In order to better deal with the increasing flow of tourists, a three-euro “entrance fee” was asked of tourists to the Floating City for the first time this year. This is one example of how “overtourism,” steadily increasing around the world, might be managed. But how sensitive are travellers these days and what can they do to better distribute the burden in tourist hotspots?
Sharry Sun, avowed cosmopolitan and Global Head of Brand at the internet platform Travelzoom, presented a new study, conducted in partnership with ITB Berlin, “Overtourism and Environmental Protection: Attitudes and Behaviours of International Tourists” at the ITB Berlin Convention. Between December 2018 and January of this year, approximately 8,000 respondents from eight countries on three continents helped assess which groups recognise this phenomenon and how they try to avoid it.
“The twenty most heavily visited destinations in the world attract about as much interest as all other remaining destinations,” says Ms Sun, listing a startling number in her introduction. Instead of “overtourism,” which has a negative connotation, she introduced the phrase “overcrowded destination,” defined by a clear imbalance between supply and demand. A high number of respondents recognise this imbalance – 50 per cent of respondents believe that more must be done to limit mass tourism. “That is a high number, but it should continue to increase,” says Ms Sun. A large number of respondents are willing to pay more not only to meet fewer tourists but also to protect the environment and infrastructure. Despite the clichés, awareness of the problem is particularly high among the Chinese – likely because they are familiar with adverse effects from their own painful experience, says Sharry Sun.
Ms. Sun left the interested audience with practical recommendations to better combat the negative consequences of mass tourism: “Alternative travel is Travelzoo’s core message. This may mean seasons other than high season that should be better promoted, but also attractions in surrounding areas, outside of the hotspots.”
Dr. Robert Kluge
