Hotspots around the world are struggling under the weight of “over-tourism”, which threatens massive destruction of local environments and communities.
Tourists are responsible for large quantities of single-use plastics that pollute beaches and threaten wildlife, and souvenir hunters have been known to break off pieces of endangered coral to keep as memorabilia.
While traffic and overcrowding are well documented side effects of tourism, Szumilo says intense pressure on hospitals and public transport from tourists can also strain resources, leaving public services unable to cater for locals.
Szumilo highlights the impact of holiday homes on local communities. Often empty for most of the year, second homes can reduce supply for locals, limit economic growth and raise house prices.
“When we talk about travel and tourism, we think about beaches, holiday resorts, and iconic sceneries,” says Marina Novelli, professor of tourism and international development at the University of Brighton.
“We tend not to think about space politics, social justice, gender equality, poverty alleviation, environmental management or the impact that epidemics or conflicts may inflict on destinations.”
Last month, the picturesque city of Bruges announced it would stop advertising day trips, limit the number of cruise ships docking nearby and shift docking times to ease the weekend rush.
The Unesco world heritage site has experienced a 28% rise in tourism in the past two years, with the mayor, Dirk De Fauw, doubting the city’s ability to cope with mounting numbers of tourists. “We have to control the influx more if we don’t want Bruges to become a complete Disneyland here,” he says.
Last year another Unesco world heritage site, Dubrovnik, announced limitations on cruise ships. After overcrowding in ancient alleyways, outdoor tables were also restricted, and new crackdowns were imposed on street vendors catering to swathes of tourists.
Following in the footsteps of popular Majorca, Rome – which hosts 15.2 million tourists annually – recently announced restrictions on antisocial tourist behaviour. The measures include a crackdown on drunk and disorderly conduct and a ban on shirtless sightseeing.
After causing structural damage to picturesque bridges around the world, love padlocks – attached by romantic partners – are also coming under new regulation.
Bridges in Paris have already begun their removal, with the deputy mayor saying “they spoil the aesthetics of the bridge, are structurally bad for it and can cause accidents”.
Hardly the best omen for relationships, but perhaps the only way to save the City of Love.
However, these targeted measures may not be enough. Milano says that to meaningfully change the tourist industry, we first need to change the way we understand it.
“Tourism is generally only measured in the number of international arrivals, but we need new indicators and a new set of measures of tourism,” he says. “For example, do we have gender equality in our tourist industries? Why are men always executives? Are jobs in tourism decent? What about the liveability of local residents? It’s a question at a political level about how we define and understand tourism.”
