process.
Now they are starting to push back.
Barcelona is no longer allowing new hotels and is limiting the number of cruise ships. Dubrovnik is floating the idea of putting limits on the number of tourists. Chile is curbing the number of tourists to Easter Island and how long they can stay and Ecuador is doing the same for visitors to the Galápagos. Venice is trying to restrict Airbnb and the number of tourists (after restricting cruise ships). Paris is also restricting Airbnbs in the city. Iceland wants to limit the number of foreigners who buy property. Amsterdam is launching a campaign to reign in the partying in the city. Majorca has had continuous protests against tourists.
The world is saying “enough!”
And I, for one, am all for this.
Of course, I don’t think people intentionally try to “ruin” places. No one is saying, “Let’s go overcrowd Iceland and piss locals off!”
Most people just don’t even think of their actions causing harm.
Which makes education and these initiatives even more important.
Because there definitely needs to be a better balance between visitors and residents. Overtourism doesn’t help anyone. No one wants to visit a crowded destination – and no one wants to live somewhere that’s overrun with tourists.
While no one is talking about banning tourists outright, there should be better ways to control their numbers and the problems overtourism causes.
Take Airbnb. It’s one of the biggest problems in travel today (which is a shame, because I love the service).
It started out as a way for residents to earn money on the side and get travelers out of the hotel/hostel dynamic and into a more “local” way of life.
But that original mission has been perverted. As rentals have become more lucrative, Airbnb has turned a blind eye to the fact that real estate companies, property managers, and other individuals can list as many properties as they want. These companies, tapping into tourists’ desire to have a home away from home, buy up properties in the city center, which then decreases the supply of rental properties for locals, increases rental prices, and forces residents out.
Driving locals out defeats the purpose of using the service! Too many town centers have been decimated by Airbnb. While a man’s home is his castle, I do believe there should be some restrictions on Airbnb because it’s driving people out of city centers. That’s not good for anyone, especially the locals who live there and, since Airbnb won’t do anything about it, local governments need to step in and start cracking down. Personally, I’ve started to only rent rooms in an Airbnb (instead of an entire property) so I know there’s a local there benefiting from my stay.
“But what about social media?” you may ask.
One can’t deny that YouTubers, Instagram “influencers”, and bloggers like myself have helped popularize travel and made it more accessible to the masses by destroying the myth that it’s an expensive thing only a few can do. We’ve shed light on destinations around the world and gotten people to visit places they might not have otherwise.
I don’t feel bad about that.
More people should travel.
And there’s always been the idea of that travel media “ruins” a place. The Lonely Planet effect. The Rick Steves effect. The Bourdain effect (which I experienced first hand since he came to my hometown).
I mean people have been opining about mass tourism for decades. Once it’s in the Lonely Planet, a place is dead, right?
But social media has an amplifying effect that didn’t exist in the past. It makes it easier for everyone to find – and then overrun a destination.
Do I really think my one article on (insert destination) created a crush of people like there is some Nomadic Matt effect? No.
But social media and blogging leads one person to a place and then another and then another and then suddenly everyone it taking a picture of themselves with their feet dangling over Horseshoe Bend, sitting on that rock in Norway, or having breakfast with giraffes at that hotel in Kenya.
Everyone wants to do what they see on social media so they can tell all their friends how cool and well traveled they are.
This is also one of the downsides of the Internet. For me, travel is an act of discovery – and respect – and we constantly talk about being a respectful traveler but, for many influencers and bloggers, they don’t balance their actions and influence with responsible travel (I mean you had Fun for Louis rationalizing his North Korea propaganda movies) and try to educate their audiences to become better, more respectful travelers.
After all, we are as much a part of the solution as we are part of the problem. There are ways to mitigate your impact and create a mutually beneficial relationship between you and the local population.
Here are seven ways I think we can help mitigate the overtourism crisis:
1. Skip Airbnb homes – Airbnb is one of the biggest villains in this whole drama. Don’t rent an entire Airbnb home unless you can be 100% sure that you are renting from a real human who is just on vacation. Look at the photos, talk to the host, ask them if they live there. If this is a rental company or the person has multiple listings, skip them. Don’t contribute to the emptying of communities. Rent a room instead!
2. Spread your travels around – Don’t stick to the most popular areas in a destination. Travel outside the city center. Visit the smaller neighborhoods. Get out into the countryside! Getting off the beaten path not only means fewer tourists but also spreading the benefits of your tourism around. There’s more to Italy than Venice, more to Spain than Barcelona (seriously, nearby Costa Brava is amazing), more to Iceland than Rekyavik, more to Thailand than Pai, more to everywhere than where everyone is posting photos from! Get out there and find those hidden gems!
3. Visit in the shoulder season – A corollary to the above is to not visit during peak season. If you visit a place when everyone else does because “it’s the best time to go,” you’re just contributing to the crowds (plus facing peak-season prices). Travel during the shoulder season, when the crowds are fewer, the prices lower, and the weather still (mostly) nice.
4. Don’t eat in touristy areas – If you eat where all the other tourists are, you’ll pay more for lower-quality food. Open Google Maps, Foursquare, Yelp, or your guidebook and find restaurants where locals eat. Follow my five-block rule: always walk five blocks in any direction and cross the invisible line most tourists don’t. You’ll get away from the crowds, spread your tourism dollars around, and enjoy a more authentic experience.
5. Be an informed traveler – Read up on the destination before you go. Learn its customs. Learn its laws. Learn its history. The more respectful and knowledgeable you are, the better it is for everyone involved!
6. Don’t be a drunk idiot – Part of the growing pushback against tourists is not just their sheer number but their disrespectful behavior too. Heck, that is part of why the folks in Amsterdam are upset — they’re tired of drunk tourists! If you’re going someplace just to party, don’t go! You can get drunk back home. Don’t treat a destination like it’s your playpen. People live there after all! Treat them with kindness. You’re a guest in their home.
7. Be environmentally friendly – Finally, don’t waste a place’s (limited) resources. Don’t leave the lights on. Don’t litter. Don’t take long showers. Don’t involve yourself in environmentally dubious activities. The more you can preserve a destination, the longer it will last and the more the locals will want tourists like yourself there. After all, if you ruin it, how will you ever be able to go back? Here are some resources on the subject:
- Is eco-tourism really eco-friendly?
- How to balance tourism and the environment
- How to ethically volunteer anywhere in the world
I think we’re going to see a lot more destinations limiting the number of visitors and placing restrictions on the travel industry. People are just fed up – and they have every right to be.
Let’s not love places to death. Just like it’s important to protect animals and the environment when we travel, so too is it important to protect residents and the destinations themselves.
Do I think lots of tourists are suddenly going to go “Oh, I didn’t realize we were doing this! Let’s change our ways!”?
Nope.
I think tourist behavior will, for the most part, continue as before. I think tourists are still going to act stupid. I think people will still be short-sighted.
But I’m glad this subject is being talked about. I’m glad there is more action around the issue.
We’re the cause – and part of the solution – to this problem and, the more responsible we act, the better it is for everyone involved.
Overtourism is a problem that can only be solved by residents and tourists together.
Photo Credit: 2
Veronika Primm
It’s such an important topic and I’m glad it’s being talked about more and more. I live in Prague and there’s actually no reason for me to go to the Old Town during summer, it’s something you just don’t want to do.
Yet I still write blog posts on Prague.. so while I write on other destinations in the Czech Republic too, I don’t think we can expect people coming to the Czech Republic for the first time and skipping Prague.
But even the tourism board is aware of this and trying to make things better. E.g. banning segways that were becoming dangerous in the congested areas of Old Town was a step in the right direction, I think. Even though it didn’t make the Segway business owners happy. These decisions are so complex and one influences another. Change is happening, though, and that’s a good thing.
Karen
In this day and age, I think not everyone should travel. Oh yes let’s be honest, aside from cheap flights, guidebooks, and sharing economy, glorified travel bloggers (mostly westerners who have the privilege to travel) have done their part too. Let’s stop washing our hands, shall we? I see way more white Millennials traveling, misbehaving, and feeling entitled than ever. Try to put this in a perspective of a local whose place is being exploited however difficult. I’d rather see exclusive tour groups who have the capacity to pay the real value of of nature’s beauty, those who don’t exploit, those who don’t save their money in order to travel the world and blah, and those who can really pay local people’s wages. Massive cheap tourism (backpacking) is unsustainable. If one can’t afford to travel, then please help the world and ease the pain of the locals by not traveling. It is no longer our problem if these sad, young travelers have some unhappiness problems in their own societies. They’ll spend a lot of money for a year or two trying to be poor or trying to copy the real happy people.
NomadicMatt
Backpacking has always been a thing. I don’t think it’s backpackers specifically nor is it a Western problem. There are a plethora of articles on Chinese tourists behaving badly I could link to. It’s a global problem!
Lori
I am a single mother in an extremely conservative area of the US. If we had waited until we could travel “comfortably”…, my adult children would have a completely different world-view than they now have. Traveling has influenced everything they do, from the environmental, political and cultural, to their educational choices, how they eat and what they wear. They all work in industries that positively impact our world, and I attribute it all to a broader worldview.
Adam
“My previously undiscovered spot is now a tourist destination.”
Talk about a non-problem.
The world is getting richer, and people who have new found money want to experience the world through travel. This is a good thing and brings together a more globally connected community.
If you don’t like the crowds why don’t to go exploring and try to find some new ‘undiscovered’ spot.
Chris
I think you completely missed the point, Adam.
The article isn’t just about his desire to visit undiscovered places, it’s about overcrowding having negative effects on those places for EVERYONE — specifically the locals. Just read any of the articles he linked to. The locals are getting fed up with overcrowding. That’s the real issue here.
Chadwick
It’s not about Matt being unable to revisit nice places.
It’s about how over-tourism is destroying the nice places.
I agree with you that travel generally is good, opens the mind, makes us better people etc. But once the mass tourism industry gets involved, the very thing that attracts people to visit is replaced by the infrastructure necessary to cope with all the visitors.
NomadicMatt
As others have said, I think you’ve missed the point Adam!
Angela
Having just returned from Paris and Versailles, I could relate to this article. It is so thoughtful and well said! Thank you!
Renuka Walter
Seriously, over-tourism is ruining all good places! I have recently been to Chitrakoot Falls in Chhattisgarh, India, which is known to be the “Niagra” of India. It is an amazing site! But, I can clearly see the touristic elements at the sight – the fencing, the hotels, resorts, shops and what not! Plus, there’s no provision of sufficient trash-bins in the vicinity. Tourists tend to throw plastic bottles, and other trash carelessly wherever they want to.
I wish I had visited it a few years earlier when it was raw and lesser-known.
Chadwick
I’ve experienced this in Iceland and Santorini. I visited Santorini 10 years ago, and was able to walk around with a tripod and take pictures without getting in anyone’s way. Last year, that was impossible. And yet you could still go just a little off the beaten path and find beautiful, quiet, unspoilt areas. Perhaps it was photographers like me who have encouraged others to visit, and then the mass tourism operators simply respond to the demand.
Iceland, same thing. Two years between visits saw fences, carparks, barriers, signs (do we really need to be told not to poo on the land?!) erected. Places I had visited the first time were now simply roped off because there were too many people for it to be safe. The Icelanders are familiar with their landscape. They know that if it looks dangerous, it probably is. But the influx of uninformed tourists are used to dangerous things being fenced off – if there’s no fence, it must be OK. Likewise, the Icelanders are brought up to respect and preserve the natural environment. Tourists don’t share this culture. In any case, a tiny path that previously catered for only hundreds of visits a year is obviously going to suffer when it has to handle thousands.
That’s just two examples from first hand experience. I try to travel out of high season (it’s so expensive!) and stay away from the tourism centre. Ideally I’ll stay longer in a place, so I’m not just rushing around tourist sights, but can spend time having a coffee in a quiet backstreet. It’s not always possible, but I feel I’d like to do something to still travel but not be part of the marauding horde.
NomadicMatt
“do we really need to be told not to poo on the land”
Sadly, yes!
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Lane
I do think all travelers are part of the problem, even if we take actions to mitigate our impact. Traveling outside peak season is extending peak season into what used to be shoulder season and shoulder season into what used to be off season. And no matter where we stay, the more of us that visit, the more new places to stay will be needed. But Matt, since we’re not all going to start staying home, your advice is spot on. I would add one addition: take fewer photographs, and especially cut back on the selfies and use of selfie sticks. Make your photographs about the things you see, not about you. And stay out of the way of others so they can appreciate the things they came to see.
Jim
This is a great post, addressing an important topic, especially for US citizens. My wife and I recently took a Baltic cruise–never again. We were embarrassed to be part of the overwhelming of Old Town Stockholm and the beauties of Helsinki and Tallinn. It’s terrible when several huge cruise ships converge on a lovely city, dumping thousands of tourists in them all at the same time. We’ve found, too, that when we rent an AirBnB apartment, it’s more fun to stay in one away from the city center and commute in on mass transit, where locals are usually delighted to help us find our way and give us helpful hints about things to see. Shopping in neighborhood markets for food to cook for ourselves enables us to get to know people in the area. In Copenhagen, we were surprised when locals assisted us in finding the tastiest yogurt and bread and translated unfamiliar Danish words for us, seeming to take delight in helping a newcomer in “their” supermarket. Don’t be a tourist, try to be a student of the local culture! The people are more important than the sights.
Shandos
My husband and I visit UNESCO World Heritage sites and we regularly come across comments that listing of sites often leads to unsustainable levels for tourists. But while many overtouristed sites are UNESCO World Heritage listed (Dubrovnik, Venice, Angkor Wat), there’s so many sites that receive hardly any visitors at all. It’s definitely worthwhile trying to visit lesser visited destinations, as well as some of the bigger destinations (that are deservedly famous).
We also try and stick to your other guidelines, except for the one on Airbnbs. We know that Airbnbs have a negative impact on many cities, but as we’re travelling with our dog, who often reacts to the noise of other people in a shared apartment, we choose whole apartments when possible. That being said though, as we often travel by car and don’t want to stay somewhere noisy, we often stay outside of the touristy city centres.
Allen
Interesting. I am in Barcelona right now and the crowds are definitely quite large. Some locals in outer alleyways definitely seem unamused that another tourist is gallivanting around aimlessly. I saw a map on the wall that was specifically for tourists and it was covered by a spray painted stencil that read “stop mass tourism!”. I felt the same way in chefchauen. Locals who where just trying to go about their daily lives had to push through the swaths of tourists.
Amelia
This is definitely an article – and I’ve read other similar ones – that is going to hit the nerves of some people. But it’s totally necessary.
I think the real core problem. In the entire range of problems this encompasses. Is that once informed, travellers do NOT listen, and do NOT take action.
A guy I was Facebook friends with, who was going to Europe, asked about accommodation in Barcelona. Which area for an air bnb. I told him, politely, which area I had stayed in and then said that he should think about staying in a hostel or private room in a hostel instead of an air bnb. I explained how air bnb was contributing to angry locals, pushing local people out of the city due to rent hikes, and pushing business out of the city too as a result. Meaning not only are there fewer happy locals, there’s a tonne more souvenir stores where locally run businesses used to be. He noted what I said, but many don’t. There have been countless people who’ve ignored similar advice because it didn’t suit them. And THAT is how overtourism continues to be a problem. No one wants to take the responsibility to make a change.
Jacob Shirar
Do you happen to know if Costa Rica has “bounced back” at all since your visit in 2011? It certainly is a thought provoking issue but I really am unsure what the answer may be.
Rob
No one wants to get sick on the road and the time-honored advice is not to drink the water in many countries. That leads to folks buying and throwing away many plastic bottles of water. Don’t! Buy a filter or sterilizer and travel with a reusable water bottle which you can fill from a sink and sterilize. Sure, some of these sterilizing devices aren’t exactly cheap, but they work for thousands of bottles of water and over the long term you get your money back by not buying bottled water. The environment thanks you.
Benjamin B.
I definitely agree that when we travel we should really focus on embracing the local culture instead of making the local culture embrace us. I went to Baja California, Mexico not to long ago and visited several of the smaller towns in the area. When our group was in the small towns, I really was able to experience the local culture of shopping at the local Abarrotes and eating at road-side taco stands, but when we were in Ensenada, I could clearly tell that it was an epicenter of tourism. The streets were lined with stores targeting Americans, and the cultural aspects there seemed almost fabricated in order to appease visitors. While many tourists like to go to an area to experience the local culture, ironically Overtourism has actually made it harder for them to get an accurate picture of the culture.
rebecca
I agree with this blog post 100%, my family and I wanted to go away during the summer but one of the reasons was because it would be way too crowded and busy. I agree with everything that you said, and i think that this issue should be addressed more often because its not an issue that most people talk/know about.
Nadia
What a beautifully written piece. I grew up in Yorkshire and lived in the incredibly popular tourist city of York.
There was a huge market for local experiences, so knowing that it benefitted the local economy definitely makes a huge difference towards how welcoming you feel towards the throngs of visitors.
Whereas one family might come and stay in a nameless big hotel, and eat at chain restaurants. Another might stay in a local Bed & Breakfast, eat their meals at the local cafes, and partake in one of the locally run ghost walks.
I really appreciate growing up seeing this as I’m sure that it makes me far more conscious as I travel myself.
Dan
This article reeks of naivety. These over touristed communities you mention have lined up at the trough to attract tourists. Now they complain when they get what they asked for. Look, I don’t like the fact that some places I used to enjoy are now over run, but there’s not much that can be done now. Banning short-term rentals (aka restrictions on private property rights) isn’t going to undo anything.
I suppose countries could stop issuing visas to Chinese nationals, but what happens when China retaliates by restricting business travel?
Chris
I think there is a ton that can be done, and just shrugging off the problem is a much more naive response. Limiting short-term rentals, having daily limits to certain areas (which is already done at places like Machu Picchu), and limiting the number of cruise ships that can visit at any one time are just 3 things that can have a huge impact on over tourism.
Destinations want tourism, sure, but they don’t want their homes to become over-crowded hubs brimming with foreigners. They don’t want tourism jacking up their own bills and rent. Finding a balance isn’t hard if people are willing to make changes. Hardly seems naive to me.
Dan
You really think that limiting the amount of cruise ships from 8 to 4 per day and banning short term rentals is going to fix this problem. Let’s take Barcelona for example, it’s not going to make a lick of difference to the summer crowds. You are just regurgitating nonsense that is being proposed by local politicians trying to appease the masses. Those same politicians are too greedy to turn away the tax revenue from mass tourism. Sure they’ll turn a way a few here and there, but it’s not going to change the atmosphere much. I really wish you could fix over tourism by just “trying”, but I think the solutions outlined here have been short sighted.
Chris
I never said it would fix the problem, I said there are things that can have a huge impact. Which I stand by.
You’re essentially saying the problem is impossible to solve, which I think is not only inaccurate but defeatist and lazy. But hey, you’re free to think whatever you want.
Sirena
Let’s just play out a scenario and then you can tell me that you don’t have a “Nomadic Matt” effect…because you do. Just accept it. You make money “inspiring” people (more like selling people) to travel. To travel cheaply. To put themselves in hostels, where yes that’s where the parties and disruptiveness normally begin.
People who can travel, even if they spend only $50/day and live in hostels or couch-surf are still privileged. I don’t care if you managed to pay off all your college debt by some miraculous reason (mommy+daddy), I don’t care if you then worked a minimum to medium wage job for a few years to save 20,000 to travel the world for a year or longer. You traveled and you are privileged. There are so many people who cannot do this, and I don’t mean lazy or unmotivated people, or people not willing to give up their Starbucks coffee to save for a trip. I mean people who are so dirt poor, they are working three jobs just to make ends meet and feed their families and hardly get to see their kids at night because they have to work so late. These people are not privileged.
So you inspire someone to save their disposable cash for a long time and then quit their “boring” day job and travel the world. You write blog posts about destinations and they see them and they add those destinations to their list. YOU are creating this. Then they go there and they are feeling oh-so-free and can do whatever they want. They are not working. They are “living” and You Only Live Once, so why not do it big in that destination. Why not have 10 tequila shots, they are after all, half the price of what you would pay at home. Why not yell in the streets and wake the sleeping workers. You don’t live there. You don’t care. You can do whatever you want. You saved the money and are on this trip and making it the time of your life. Because it’s freedom! but it turns out in the end, when the trip is over, it isn’t freedom. It’s “back to reality”
You see, you don’t think you have a Nomadic Matt effect, but you do. All of the large travel blogs do. Legal Nomads, Gary, Brooke, The Blonde Abroad, etc, etc, etc. You were probably one of the first…Not even 1/4 of the people would have known about these places if you hadn’t posted or written about it. A lot of people might not even think about going to some of the destinations if you hadn’t shown it to them. You have inspired thousands if not millions of privileged people with spare cash to travel to all the destinations that you have shown them. And privileged people typically have been sold on this idea that when you travel or vacation, you are living in a fantasy world, far far away from “real life” and you can do whatever you please. Heed every whim and fancy you have.
You have had your part in ruining those destinations and don’t you dare tell me you haven’t. You sent thousands of people there. You added to that. You and every other travel blogger out there. It’s so sad and hypocritical to see you writing about this overtourism movement that has started and will keep going. And I hope it does. I hope that other countries disallow Westerners altogether from entering the country. After all, what have we done for them? Nothing except destroy their economy and treated their environment like our playground, our trashcan, our toilet. Our governments have spilled blood to ensure that the routes of trade, military, and people are kept open to benefit their pockets and keep their citizens thinking they are satisfied.
If you do one thing, just accept who you are and what this blog is and what it does. Just be honest. And don’t insult people by writing against something that you helped get worse…
Chris
Hi Sirena,
Respectfully, I think you’re mischaracterizing the issue. Blaming all this on people like Matt and on people who stay in hostels seems both shallow and misleading. Overtourism isn’t caused by backpackers in hostels; it has much more of a correlation with cruise ships and packaged tourism. In places like Thailand, ok, you can maybe make that claim, but in most destinations (Barcelona, Venice, Wonders of the World, etc) overtourism isn’t caused by budget travellers. Are travel blogs one of the many causes? Sure, I think that’s partially fair. But there are much much larger causes out there, so I think blaming Matt (and other bloggers) isn’t the best way to go about looking at (or solving the problem). Instead of pointing fingers, why don’t we focus on solutions?
Hannah
This topic definitely needs more time in the spotlight. Over tourism, like you say has begun to take the shine of certain destinations through no fault of our own. For example, a line kilometres long to enter the Vatican City in European summer is beginning to get out of hand. We all want to travel and see new places right? Our equal rights allow us to make these decisions for ourselves when we see a new exciting place.
I don’t believe social media or the internet is fully to blame for over tourism, but as you suggested people see real people doing amazing things, not celebrities, and they want a piece for themselves, who can blame them? It’s my belief that going travelling for the photo game, is the wrong idea of what travel should be about. Immersing yourself in culture is great, shared on the internet or not! It has just become a shame that there seems to be a lack of respect for the people running the tourism industries in these over crowded places, as well as for the locals living there. Here’s hoping that creating conversation about this important topic will one day create a difference.
Amund
Found your blog when I was doing research on an article about sustainable tourism. First of all I have to say that the topic is extremely important, and most travel bloggers do not tell this story. I guess it won’t fit into your narrative if you only write about how good it is to lay on the beach in Ibiza every week.
It is not more than 3 years ago I was in Barcelona and I can just say: no charm. No charm at all. Dubrovnik…more or less the same. It has gone so far that the local inhabitants are furious for all the tourists, and that puts the local government in an incredible awkward position. Should they limit tourism and earn less money?
Luis
I can really relate to this topic as I’ve seen myself in this situation lots of times. I consider myself a well travelled person for someone my age, and every time I travel somewhere I realise that the destination where I travelled to, is much more beautiful on photos and movies, because wherever I turn my head to all I can see is tourists!!! And not in a good way, like contributing to local businesses and such, but instead, being disrespectful and loud and littering the place! As I’ve seen in France, Italy, Spain, the UK and even my home-country Portugal, many foreigners walk around like they own the place and pay more attention to what they post on social media than actually what they are visiting, and I really think that’s a shame. Another problem that comes with over tourism that I’ve experienced is the dangers tourists are willing to take when trying to take an easier/cheaper route. For example: there’s a beach in Portugal famous for its 30-meter waves (Nazaré), with a huge cliff as well, and I’ve seen people risking their safety, standing on the edge of that same cliff, just so they don’t have to wait in line to take a photo from the safe standing area, and as they did so more and more people started doing the same even after warned by the locals that the waves could drag them from there!
Freddie
Found your article when researching on the growth in tourism: This is definitely a problem that is only going to increase in the coming years. I think that the starting point when trying to address the issue has to be how does one attract “a quality” tourist – that is a visitor who will contribute to the local economy, whilst at the same time being respectful of the fact that they are visitors who are getting a glimpse for a short period of time someone else’s culture and way of life. How can they enjoy their stay without impeding the local’s way of life?
Inevitably solutions are going to come first and foremost from local councils and mayors that run a particular city or site – and these changes will come at the request of local residents. Be it banning airbnb, avoiding cruise ships, and what would likely be an unpopular move amongst tourists – putting up prices in order to detract lower spending tourists.
That could mean an increased city tax rate when staying in a hotel, or an increase in prices for attractions fees and public transportation. We are starting to see more and more the creation of a double set of prices, one for local residents and another set for incoming visitors, and this will become more and more widespread.
The end result will be that, although you might continue to find low-cost airfares to a particular destination, the overall vacation spend-cost will substantially increase.
Jennifer Melgar
Thanks so much Matt for writing about this topic! It’s true that a lot of people have realized that travel is attainable (thanks to Instagram). Heck, I learned the exact same thing from your blogs and books! I got the travel bug and learned tips that made my travels more affordable. However, it makes me sad that these destinations that were considered special and once in a lifetime experiences, have become mere shells of what they once were. Tourist have turned these destinations into amusement parks thanks to social media. Social media in general has made travel destinations more like a “selfie bucket list”. We all need to take responsibility to conserve the world and respect the locals.
stewart parkinson
This is a really vexed issue with no easy solution. I recently returned from a cruise trip , Hongkong & Japan.
Yes, I experienced the shore excursions, together with the other 3800 passengers , and the destinations were totally swamped by tourists. Nevertheless I still enjoyed the trip and dont feel at all guilty .
I appreciate the opportunity to travel in this manner . It is affordable and permits me to observe life elsewhere in the world away from home.
I would not consider going anywhere that has turned hostile or unwelcoming towards mass tourism.
Each destination has to determine its own policies towards mass tourism and strike the balance between the the benifits and undesirable consequences.
Robert G
Great minds think alike, i have friends who go only where the trend is to go, to take their photos under that specific waterfall etc. This is as you mentioned an effect from social media, i don’t get it, why does some want to look like a product ad? I hope for the future that travel will go back to where it where at latest mid 2000. I do really hope as many others, that covid19 will change the world to a more calm and peaceful world.