#overtourism

#overtourism

When my husband and I were deciding where to go on our minimoon, we thought the Cotswolds would be perfect. The rural area to the west of England is known for its quintessential countryside charm: brown stone cottages, cosy pubs, and rolling hills. We'd both visited a few times and enjoyed it. But when we found ourselves struggling to move for tourists with selfie sticks (apparently still a thing) and paying £16 ($22) for a coffee and a very disappointing grilled cheese, we realized the area might have become a victim of its own success.

"We know that 80 percent of travelers visit just 10 percent of the world's tourism destinations and we recognize that we have a role to play in influencing that. The selection criteria for our Not Hot List reflects an approach to tourism that we've long championed," Erica Kritikides, the general manager of experiences at Intrepid Travel, said in a statement shared with T+L.

With life's unpredictabilities, planning a trip a year in advance may seem like too much. However, one could argue that it's precisely because of these uncertainties that a good plan, and buffers against any last-minute hiccups, are needed. Getting a head start on an itinerary, and having enough time for preparation, research, and contingencies are absolutely necessary-especially when you're embarking on some of the most remarkable (often, once-in-a-lifetime) travel experiences that the world has to offer. There's no time to be wasted.

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Last summer, Spain's Balearic Islands launched one of Europe's toughest crackdowns on alcohol-fuelled party tourism. In popular resorts such as Magaluf in Mallorca and Sant Antoni in Ibiza, tourists spilled out of bars at dawn, clutched cheap bottles from late-night shops, and treated entire neighbourhoods as giant open-air nightclubs. Local people were fed up. Noise complaints, violent brawls and clashes between residents and intoxicated tourists became routine.

When Olivier Baroin moved into an apartment in Montmartre about 15 years ago, it felt like he was living in a village in the heart of Paris. Not anymore.Stores for residents are disappearing, along with the friendly atmosphere, he says. In their place are hordes of people taking selfies, shops selling tourist trinkets, and cafés whose seating spills into the narrow, cobbled streets as overtourism takes its toll.

Overtourism has become an increasing concern for popular vacation destinations in the post-pandemic years, as an overwhelming influx of visitors to Instagrammable hot spots puts pressure on local infrastructure and communities.

The judge in Madrid ordered the closure of 10 tourist flats, citing illicit activities that inflicted psychological damage on a neighboring family and violated their privacy rights.

Spain has become a victim of its own success, with the golden visa program ending and locals concerned about housing affordability due to an influx of expats.

“We end up getting a lot of the blame, especially in city centres but the reality is overtourism is really driven by hotels,” said Theo Yedinsky, Airbnb's VP.

Travelers to Europe, mark your calendars. On June 15, activists across southern Europe will protest against tourism, highlighting its negative impacts such as overtourism.