Over-tourism Positive Impacts and Solutions

A popular idiom in Russian to describe a crowded place is “there's no room for an apple to fall” (or “яблоку негде упасть”) (Stacked Exchange), which also refers to the idea of over-tourism. As I mentioned in my last post, over-tourism is a growing global problem that is caused by human activity. Large masses of people continue traveling to a particular destination, damaging natural ecosystems, increasing waste, and causing the escape of residents. Despite the displeasure of overcrowding, most residents still recognize tourism’s contribution to the income and the city’s standard of living. Nevertheless, over-tourism is a serious problem that needs to be acknowledged and taken care of before its consequences become irreparable. So, should we stop over-tourism? If so, what should we do to avoid contributing to over-tourism?

Besides the negative social, cultural, and environmental impacts of over-tourism, there are also some positive economic impacts. According to “Exploring the Socio-Spatial Inequalities of Airbnb in Sofia, Bulgaria,” Airbnb benefits from a high concentration of official tourism accommodation and tourist attractions. Additionally, mass tourism has increased job opportunities, better services, and a higher quality of life for the locals as the tourism industry becomes more developed. A high travel demand causes an increase in supply. Otherwise speaking, the excessive presence of tourists requires more workers, better services, and well-maintained tourist attractions to provide for them.

The growth of Airbnb and tourism has positive economic impacts on local cities. Ten millions of travelers have chosen Airbnb in order to experience the cities not as tourists, but as locals. Specifically, 79% of travelers want to explore the neighborhood and 91% want to “live like a local” (“The Economic Impacts of Home Sharing in Cities around the World”). Airbnb gives you the ability to stay longer and spend more in diverse neighborhoods. Besides the unique experience, Airbnb also benefits local economies by supporting residents and local businesses, and encouraging cultural exchange. I agree that Airbnb has become popular over the last decade. In my opinion, staying at Airbnb helps save money, contribute to the residents’ income, and increase the wealth of the community. Additionally, you can experience the culture and daily life in these cities, which makes traveling become beneficial and educational.

Although the tourism industry has positive influences on our world, travelers, and cities, the excessive growth in tourism damages natural ecosystems, overwhelms local economy, contributes to high living costs, and pushes out local businesses. In addition, over-tourism diminishes the unique feeling of a destination (“Over-tourism and its Impact on the Environment”). Typical tourism-focused businesses, such as clubs, bars, and souvenir shops overwhelm and replace local businesses. Local goods become expensive because tourists will pay more. Instead of stocking everyday goods needed by locals, stores stock products for tourists. These impacts can drive out local residents, lessen the tourist experience, overload the general infrastructure, cause damage to nature, and threaten the culture and heritage of a place. I agree with this idea that just like humans, destinations can only handle a limited number of tourists. The massive influx of tourists in these small cities all at once could overwhelm the destinations, people, and damage the sites.

In my opinion, over-tourism is something that needs to be addressed and prevented by city governments so that everyone can be aware, plan, and take action before it’s too late. Amazing places do not have to close, instead they should limit the number of tourists, steer the focus on other destinations, and reduce demand in peak periods. As travelers, you can avoid the tourist hotspots, travel at off-peak times, respect the environment and people, and increase the quality of travel. In addition, you can raise awareness, telling your families and friends to make a change and promote sustainable travel. Coming together as a community we can make a positive impact, protect the planet, helping to end over-tourism effectively so that you can rest and enjoy your vacation without worrying about the crowd or damaging the destinations.

As for me, I like to travel and check out popular tourist destinations as well. However, I often change my mind and try to avoid contributing to over-tourism by avoiding the crowds and traveling at off-peak times. Doing so helps to prevent over-tourism and to prove to other travelers that they can also make a positive impact by considering a slower and more thoughtful approach to travel. I personally believe that by getting everyone to change their travel patterns, we can make a change, heal the Earth and make it a better living place for nature and humans.

Due to Covid-19, a ban of non-essential travel and shelter-in-place orders have been established, popular destinations have gone from over-tourism to no tourism. The Earth is now thriving without humans in the way. It took a virus to slow down our lives, bring people back together, and end the growing global problem of over-tourism. Nevertheless, once the public health crisis improves and restrictions are lifted, we all will be ready to travel again. Therefore, it’s important to be a responsible, sustainable traveler, plan and act wisely, and raise awareness on the dangers of over-tourism so that it won’t return after the coronavirus crisis.