**Overtourism: Causes, Consequences, and Sustainable Management – Summary Nugget**

**Definition and Drivers:**
Overtourism occurs when the number of visitors to a destination exceeds its ecological, social, or infrastructural capacity, resulting in negative effects on local communities, economies, and environments.

The phenomenon has been especially pronounced in iconic destinations, with mass tourism driven by affordability, ease of travel, and social media popularity.

Tourists’ desire to visit popular “box office” sites further concentrates impacts, while the lure of exploration – a deeply human impulse – sometimes overshadows the privilege and responsibilities inherent in travel.

**Impacts on Communities and Ecosystems:**
- **Social:** Overtourism can erode residents’ quality of life.

Rising housing costs and the proliferation of short-term rentals can “price residents out of their homes.” Iconic local sites lose their meaning as daily life is disrupted by crowds, while bad tourist behavior (e.g., at climbing hotspots) fosters local resentment.

- **Environmental:** High visitor numbers strain water and energy resources (“a long, hot shower wastes water and energy”), overwhelm waste management, and contribute further to global CO₂ emissions, especially from air travel and road trips.

Natural environments (e.g., mountain trails) suffer from erosion and pollution; congested beaches and parks diminish biodiversity and visitor experience.

- **Economic:** Tourism-generated income can help local economies, but overtourism often sees profits flowing to external investors and chain businesses, leaving “huge missed opportunities for travel to support local economies.” Balancing economic gains with residents’ welfare is crucial, as seen in widespread protests like those in the Canary Islands (“The Canary Islands have a limit”).

**Where Overtourism is Visible:**
- European hotspots, especially in the summer (local communities “struggled to cope” with the surge)
- Mountain destinations like Mt.

Fuji, where crowding not only challenges safety but also traditional practices
- Popular islands (e.g., in the Caribbean and Canary Islands)

**Mitigation and Sustainable Strategies:**
- **Policy Interventions:** Limiting access at peak times (eg.

closing gates on Mt.

Fuji), introducing tolls, and better communicating restrictions can help manage flow.

- **Traveler Behavior:** Experts advise travelers to “visit fewer places for longer,” use sustainable transport (favoring trains, direct flights, packing light), and “get off the beaten path” to spread benefits beyond overcrowded sites.

- **Support Local Communities:** Staying in locally owned accommodations and prioritizing local food and experiences strengthens economic resilience.

- **Broader Initiatives:** A global tourism coalition created at COP26 and calls for resilience funding indicate recognition of overtourism as a global policy challenge.

**Conclusion:**
Overtourism’s consequences span environmental degradation, social friction, and economic displacement.

Its management requires both systemic change (regulation, diversified tourism models) and informed traveler choices, supporting a shift towards sustainability that protects destinations, communities, and ecosystems for future generations.

**Summary of the extract on overtourism:**

Tourism has become increasingly accessible due to rising global wealth, remote work opportunities, and greater mobility among retirees and digital nomads.

The pursuit of visiting new countries and capturing the “perfect shot” has driven more people to travel for status and social media validation.

This mass movement has in some cases led to dangerous behavior and fatalities.

Destinations such as Venice are responding to overtourism by implementing measures like day-trip fees, as their cultural and natural heritage sites face threats from overuse—Venice was almost added to UNESCO’s endangered list.

The phenomenon is exacerbated by the fact that humanity’s environmental consumption is rising; so-called “Earth Overshoot Day” arrives earlier each year, signaling unsustainable global resource use.

Popular destinations worldwide, from the Maldives to Turkey, are experiencing increased influxes of tourists, putting pressure on local ecosystems and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, countries like Russia are seeing increased domestic tourism and are beginning to focus on the quality of tourism over mere quantity, exploring niche and ecotourism options that emphasize sustainability and cultural sensitivity.

Nevertheless, many new tourism products are underdeveloped, with effective, responsible messaging often lacking.

Overtourism can yield economic benefits: increased tourism creates jobs, stimulates small businesses, and acts as a form of soft power by cultivating international goodwill.

However, it also brings social and environmental challenges.

Local residents and tour operators stress the need for responsible tourism—ensuring visitors respect local customs, preserve natural environments, and minimize waste—though enforcement and awareness remain inconsistent.

Historically, mass tourism has shifted from exclusive, slow-paced experiences to fast, checklist-driven visits, with tourists now rushing to capture major sights rather than immersing themselves in local culture or nature.

This change, influenced by time constraints and the desire for instant gratification, often results in superficial encounters and a diminished sense of genuine discovery or well-being.

The psychological aspect of overtourism also emerges: a "fear of missing out" compels travelers to document every landmark, sometimes at the expense of meaningful engagement.

This mass behavior can feel like a kind of collective mania.

**Key takeaways for sustainable tourism management:**
- Overtourism is driven by economic development, globalization, social media culture, and the democratization of travel.

- Its consequences include strain on local infrastructure, environmental degradation, risks to heritage sites, and socio-cultural tensions.

- While it can drive economic growth, it demands robust regulation, awareness campaigns, and innovative tourism products that emphasize sustainability, quality of experience, and respect for local communities and ecosystems.

- The industry and policymakers must balance economic gains with responsible stewardship to protect both people and places, suggesting a need for strategies focused on diversification, education, and carrying capacity management.

**Summary: Causes and Consequences of Overtourism – Key Insights**

**1.

Definition & Core Problem:**
Overtourism occurs when the volume of visitors at a destination exceeds its capacity to cope, leading to negative social, environmental, and economic consequences.

Causes of Overtourism:**
- **Seasonal Concentration:** In cities like Barcelona, 60% of tourists visit during peak summer months, causing severe congestion, while the rest of the year sees significantly fewer visitors.

- **Focus on Quantity:** Destinations prioritizing high tourist numbers, especially budget travelers, over quality experiences exacerbate pressure on resources and infrastructure.

- **Popularity of Iconic Sites:** Attractions like the Louvre experience overwhelming crowds due to their global fame, with tourists often rushing rather than appreciating the offerings, degrading the overall experience.

- **Lack of Diversification:** Many tourists cluster around central or well-known sites, leaving other parts of cities under-visited and contributing to localized overcrowding.

- **Global Trends:** Cheap flights, social media exposure, and standardized tour packages amplify the focus on certain destinations and sights.

Social & Community Impacts:**
- **Local Discontent and Protest:** Residents often protest as their daily lives are disrupted by overcrowded streets and surging demand for housing and services.

- **Loss of Authenticity:** Local traditions, food, and crafts risk being sidelined for mass-produced or “tourist-friendly” versions, eroding a destination’s soul and cultural richness.

- **Travel Fatigue:** Tourists themselves may experience stress and dissatisfaction, rushing from site to site without meaningful engagement.

Environmental Consequences:**
- **Resource Strain:** Overtourism puts huge pressures on water, waste management, and local ecosystems, particularly in fragile destinations.

- **Climate Considerations:** The cumulative emissions from travel (especially air travel) have been declining per trip, but total emissions grow as global travel hits record highs (e.g., 1.3 billion international tourists in 2023).

- **Climate Change & Destinations:** Rising temperatures and changing environmental conditions are starting to affect the viability of some major tourist destinations.

Economic Implications:**
- **Revenue vs. Sustainability:** While tourism generates vital income and jobs, an unbalanced influx (e.g., budget versus high-value visitors) can inflate prices, disrupt local economies, and make cities unaffordable for residents.

- **Policy Shifts:** There is growing recognition among policymakers and tourism sectors for the need to shift toward quality tourism that benefits communities and supports sustainable development.

Visible Hotspots:**
- European cities (e.g., Barcelona, Paris)
- Heritage and cultural sites (Louvre)
- Key seasonal destinations

**7.

Strategies for Mitigation:**
- **Temporal & Spatial Spread:** Promoting off-peak and alternative destinations to reduce load on hotspots.

- **Slow Travel:** Encouraging tourists to stay longer, travel less hurriedly, and focus on local experiences, cultural immersion, and sustainability.

- **Local Engagement & Empowerment:** Supporting authentic crafts, local food, and community-driven tourism to maintain cultural integrity and economic benefits.

- **Policy Leadership:** Countries like Saudi Arabia emphasize sustainable tourism policies, aiming to balance economic recovery with environmental stewardship.

**Overtourism: Causes, Consequences, and Sustainable Management – Summary Nugget**

**Definition and Drivers:**
Overtourism occurs when the number of visitors to a destination exceeds its ecological, social, or infrastructural capacity, resulting in negative effects on local communities, economies, and environments.

Title:

Content: Today, on April 20, 2024, the Canary Islands are witnessing a widespread protest aimed at challenging the current development model heavily reliant on tourism. This significant event is set to occur simultaneously across all eight islands of the archipelago, as well as in various cities internationally including Málaga, Granada, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, London, and Berlin. The protests are unified under the slogan “The Canary Islands have a limit.”

Booking.com

The protest aims to reshape the development strategy on the islands, highlighting concerns about the tourism sector’s role in economic disparity and resource consumption. Despite tourism supporting approximately 40% of employment and being a primary contributor to the GDP, it’s also associated with creating inequalities and not distributing wealth effectively among the local population. This is exemplified by the Canary Islands recording their highest tourist numbers alongside their highest poverty rates in both 2017 and 2023.

Organizers clarify that the intent is not to expel tourists or eliminate the industry but to implement limits and conditions, and address governance that prioritizes economic gains over broader interests. Key issues fueling the protests include:

  1. Low Wages and High Poverty Rates: The Canary Islands have some of Spain’s lowest salaries and a significant poverty rate, affecting over 33% of the population. The islands have experienced rapid population growth, particularly in Tenerife and Fuerteventura, exacerbating these issues.
  2. Environmental and Infrastructure Concerns: Despite having numerous protected spaces, the islands face challenges such as insufficient protection agents and underdeveloped infrastructure in health, education, and sanitation. Notably, several islands struggle with untreated wastewater being discharged into the sea.
  3. Housing and Over-Tourism: The spread of holiday homes has dispersed tourists across the islands, impacting local communities by driving up rental prices and displacing residents. This issue is compounded by the government’s initiatives to attract digital nomads, further straining the housing market.
  4. Legal and Regulatory Challenges: Recent government stances on controversial tourism projects, like those on La Tejita beach and Cuna del Alma in Tenerife, have sparked outrage for perceived favoritism towards developers despite legal infractions.

The protest is seen as a venting mechanism for accumulated frustrations with the aim to initiate significant changes in how the islands develop and manage tourism. Proposals include imposing a tourist tax to fund environmental conservation, enacting a moratorium on new tourist accommodations, and establishing residence laws to curb speculative real estate purchases by non-residents.

This protest is part of a broader call to reconsider the islands’ economic models, prioritizing sustainability and equitable growth over mere economic output. This event might mark the beginning of a significant shift in policy and public discourse around tourism and development in the Canary Islands.

The Canary Islands are on track to set a new historical record for tourist arrivals in 2024, continuing a trend of increasing numbers which began in earnest following the pandemic. With official estimates indicating a potential total of around 17 million visitors for the year, this surpasses the previous high of 16.2 million in 2023. These figures are bolstered by a significant recovery in tourism since the slowdown during the COVID-19 years of 2020 and 2021.

This surge in tourism is seen as a double-edged sword. On one hand, it signifies a robust recovery and a boon for the local economy, driven by both foreign and domestic visitors. On the other, it underscores the challenges and pressures faced by the islands, particularly in terms of infrastructure, local community impact, and environmental sustainability. This has led to today’s widespread protests across the Canary Islands under the campaign “Canarias tiene un límite” (The Canary Islands have a limit), highlighting concerns over the sustainability of this growth model.

The protests reflect broader anxieties about the direction of tourism development, which, despite its economic benefits, is perceived to exacerbate local issues such as high poverty rates, environmental degradation, and the displacement of local communities due to rising housing costs. These concerns are amplified by predictions that the influx of tourists may continue to grow, particularly with the diversion of tourists from Eastern Mediterranean destinations affected by geopolitical tensions, such as the conflict in Gaza.

In response to these pressures, there is a growing call for more responsible tourism practices. Organizations like Exceltur advocate for strategies that alleviate the saturation of local spaces and services, promote more sustainable transportation options, and address the social impacts of tourism. This includes managing the explosive growth of vacation rentals, which have significant negative externalities on local residents.

The protests and the ongoing discourse represent a critical juncture for the Canary Islands, as the community seeks to balance the economic advantages of tourism with the need for sustainable development and equitable growth. The outcome of these discussions and the ability of the islands to adapt to these challenges will likely shape the future of tourism and community life in the archipelago.

Booking.com

The phenomenon has been especially pronounced in iconic destinations, with mass tourism driven by affordability, ease of travel, and social media popularity.

Title:

Content: 7 simple ways to make your next trip more eco-friendly

PHOTO: Unsplash

AsiaOne has launched EarthOne, a new section dedicated to environmental issues — because we love the planet and we believe science. Find articles like this there.

Travel is finally open again and everyone is trying to make the most of it. But while you're at it, think about how you can make your travel more eco-friendly by leaving a smaller carbon footprint behind.

Sustainable tourism is all about reducing tourism's negative impacts and maximising its positive benefits for communities, cultures, ecosystems, and the planet, both for immediate impact and for future generations to come.

Here's how to be a more sustainable traveller:

Choose a destination that values sustainability

Did you know that choosing to travel to a conservation-minded destination is one of the most important things travellers can do? As a general rule, the shorter the distance you travel from home, the lower your carbon footprint.

Likewise, destinations that value their natural and cultural heritage not only elevate the quality of the travel experience, but also greatly support the livelihoods of those who work in the travel industry.

According to the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (a measure of the country's performance on high-priority environmental issues), Denmark, UK and Finland, take the top slots respectively as the world's most sustainable countries.

Get off the beaten path

Avoid over-crowded tourist trips and look beyond the trending top 10 bucket list destinations of the moment by getting off the beaten path.

While it may be tempting to go to the more popular places that everyone else is visiting, it is usually more rewarding to go somewhere that's still less traversed and off most people's radars.

Instead of going big and expected, visit smaller cities and help spread (economic) tourism benefits to other local communities.

If you do choose to visit crowded and popular cities, consider doing so outside peak (tourist) period times.

Tip: If you're planning a cruise, opt for a small ship cruise line because they can visit smaller ports and can help alleviate tourism pressure on common cruise destinations.

Visit parks and protected areas – but be responsible

National parks, marine sanctuaries, and other protected areas play an important role in protecting the planet's natural resources and biodiversity.

Many countries rely on tourism fees such as entrance fees and operator permits to preserve these special places and help fund the conservation activities necessary to protect these areas, while also providing income to local communities.

Just remember not to litter, to stay on clearly marked trails, and to leave the wildlife alone!

Support local economies

According to The World Tourism Organisation, out of every $100 spent during a trip, sometimes as little as only $5 actually benefits the destination! This means a huge missed opportunity for travel to support local economies.

Choose to book your trip from travel and environmentally-conscious activity providers that ensure tourism dollars go directly to local communities instead of big-chain businesses.

If possible, consider visiting places that need (economical) support such as somewhere that needs rebuilding after a disaster (earthquakes, hurricane, tsunami, etc).

Travel and tourism are one of the fastest ways to recovery and travellers can help further by volunteering in environmental and social projects to help rebuild the devastated communities.

Use eco-friendly modes of transportation

It's no surprise that travel is a significant contributor to climate change, with air travel and driving making up the largest part of tourism's carbon footprint.

Though all modes of transportation require energy, some are more efficient and cleaner than others, how you get to and from and around your destination makes a difference.

Read Also
8 tips to become a more sustainable traveller in 2022

In addition to travelling slowly via trains or bicycles (the environmental impact of a bike is zero) for example, there are other ways that you can reduce travel carbon emissions.

An extra bonus: slow travel is also better for the environment since it reduces the amount of carbon emissions generated by flying or driving between destinations.

However, remember that there's no one-size-fits-all guideline for which method of transportation is best, since carbon footprint also depends on the type of energy being used. Hence the most sustainable option will vary from one destination to the next.

For instance, electric trains in the Netherlands are powered by wind energy and public transport in Luxembourg is free, meaning you can save money and help the environment by hopping on a train, a tram, or a bus instead of renting a car.

Book eco-friendly accommodations

Before booking your next trip, consider how your choice of accommodation affects the local ecosystem.

A zero-plastic policy, using renewable energy from solar panels, a rainwater filtration system, planting trees and serving local produce for meals are all good examples of a hotel being eco-friendly.

ALSO READ: Travel eco-friendly by visiting these green resorts

Limit energy use and conserve water

Everyone loves a long, hot shower after a whole day of sightseeing but give a thought to how much energy and water is being wasted like this.

Make your stay as eco-friendly as possible by conserving local water and energy resources, turning off electronics not in use, and avoiding unnecessary laundering of bedsheets and towels.

This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.

Tourists’ desire to visit popular “box office” sites further concentrates impacts, while the lure of exploration – a deeply human impulse – sometimes overshadows the privilege and responsibilities inherent in travel.

Title:

Content: Travel expert explains how to find ‘room to breathe’ in overcrowded destinations

Some of Europe's most popular destinations have struggled to cope with surging numbers of tourists this summer. Express.co.uk spoke to an expert to find out how British tourists can avoid the crowds.

“There’s more to these places than the box office tourist sites" (Image: Getty)

Whether or , some top destinations have struggled with overcrowding this summer.

As travel restrictions fade into the past, more tourists than ever seem to be heading out to explore. Unfortunately, this means some destinations have become overcrowded.

Express.co.uk spoke to Sarah Faith, senior values writer at Responsible Travel, to find out how British tourists can escape the crowds.

Sarah told Express.co.uk : “Travelling outside of peak times is one of the best ways to avoid the crowds in popular destinations. But you could also get off the beaten track a bit.

“There’s more to these places than the box office tourist sites. Find out what the locals love, explore the surrounding villages or spend time browsing local farmer, artisan and flea markets.”

Tourists have complained of crowds in Rome (Image: Getty)

Although tourists often feel pressure to tick off a destination’s top sites, they could have a more rewarding experience heading to quieter spots.

Sarah added: “You’ll have more room to breathe, and have a more authentic experience too. Plus, you’ll help spread out the weight and benefits of tourism more. A win for everyone.”

However, when it comes to getting off the beaten track, Sarah says there are a few factors tourists should consider before booking a holiday.

She told Express.co.uk: “There are plenty of quieter destinations that offer exceptional culture and landscapes.

"You can make sure your holiday supports local people by choosing locally owned guesthouses" (Image: Getty)

“It’s important though that we don’t just transfer the problems of overtourism to another place. You can make sure your holiday supports local people by choosing locally owned guesthouses rather than Airbnbs run by out of town professional hosts, eating in restaurants that serve locally sourced produce and hiring a local guide to show you around.”

While Airbnbs can be a convenient option, locals in some top destinations have complained the properties price them out of the housing market .

Sarah said: “Places like Barcelona, Venice and Dubrovnik are great to visit, but they’re people’s homes too.

“When tourism takes over, it prices local people out of the housing market, closes local amenities and erodes the local culture and social identity that made us want to visit in the first place.

“Locals might be the first to lose out from overtourism but left unchecked, it kills off the tourist experience too. It’s in everyone’s interest to tackle the problem.”

France recently launched a campaign to encourage tourists to visit some of the country’s hidden gems. Leading attractions such as .

Would you like to receive notifications from this site?

**Impacts on Communities and Ecosystems:**
- **Social:** Overtourism can erode residents’ quality of life.

Rising housing costs and the proliferation of short-term rentals can “price residents out of their homes.” Iconic local sites lose their meaning as daily life is disrupted by crowds, while bad tourist behavior (e.g., at climbing hotspots) fosters local resentment.

- **Environmental:** High visitor numbers strain water and energy resources (“a long, hot shower wastes water and energy”), overwhelm waste management, and contribute further to global CO₂ emissions, especially from air travel and road trips.

Natural environments (e.g., mountain trails) suffer from erosion and pollution; congested beaches and parks diminish biodiversity and visitor experience.

Title:

Content: Restricting Mt. Fuji Climbers: Measures Necessary to Enable Safe Ascents of Legendary Peak

Mt. Fuji has long attracted people with its majestic presence. Many people hope to stand on its summit at least once. Sufficient measures must be taken to ensure safe and comfortable climbing.

The Yamanashi prefectural government has decided to limit the number of users of the trail on its side to 4,000 per day from July 1, the opening day of the climbing season. The move is aimed at reducing congestion. A toll of ¥2,000 per person will also be collected.

A gate will be set up near the entrance to the trail at the 5th Station, and access will be closed once the number of climbers reaches the maximum limit. The toll fees will reportedly be used for maintenance and management of the gate as well as for safety measures for climbers.

The number of climbers on Mt. Fuji totaled about 220,000 last summer, recovering to levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. The mountain trails get crowded, and there have been some cases of bad manners, such as the reckless overtaking of other climbers.

To preserve the appeal of the mountain and reduce the risk of accidents, certain restrictions are unavoidable. The toll should be considered a necessary cost to ensure safe and comfortable climbing.

“Bullet climbing,” in which people try to ascend to the summit by climbing all night without staying at a mountain lodge, has become a problem. It creates a high risk for hypothermia and altitude sickness. For that reason, the gate will be closed from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. The move should help deter the dangerous climbing behavior.

The trail on the Yamanashi Prefecture side has the highest number of users, accounting for about 60% of the total climbers. To avoid confusion at the site, it is necessary to thoroughly make the restrictions known to the public. Efforts should also be made to publicize the restrictions among foreign visitors, whose numbers have been growing rapidly in recent years.

On the other hand, the three routes on the Shizuoka Prefecture side do not limit the number of climbers or collect tolls. Instead, a pilot system will be introduced to ask people register their climbing itineraries in advance via smartphones or other devices, so that the number of climbers can be tracked as part of an effort to prevent people from attempting bullet climbing.

This is because there are several roads leading to the trails, making it difficult to collect tolls from all climbers. However, the routes on the Shizuoka Prefecture side may become crowded in the future with those who try to avoid paying the toll.

For the time being, it is important to analyze data from the planned pre-registration system to grasp the congestion situation. Depending on the situation, it may be necessary to consider introducing a restriction on the number of climbers.

It is also important for each climber to be aware of the issues. Even if a long-awaited climb is achieved, the effort will all come to nothing if the climber suffers injury, illness or other troubles in the process. Ideally, climbers should take all possible precautions and make a sensible plan.

Overtourism, a situation caused by the concentration of large numbers of tourists, has become a problem in many places. How can the environment of tourist destinations be protected? Society as a whole must think about the issue.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 4, 2024)

- **Economic:** Tourism-generated income can help local economies, but overtourism often sees profits flowing to external investors and chain businesses, leaving “huge missed opportunities for travel to support local economies.” Balancing economic gains with residents’ welfare is crucial, as seen in widespread protests like those in the Canary Islands (“The Canary Islands have a limit”).

**Where Overtourism is Visible:**
- European hotspots, especially in the summer (local communities “struggled to cope” with the surge)
- Mountain destinations like Mt.

Fuji, where crowding not only challenges safety but also traditional practices
- Popular islands (e.g., in the Caribbean and Canary Islands)

**Mitigation and Sustainable Strategies:**
- **Policy Interventions:** Limiting access at peak times (eg.

closing gates on Mt.

Fuji), introducing tolls, and better communicating restrictions can help manage flow.

- **Traveler Behavior:** Experts advise travelers to “visit fewer places for longer,” use sustainable transport (favoring trains, direct flights, packing light), and “get off the beaten path” to spread benefits beyond overcrowded sites.

- **Support Local Communities:** Staying in locally owned accommodations and prioritizing local food and experiences strengthens economic resilience.

Title:

Content: HOMEPAGE

From where you go to what you do, experts share how to travel the world without destroying it

  • Traveling sustainably is about making intentional choices to serve your destination and planet well.
  • We asked experts how to make these choices when planning a trip to be as sustainable as possible.
  • This article is part of "Better Me," a series about improving your lifestyle and helping society through sustainable efforts and eco-consciousness.

Sustainable travel can feel like an oxymoron — as Justin Francis, the cofounder and CEO of Responsible Travel, a UK-based travel company that evaluates trips and vacation providers, told Insider.

The travel industry can create jobs, or it can lead to over-tourism that lowers residents' quality of life. Flights emit harmful emissions, but transport travelers to destinations where they can support local economies and participate in positive, nature-based tourism. Lodging accommodations can boost the local economy, or price residents out of their homes.

But Francis believes people can travel "in a way that not only reduces harm but actively maximizes the benefits, for both planet and people."

Five other sustainable travel experts who spoke with Insider agree and say there are actions travelers can take to lower their negative impact, support the destinations they're visiting, and have an overall better trip. They suggest considering every aspect of your trip — from where you go to how you get there — as you plan to travel more sustainably.

Kelley Louise, the executive director and founder of Impact Travel Alliance, a nonprofit centered on informing travelers to help improve the world, told Insider that traveling sustainably takes practice and being an imperfect traveler is better than not trying.

As Louise said, "It's about asking, 'How can you make little decisions that add up over time and have a positive impact on the world?'"

If you're looking for a place to start, here's what the experts Insider spoke with recommend.

First, choose a destination with the planet in mind

Go off the beaten path

Some of the experts Insider spoke with suggest skipping top tourist destinations and opting for under-the-radar spots.

"By seeking out the less-visited destinations, you will be helping to spread the economic benefits of tourism more widely and helping to avoid the negative impacts that over-tourism has on local residents," Georgina Davies — the communications manager for The Travel Foundation, a group that advocates for sustainable tourism — told Insider.

Paloma Zapata agrees. The CEO of Sustainable Travel International — an organization that works with local governments, businesses, and nonprofits to provide sustainable travel opportunities — also recommends visiting a hidden gem. If you're going to Greece, for instance, you could skip Mykonos and head to an island like Anafi or Ios with fewer tourists.

Once you've picked your destination, Davies encourages travelers to visit the region's national parks and protected areas. Often these places have entrance fees, which support conservation efforts.

Choose a destination that embraces sustainability

Jessica Blotter, CEO and cofounder of public benefit corporation Kind Travel, told Insider she looks for destinations with tourism boards that have a dedicated sustainable travel section on their website.

She recommends avoiding areas where sustainable transportation and lodging are hard to find, and "where access to nature and the outdoors is limited."

Vacation during shoulder season

Tossing a coin in the Trevi Fountain without hordes of people around or exploring Niagara Falls in the winter isn't just beneficial to travelers; experts say it also supports sustainability.

Visiting destinations during shoulder seasons "spreads the benefits of tourism locally across the year and lightens the burden of over-tourism in popular destinations," Francis said. His company, Responsible Travel, has a guide that outlines the best time to visit certain destinations

Zapata added that you're also more likely to have a stress-free and special vacation if you're visiting when there are fewer crowds. "It could be even more enriching," she said. "When you're on a beach or on a sailboat and it's just surrounded by masses of people, maybe that's not the best experience."

Visit fewer places for longer

One way to travel more responsibly is to visit fewer places for longer periods of time. For example, instead of spending a week in four European countries, plan a 10-day trip to one or two.

"Fewer but longer trips mean fewer air miles, more money in local hands, and you'll have a more relaxing trip, too," Francis said. "If you can, keep shorter trips close to home or travel by land or sea." He added that these modes of travel can be an adventure in themselves, and allow you to "see so much more of a destination."

If you must travel a long distance, Blotter recommends stretching the trip as much as possible to maximize your experience. "Booking multiple, long-haul trips per year is not sustainable or carbon-friendly," she said.

Consider how you get there

Evaluate the distance for the most sustainable way to get there

The first step in deciding how to responsibly get to your destination is considering the number of people traveling and the distance you're going.

Besides biking and walking, trains are typically one of the most sustainable ways to travel, Zapata said. If your destination is accessible by train, consider that.

If you're debating whether it's more sustainable to fly or drive, Zapata said it comes down to the distance.

"A lot of times trains are going to be more energy and carbon efficient," she said. "But when it comes to a car, there comes a moment when flying is actually more carbon efficient than driving when you're talking about very long distances."

Calculators like the ones offered by the International Civil Aviation Organization and Environmental Defense Fund can help travelers map out the least carbon-intensive way to get from A to B.

If you need to fly, opt for nonstop routes and travel in economy

Flying will likely be the most unsustainable aspect of your trip. Aviation makes up about 2% of global carbon emissions and 80% of a vacation's carbon footprint comes from the flight, according to National Geographic.

Experts suggest thinking about how much you should fly in a year. For example, maybe you take one international flight a year and prioritize having the rest of your trips close to home, Louise said.

But no matter where you jet off to, experts recommend flying nonstop in economy.

"When booking long-distance plane travel, always choose a direct flight with no layovers," Blotter said. "Direct flights use less carbon dioxide than connecting flights."

Additionally, by flying in economy, as some of the experts Insider spoke with pointed out, you maximize the number of people a flight can carry by taking up less space.

Ultimately, though, the best thing you can do is reduce your carbon footprint during your trip.

Experts like Louise and Gregory Miller, the executive director of the international nonprofit Center for Responsible Travel, agree that carbon offsets act more like a Band-Aid than a solution to sustainable travel. But if they do decide to purchase carbon offsets, which reduce or remove emissions to compensate for those made during a trip, Miller suggests purchasing through a reliable, vetted program. Groups like Zapata's Sustainable Travel say they invest people's money into carbon-reducing projects centered on clean energy and biodiversity.

Think about how you pack

Pack light

The simplest advice when it comes to being a sustainable packer is to pack less, Zapata said. "Travel light," she said.
"You don't need 20 shoes to travel."

Blotter agrees and says that by packing lighter, you'll reduce carbon emissions. That's because the lighter the aircraft, train, car, or boat, the less energy is needed.

Louise added that by packing fewer items and using a carry-on, you'll get through security faster and avoid the hassle of checking a bag.

Pack reusable items

Francis suggests adding the items you use at home to your packing list. That might include a reusable water bottle, a bag for shopping, and utensils to avoid plastic cutlery.

Louise acknowledges that it might not be feasible for every traveler to carry a reusable water bottle, so she urges travelers to consider what other meaningful swaps they could make. For example, Louise said she swapped liquid shampoo and conditioner for shampoo and conditioner bars a few vacations back. The bars are lighter than liquid soaps, which means they save carbon emissions during transportation. Plus, many are packaged in recyclable paper instead of plastic.

The switch became permanent in Louise's daily life, she said, adding that it made traveling easier since she didn't have to worry about leaks or liquids at airport security. "It's a cool example of how we can look for more sustainable experiences that are also better travel experiences," she said. "Plus it opens our eyes to new habits that can help us become more conscious consumers as well."

Pack brands you support

If you're doing some pre-vacation shopping, Louise recommends buying from brands that place sustainability at the forefront of their business.

"If you're supporting corporations and brands that are working on sustainability as well, then that's going to move the needle and create change a lot quicker than we could as individuals," she said.

For tropical getaways, pack reef-safe sunscreen

If you're heading to Aruba or planning a diving trip in Belize, experts say travelers should ensure reef-safe sunscreen is on their packing lists.

"Sunscreen can be very damaging to the environment and not everybody knows," Zapata said.

Ingredients in everyday sunscreen can harm both coral reefs and local wildlife, according to the National Ocean Service. Look for a reef-safe sunscreen that lacks harmful ingredients like oxybenzone, octinoxate, nano titanium dioxide, and nano zinc oxide.

Where you stay matters, too

Look into a hotel's claims about sustainability

Between countless certification programs and eco-friendly branding, experts agree that it can be tricky trying to evaluate whether or not a hotel is actually contributing to a destination.

When researching different accommodations, look for specifics beyond being "eco-friendly" and giving up plastic straws, Miller says. He suggests looking for hotels with written policies about how they work with local communities, prevent food waste, and help environmental initiatives like reforestation and supporting local dive sites.

If they don't have that information, Louise urges travelers to ask questions: "If they are authentically sustainable, they'll be excited to answer them."

Blotter encourages travelers to choose accommodation options that are upfront about their environmental efforts.

"Hotels that are truly eco-friendly should have a sustainability statement and clearly stated initiatives visible on their website," Blotter said. "While sustainability certifications are great and make it easier for travelers to identify sustainable lodging, not all hotels embracing eco-friendly practices will boast such certifications."

Blotter said to look for certifications from organizations that look into the foundation and practices of locations, businesses, and facilities to see if they meet their standards for sustainability and environmentalism. Some of these include the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, Certified B Corporation, and Green Globe, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and WELL Building Standard.

Although some certifications indicate a hotel is sustainable, Zapata and Miller said guests shouldn't book solely based on certifications since they can be costly for smaller resorts and hotels to acquire. "If they've made a commitment to the communities, to the destination, and they understand that they're part of the community that is what's important," Miller said.

Once you arrive, Zapata said guests should look for evidence that their accommodation is following the claims it makes. Speak to housekeeping staff, check in with chefs about the food they're serving, and see if you get new towels each morning — if you do, you could help save water by skipping this service.

Stay at mom-and-pop hotels and inns

Picking a locally owned bed-and-breakfast over an Airbnb or big hotel is going to have a more positive impact on the local community, some of the experts Insider spoke with said.

"Short-term Airbnb-type holiday rentals might feel convenient, but they're having a devastating impact on some popular destinations — pricing people out of their homes and wiping out whole communities," Francis said. "Consider opting instead for a local homestay, B&B or local-owned hotel."

Make smart decisions throughout your stay

Use public transportation

If possible, experts suggest skipping a rental car. Instead, turn to the destination's public transportation.

"Don't discount your travel in the destination," Francis said. "Try and avoid internal flights, and consider ditching the private car or tour bus. There are loads of great human-powered, local-guided tours around — by foot, bike, or even kayak."

Eat local foods

Besides the flight to your destination, food waste will likely be the second-largest contributor to your vacation's carbon footprint, according to National Geographic.

"We traditionally don't think of sustainable tourism as something like, 'Oh, I can lay on the beach and have a cocktail, and that could have a positive impact on the world,'" Louise said. But if you think about where your food comes from and the story behind that, it can have a positive impact, she added.

That means seeking ingredients that are grown nearby instead of shipped across the country and checking to make sure restaurants are hiring locals and paying them fair wages. By evaluating restaurants on these items, you'll likely get "fresher and better foods that are unique to that destination," Louise said.

Seek off-the-beaten-path activities

Most experts agree that when it comes to exploring a destination, it's worth turning to locals for advice. That might mean joining a local Facebook group, sparking a conversation on a public bus, or finding a community-based tourism program.

"Look for ways to seek out local voices and to understand how they want their destination seen," Louise said. By talking to locals, you're likely to avoid contributing to over-tourism and have a more unique experience, she added.

Another way you can approach activities is by centering your plans around a cause you and your group care about, such as ocean conservation or LGBTQ rights, Louise said.

Once you've settled on a topic, look at how your actions and the activities you choose can support that cause. For example, you might eat at restaurants owned by diverse staff or seek voluntourism opportunities to protect a nearby beach.

Blotter recommends avoiding experiences that use animals as entertainment like elephant rides, and looking for charity-run activities instead.

When you're back from the activity, whether it was a volunteer job or a locally-recommended hike, Miller said travelers should "brag about it." He encourages people who are traveling responsibly to post about their experience and use word-of-mouth to inspire others.

Buy local

Pass on the manufactured magnets, mass-produced T-shirts, and generic keychains. Instead, Zapata said travelers should search for items that are unique and crafted by locals.

"If you're going to buy a memento, buy something that's actually made there," she said. That way you ensure the money spent on the souvenir is directly supporting the community.

While all of these decisions you make as an individual matter, Miller says that ultimately "the solution to everything is to get governments and major corporations to change and reduce their emissions period."

According to Miller, that's something travelers can do in the voting booth that can go a long way.

Better Me tips for sustainable living

Slide through the following cards to read more expert advice on sustainable living. Then check out the rest of the stories from Insider's Better Me series.

Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know.
Subscribe to push notifications

Keep reading

Edit Series es-vitalfarms-2022 sp-2022-bm-travel

- **Broader Initiatives:** A global tourism coalition created at COP26 and calls for resilience funding indicate recognition of overtourism as a global policy challenge.

Title:

Content: US Markets Loading... H M S In the news

A new global tourism coalition, announced at COP26, aims to drive a more sustainable future for the industry

  • Ministers and organizations came together at COP26 to discuss climate change and tourism.
  • The discussion was aligned with the launch of a new global travel and tourism coalition.
  • The tourism industry is notoriously known as a major polluter, but it also provides millions of jobs in developing countries.

The global tourism industry, responsible for 8% of the world's carbon footprint, could be getting a rebranding. At COP26, speakers from around the world came together to celebrate the launch of a new coalition through the Sustainable Tourism Center (STGC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. At the summit, they discussed how to transform the travel sector into an industry spearheading the way for a more sustainable future.

From depleting local resources to creating pollution and waste problems, there are plenty of reasons the travel industry has, in the past, been identified as a major obstacle to mitigating the effects of climate change. But today, that could be set to change.

As Felipe Calderón, former president of Mexico, put it in a COP26 panel discussion, announcing the coalition: "Tourism represents a real challenge for climate change." But it also "represents one of the greatest opportunities for human development." Before the pandemic, one in ten families were dependent upon tourism for their income; women and those in middle and low-income countries more than others. Transforming the industry, he, and other attendees agreed, could prove essential to ensuring not just environmental sustainability, but also the sustainability of local economies in a modernizing world.

"Tourism is a vital driver for the economy," said Saudi Arabia's Tourism Minister, Ahmed Al Khateeb. "We want to protect nature and support communities." Launched off the backend of the kingdom's Green Initiative, the Saudi Arabian government hopes the center will be a global hub, supporting international governments, travelers, and the private sector in adapting to challenges posed by climate change.

Saudi Arabia is set to be amongst the worst hit by climate change, with conditions in some areas likely becoming unlivable for humans within 80 years. However, the kingdom is reliant on fossil fuels and remains the largest oil exporter in the world. To adapt, foreign investment is needed, and the STGC hopes to attract just that.

Currently, other countries involved in the first phase of the coalition include the United Kingdom, United States, France, Japan, Germany, Kenya, Jamaica, Morocco, and Spain. Organizations such as SYSTEMIQ, The World Bank, the International Chamber of Commerce, and Harvard University are also involved in the process.

It's early days. But as Jeremy Oppenheim, Senior Partner at SYSTEMIQ said, "My hope is that this center transforms travel brands and industry and acts as a flywheel for solutions and practical actions — but we need to make this something everyone can join in on." Dubbing the tourism sector the "perfect industry for showing how we need to decarbonize and grow at the same time," he nonetheless highlighted a real concern at the summit: Action, not only agendas, are needed to enact real change.

In some places, that change is already in action. "In Kenya, 90% of our energy is green energy and by 2030 we want to be net-zero," said Secretary of Tourism for Kenya Najib Balala, another panelist. "Today, I'd also like to announce publicly that by 2030 all of our [wildlife] parks will be green." Electric cars will be used to transport tourists around the parks, and "if they're not electric, they won't be allowed."

However, there are many hurdles yet to overcome. And change will largely rely on technological innovations, many of which still need funding. "From 2035, when sustainable aviation fuels are available at scale, our emissions will decline," said Virginia Messina, SVP of advocacy and communications for the World Travel & Tourism Council. It is when sustainable fuel practices and operations are developed, that this industry can make the greatest leaps toward net-zero.

Funding this, and other innovations, will be tough. Panelist John W.H. Denton, secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce, says that to be successful, we must think beyond national boundaries for investment. "It's a huge sector, but there are nodes like hotel brands and cruise ships; if you get a few of those to be the first movers to go green, especially if you drive a green premium, others will follow."

This green premium — making climate-friendly options cheaper — is essential for the sector.  Of the 40 million businesses in tourism, 80% are small and medium-sized companies, according to Oppenheim. They are travel agencies, restaurants or hotels, without the budget for research and development.

The sector must combine small and large-scale projects, cutting across industries, with affordable and attractive green alternatives. It must also appeal to consumers. As Oppenheim said: "I'd love a tourist to say, 'I know how to make good choices, and I can plan my holidays in ways that will enable me to build a better world.'"

Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know.
Subscribe to push notifications

For you

For you

**Conclusion:**
Overtourism’s consequences span environmental degradation, social friction, and economic displacement.

Its management requires both systemic change (regulation, diversified tourism models) and informed traveler choices, supporting a shift towards sustainability that protects destinations, communities, and ecosystems for future generations.

Title:

Content: African Tourism Board Associations Country | Region Government News Jamaica News Rwanda Tourism Trending

Commonwealth is a 54-Country Strong Tourism Opportunity

Jamaica presented the idea of Commonwealth tourism cooperation at the 54 member meeting in Rwanda.

Rwanda is the newest country in the 54-member Commonwealth and the host of this year’s meeting. The East African nation’s president, Paul Kagame, said his country became a member of the union to benefit from its unity and development.

Leaders of 54 countries in the British Commonwealth are meeting in Rwanda to discuss trade, food security, health issues, climate change, and also tourism.

Commonwealth member states are meeting for the first time in four years to discuss ways to strengthen relations and tackle global problems ranging from health care and conflict to climate change and food security.

Speaking in Rwanda’s capital of Kigali and representing Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s Prince Charles said such a political union is still needed to overcome the world’s challenges.

Among the dignitaries attending is the King of Eswatini, His Majesty Mswati III, the host country of the African Tourism Board.

Tourism is showing face, with African Tourism Board Chairman Cuthbert Ncube attending.

Jamaica’s tourism minister Edmund Bartlett was wearing his hat as a global travel and tourism leader. He presented the idea and concept for a post covid tourism led framework for promoting economic convergence among commonwealth countries. Commonwealth Tourism at the Rwanda Forum.

Addressing a session on Sustainable Tourism & Travel during the Commonwealth Business Forum Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett argued that the tourism industry holds significant potential to boost economic convergence among Commonwealth economies.

The Commonwealth Tourism Organization was active 10-15 years ago and had discussions in Abuja, Nigeria, and Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on tourism cooperation between Commonwealth Countries.

Here is the transcript of the presentation on a post covid tourism-led framework by Minster Bartlett presented to the Commonwealth Business Forum in Rwanda.

Background

The ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic has produced a severe adverse socio-economic impact on the 54 countries of the Commonwealth stretching across the regions of Africa, Asia, The Americas, Europe, and the Pacific.

The Commonwealth is especially vulnerable to long-term economic shocks because it comprises 32 of the world’s 42 small states, each with a population of 1.5 million people or less (Commonwealth.Org, 2022).

Most of these economies are undiversified and heavily depend on primary industries, external trade, foreign direct investment, and tourism- which have all been severely impacted by the global economic downturn.

In 2021, the World Bank estimated that the Small States contracted by 7.1 percent compared to 1.7 percent for all emerging markets and developing economies (The World Bank, 2021). Small states also face fairly- fixed development challenges related to their narrow resource bases, small domestic markets, geographical remoteness, and vulnerability to environmental disasters (The World Bank, 2021).

The prolonged global economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has, however, offered an opportunity for hard-hit small states of the Commonwealth to re-calibrate their economic relationship with each other and the larger Commonwealth states.

Recalibrating economic relationship among Commonwealth Countries

Historically, trade levels among Commonwealth countries have remained very low. While the Commonwealth boasts the fastest growing countries in the world, with growth over the past two decades doubling that of the European Union, intra-Commonwealth trade amounts to only 17 % of Commonwealth members’ global trade with services trade enjoying a much smaller share, estimated at one-quarter of the total intra-Commonwealth trade (Commonwealth. Org, 2017).

Most Commonwealth countries are exporting mainly to countries located within their immediate geographical zones and with larger economies such as China, The United States, The UK, The Eurozone, India, Australia, and New Zealand.

Given this context, a part of accelerating the economic development of the Commonwealth may lie in fostering greater economic convergences among Commonwealth Countries.

Indeed, the Commonwealth collectively constitutes a sizeable market of 2.6 billion out of the world’s population of 7.9 billion that can be leveraged to promote more robust and sustained macroeconomic growth, especially in the area of export trade.

Tourism as a catalyst for promoting economic convergences among Commonwealth Countries

One industry that holds significant potential to boost economic convergences among Commonwealth economies is Tourism.

In 2019, tourism was the third-largest export category of the global economy, after fuels and chemicals, accounting for 7% of global trade (UNWTO, 2019).

Of the twenty countries in the world where tourism is the largest contributor to exports, thirteen are Commonwealth member states (Commonwealth Innovation, 2020).

Currently, Tourism is the lifeline of Commonwealth economies located in the world’s most tourism-dependent regions such as the Caribbean, The Pacific, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean.

Unfortunately, the major source markets for tourist arrivals as well as for supplying inputs, such as goods and services, to the tourism industry in the Commonwealth are the developed economies of North America, East Asia (especially China), and Western Europe.

Consequently, the phenomenal pace of tourism growth and expansion over the years has delivered insufficient benefits to Commonwealth economies, due in large part, to the low levels of tourism trade among these countries which has prevented these countries from retaining much of the revenue generated from the industry

Strategies for boosting economic convergences among Commonwealth Countries through Tourism

The formulation of post-Covid-19 economic recovery and growth strategies for Commonwealth countries requires that these countries urgently rethink the existing frameworks of economic partnerships with the goal of realigning the boundaries of international trade in their favor.

This requires more synergies, collaborations, and partnerships that will foster economic complementarities and convergences among Commonwealth economies.

This will contribute to more value-added economic exchanges between smaller countries and with larger countries of the Commonwealth that will enhance intra-regional capacity to generate economic surpluses and retain more of the benefits derived from macroeconomic development.

The tourism industry can be a catalyst for fostering economic complementarities and convergences through the following strategies:

The promotion of labor mobility within the Commonwealth:

The Commonwealth is home to some of the world’s most appealing tourist destinations attracting high levels of foreign direct investment and poised for continued growth.

Tourism also happens to be one of the most labor-intensive segments of the global economy.

Both can be exploited to promote increased labor mobility across the Commonwealth, especially, since the pandemic has produced a crisis of labor shortage for many destinations and there is also generally a need for more high-skilled workers in the tourism sector, (hotels, attractions, cruises, etc.).

This will require new arrangements that will facilitate the seamless movement of skilled tourism workers across the Commonwealth region and sub-region.

Increasing goods and services trade:

The goal is to facilitate mutual trading arrangements that will enable more of the goods and services that are regularly used in the tourism industry to be manufactured and supplied by entities based in other Commonwealth countries. This will promote greater intra-regional participation in tourism and strengthen the benefits to local economies derived from tourism.

The development of aggressive marketing strategies to tap into larger Commonwealth markets:

Currently, tourist arrivals to Commonwealth Countries rely on traditional source markets such as North America, Western Europe, and now East Asia (especially China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan).

Nonetheless, as Commonwealth countries position themselves to be less volatile to shocks and grow their market shares, finding ways to tap into the lucrative and emerging tourism markets of other Commonwealth countries, especially those in Asia, should urgently form part of their focus.

India, in particular, has a population of 1.35 billion people and is the fastest-growing of the world’s major economies, and is currently the world’s fifth-largest economy.

The increase in disposable incomes and acquisition of substantial personal wealth in India provides a valuable opportunity for greater tourism linkages to be forged between smaller Commonwealth economies and India

Skill development, education, and training:

In the context of the growth of knowledge-based economies, the provision of knowledge has become a key driver of economic growth.

As the growth of the tourism industry continues to accelerate, there will be a growing demand for program and curriculum development to prepare the workforce for the jobs that will be generated across the tourism industry and that will help to raise the standards and prestige of tourism jobs.

This provides an opportunity for regional universities and other accredited centers and institutes based in Commonwealth Countries to offer formal training and certification targeting the citizens of other Commonwealth Countries who are interested in professional development as tourism workers.

Multi-destination arrangements:

The multi-destination strategy is one of three legacy outcomes from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 2017.

A multi-destination arrangement is based on joint partnerships involving governments airlines, hotels, tour operators, and attractions that will enable visitors to seamlessly travel to two, three, or more geographically proximate nations and stays over in each destination.

Its promotion is consistent with the emerging view by tourism experts that the future fortunes of tourism in specific regions region may lie in economic convergence between complementary economies rather than stand-alone approaches.

This also constitutes a rational approach to economic integration that will allow the benefits of tourism to be spread across more economies in a region, thereby generating more economic opportunities for a greater number of people.

Indeed, successful multi-destination arrangements can increase tourist flows and promote mutual benefits for more destinations in the region.

The role of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC)

The Global Tourism Resilience Centre was established at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus in Kingston, Jamaica in 2018 as a global think tank that focuses exclusively on building resilience, disaster preparedness, and managing disruptions to the tourism industry, especially in the Global South.

The Centre has been called to operate in a global context that is characterized by not only new challenges but also new opportunities for tourism to improve the tourism product as well as to ensure the sustainability of tourism globally.

The GTRCMC stands ready to lead a future plan of action by the Commonwealth Secretary to deepen economic complementarities and convergences among Commonwealth countries to greater ensure that tourism development serves the long-term interest of Commonwealth regions and sub-regions.

Tourism in the Commonwealth

Tourism is central to many economies in the Commonwealth and growing industry in most. It contributes 2.7% to the total GDP of the Commonwealth, averaging 6.7% of GDP per country, and employs 34 million people overall. The smaller the economy, population, or country, it has been noted, the greater the significance of the sector to the economy. The highest contributions of the sector for instance are in the Maldives (28% of GDP), Seychelles (24%), Vanuatu (20%), and Antigua and Barbuda (17.4%) – all small island developing states.

In Commonwealth Europe heritage and culture are big draws for visitors; the countries are also wealthy and can extensively deliver top-end tourism. Cyprus has been successful also at drawing tourists from all types of markets from the UK to its beaches in the summer months.

Tourism is, directly and indirectly, central to the economies of the Caribbean; the smaller economies depend on it the most. Geography and climate are major attractions. The Caribbean is a major top-end tourism market and has a growing second home market.

In Commonwealth Asia, Malaysia and the Maldives have been relatively the most successful countries. Malaysia is the second most popular destination in the Commonwealth after the UK with 24 million people visiting the country in 2009, mostly from Asia.

With the exception of Fiji, Pacific island member states with their idyllic natural attractions have had limited success in tourism because of their remoteness and lack of infrastructure, although potential, as experts say, remains. Most of the arrivals are from Australia and New Zealand. Experts argue that regardless of remoteness Commonwealth Pacific islands can do much better given the success of mass tourism seen in Pacific island territories of the USA and France such as Hawaii and French Polynesia, respectively.

Australia and New Zealand attract all types of visitors from businesspeople to backpackers. Tourism Australia, the nationally funded tourism board, largely aims its marketing in Western Europe and North America at the experience seeker.

In Commonwealth Africa, wildlife, climate, and geography are major attractions. It is in wildlife that Commonwealth Africa has worldwide prominence with its extensive and popular game reserves such as the Serengeti (Tanzania), Kruger (South Africa), Masai Mara (Kenya), and Chobe (Botswana). Indeed, it is the national parks in the Commonwealth part of Africa that almost exclusively feature in most travel guides. Some countries such as Mauritius, South Africa, and Seychelles are top-end tourism destinations.

Canada is a major tourist destination. Cultural themes in its four major cities Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Ottawa are major draws for visitors. Canada is world-renowned for the quality and variety of its ski resorts which no other Commonwealth country can match.

Current Commonwealth Countries

AFRICA:

Asia

Caribbean and Americas

Europe

Pacific

About the author

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

**Summary of the extract on overtourism:**

Tourism has become increasingly accessible due to rising global wealth, remote work opportunities, and greater mobility among retirees and digital nomads.

Title:

Content: Collection of impressions.
Why do so many people want to visit all over the world?
Photo: Travel by plane (pixabay.com)
Traveling around the world has become commonplace for many, and for some – the greatest hobby and collecting impressions.
The number of people visiting all countries of the world is growing every year.
Why many people tend to visit almost everywhere on the planet, RBC-Ukraine tells with reference to cnn.travel.
Traveling as a Collection of Countries
The number of people who visited 195 UN recognized countries and territories reaches 400.
According to travel tracking platform NomadMania, in 2023, another 50 people joined the list of record-breaking travelers.
The first person to visit all countries of the world is the Finnish writer Rauli Virtanen.
He visited all 170 countries recognized by the UN until 1988.
Since then, he has added new places to the collection.
He explained his desire to see each country with "the extraordinary interest and thinking of the collector."
The idea that countries can be “collectible ” arose much earlier than Rauli Virtanen voiced it.
In particular, since 1954, the organization has been operating for people who have visited 100 or more countries and territories of the world Travellers' Century Club (TCC).
Later, other platforms appeared, such as the tourist community Most Travelled People and Nomad Mania.
Photo: Tourists in New Zealand (pixabay.com)
Affordability of travel makes dreams come true
Michael O'Regan, a professor of tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University, believes that people have always had an interest in travel, but historically only those who had financial resources, career flexibility and good health could travel.
Today, more and more people can earn while traveling, and some decide to explore the world after retirement.
He notes that in the past, travelers faced visa problems and needed a “strong ” passport.
Today, thanks to low-cost airlines, visa on arrival and online booking systems, travel has become more accessible.
Only the COVID-19 pandemic created certain difficulties, putting travel "on pause" due to the closure of borders and lockdowns.
American Patrick Gilliland fulfilled his dream to visit all countries in 2023.
Although for a long time I doubted that the plan could be implemented.
“I thought that some places would be too dangerous or it would be impossible to get a visa there, ” he explained.
Many decided on the record after visiting a significant number of countries.
Social networks played a big role in the growth of the number of such travelers.
“The emergence of social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok means that someone will be constantly inspired by others seeking to visit different locations around the world.
Now it seems more affordable and feasible than ever, ” said Michael O ’ Regan.
However, it is important to recognize that this availability is limited only to those who have the financial means for frequent travel and passports allowing entry to different countries.
Photo: Visit locations in Africa (pixabay.com)
Not everyone has the opportunity to travel the world.
The first traveler to all countries, Rauli Virtanen, born in a rich country, says that he feels guilty that he belongs to a minority of people who can travel wherever they want.
Therefore, he never tells people in poorer countries that he has visited all the countries of the world.
"I was very lucky.
I had editors who would sign my travel expenses and accept my ideas about traveling to distant countries so that my readers and viewers would know what was going on, ” he notes.
Jamaican traveler Romaine Welds had limited opportunities to explore the world until he moved to the United States in 2007 and began working for an airline.
He began to travel thanks to free and preferential flights at his job.
Romaine Welds visited 100 countries, and then set out to visit the remaining 95 countries recognized by the UN, becoming the first Jamaican and Caribbean to achieve this.
Travelers spend different time visiting every country in the world.
Wells was able to implement this plan in about 15 years, Gilliland took about 40 years.
Some travelers have competed to achieve this in record time – for example, Taylor Demonbreun of Canada holds the title of “fastest time to visit all sovereign countries ”, reaching the goal in 1 year and 189 days.
Photo: The ancient city of Petra in Jordan (gettyimages.com)
"Jump from country to country and share selfies"
The increase in the number of people seeking to visit all countries of the world, who “jump ” from country to country and share only selfies, causes concern among“ collectors ”.
They note that to make this "feat" has become surprisingly easy, having enough funds and a passport.
"We are no longer a tribe of Lonely Planet travelers who carry backpacks.
Motivations are changing.
Most are still curious explorers, but vanity is gaining the upper hand now that the journey is becoming so easy, ” notes Rauli Virtanen.
While some travelers may be guided by a strong desire to visit every country, O'Regan expresses concern that the pursuit of "collecting" countries can lead to superficial journeys, neglecting a deep understanding of culture.
“There is an incentive to quickly“ jump ” across regions and risk exactly what we want to recover from: physical and mental burnout.
This underestimates the potential of travel for cultural exchange, self-reflection and the concept of slow travel. ”
Travelers "collectors" believe that "racing" around the world is a waste of money and note the importance of enjoying the journey at a moderate pace.
Photo: Tourist to USA, Alabama (unsplash.com)
What is considered a "visit" to the country
The idea of what constitutes a real “visit ” has been a hot topic of debate in recent years, and many travelers disagree on what the criteria should be.
Last year, NomadMania prepared detailed recommendations on the topic following a survey of its users in 2022 and 2023.
“It was important for me to learn as much as possible about every country I visit, ” says Gilliland.
He had to spend up to six weeks in the country performing tasks, but in smaller countries such as Monaco and Luxembourg, he spent only half a day.
“I believe that stops at airports and transit crossings do not fall under the concept of“ visiting ”.
But day trips to smaller countries like Nauru, San Marino, Andorra, Liechtenstein or Luxembourg are normal.
A true traveler stays for days or weeks in places like Lagos, Mumbai, Mongolia, Colombia, ” notes Virtanen.
As more and more travelers, who used to be hampered by border closures and political unrest, can now cross out their “final ” countries, it is expected that the list of visitors to each country will grow in 2024.
The achievements of people like Gilliland, Virtanen and Velds are likely to inspire others to travel like this or create new challenges in the coming years, fostering competition for titles and records.
Rauli Virtanen encourages those who aim to visit every country to find ways to contribute to improving the lives of those who cannot afford to travel.
We will remind, we wrote, why in the tourist places of the world ban selfies.
In pursuit of the perfect shot, many die.
We also talked about the 10 least visited countries on the planet.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has identified 10 destinations that are less likely to suffer from excessive tourism.

The pursuit of visiting new countries and capturing the “perfect shot” has driven more people to travel for status and social media validation.

This mass movement has in some cases led to dangerous behavior and fatalities.

Destinations such as Venice are responding to overtourism by implementing measures like day-trip fees, as their cultural and natural heritage sites face threats from overuse—Venice was almost added to UNESCO’s endangered list.

Title:

Content: Tourists will have to pay to visit the center of Venice
From Thursday, April 25, the authorities of Venice will begin to charge a fee for visiting the city center by tourists who do not spend the night in the city.
Thus, Venice is trying to protect from the consequences of mass tourism, writes The Guardian.
The pilot project will run until July 14.
A ticket worth five euros per person can be purchased online.
It will have to be purchased by those wishing to visit the historic center of Venice from April 25 to July 14 from 8: 30 to 16: 00.
We are talking about the areas where St. Mark ’ s Square, the Rialto Bridge, the La Fenice Opera House and other popular tourist attractions are located.
If the tourist does not have a mobile phone or Internet access, the ticket can also be bought in tobacco shops or at water taxi stands.
Tourists will be provided with a QR code, which must be saved as proof of payment of the fee.
Tickets will be checked selectively.
The penalty will be from 50 to 300 euros.
At the same time, you will have to pay for a ticket only for those who come to Venice for one day without spending the night.
Mayor Luigi Brunaro called his decision to introduce fees for tourists coming for one day "bold".
He also compared himself to the Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who dared to go where others feared.
At the same time, critics of the idea believe that a fee of five euros is unlikely to scare off a large number of tourists.
City tourism councilor Simone Venturini said mass tourism in the city began in the 1960s.
Since then, the number of visitors to the city has grown so much that in peak seasons it is visited by an average of 40 thousand people a day.
Earlier, the authorities of Venice banned large cruise ships to pass through its center.
Despite this, last year the city almost got into the black list of UNESCO, in which there are objects in danger of extinction.
The organization believed that the Italian authorities were not able to fully protect the city and the surrounding lagoon from the effects of mass tourism and climate change.
As a result, Venice was not included in the black list after the city authorities decided to introduce fees for tourists.
To get top news faster, subscribe to our telegram and twitter.
Support those you trust
“Cold ” is a free, uncensored media.
We work because of your support.

The phenomenon is exacerbated by the fact that humanity’s environmental consumption is rising; so-called “Earth Overshoot Day” arrives earlier each year, signaling unsustainable global resource use.

Title:

Content: In the world
News of Moscow
Politics
Society
Accidents
Science and technology
Show business
Army
Games
The day of environmental debt in 2022 will come on Earth July 28
The day of ecological debt, when humanity will spend resources that the Earth can restore in a year, will come in 2022 on July 28, a day earlier than in 2021, the press service of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported on Sunday.
Photo: TASSTASS
As explained in the fund, the day of environmental debt comes when the resources that the planet is able to recreate in a year, run out, and we begin to “borrow ” from future generations.
Every day, humanity cuts down 27 thousand hectares of forest, emits 90.4 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, sends up to 5.5 million tons of garbage to a landfill.
In order not to face catastrophic consequences in the future and reduce the ecological footprint, environmentalists called for a conscious and careful attitude to nature and its riches - to save water, electricity, not to buy excess, to monitor eco-labels on goods, as well as to behave responsibly in nature.
Video of the day
In 2022, the day humanity begins to borrow resources from the planet will come on July 28, a day earlier than in 2021.
This year, WWF launches a traditional campaign dedicated to the day of environmental debt, in anticipation of the tourist season.
The theme of the event is eco-tourism.
The Foundation will tell that responsible consumption is not only about saving resources and “right ” purchases, but also our behavior while traveling in nature.
As noted in the Fund, today domestic tourism is especially popular, including in nature reserves and national parks of Russia.
Nature lovers began to travel more to the most remote corners of the country, but entrepreneurs and national parks, which are engaged in receiving tourists, were not ready for a significant increase in the flow.
As the infrastructure was designed for fewer people, threats to wild animals and plants arose.
Ecology and tourism
"In pursuit of trends, representatives of the tourism industry began to often use the prefix" eco "in the description of their services.
Often they do not have sufficient grounds for this, and real harm is done to nature.
If tourism with visits to wildlife is organized in bad faith, then the landscape is destroyed, the balance of the ecosystem is disturbed, animals are disturbed, nature is polluted.
It would seem that in this case the easiest way is to ban visits to natural areas altogether.
But there is another, more constructive way in which we contribute to the multiplication of the country's natural resources - ecotourism.
Within the framework of the campaign "Eco-Debt Day - 2022", we talk about how mass tourism can bring not only joy to travelers, but also benefit nature, "said the director of WWF Russia, whose words are quoted in the message.
Calculation of the date of the day of environmental debt is carried out by an international organization - the Global Ecological Footprint Network (GFN).
Its experts compare the rate of human consumption of biological resources (human ecological footprint) with the ability of the planet to recover.
The earlier the day of eco-debt comes, the greater the debt to the planet and future generations, and vice versa, the closer to the end of the year the date shifts, the less debt.
In 2020, the day of eco-debt came on August 22, and in 2019 - on July 29.

Popular destinations worldwide, from the Maldives to Turkey, are experiencing increased influxes of tourists, putting pressure on local ecosystems and infrastructure.

Title:

Content: Tourists - what stands before your eyes when you say this word?
In late Soviet times, there was someone in a windbreaker, with a backpack, ready to quickly install a tent, light a fire with one match and able to find a way, both with and without a compass.
There was another similar word, pronounced first with irony, and then with a breath - "intourist".
This “strange beast ” was incomprehensible, they looked at him with caution and did not understand what he was talking about in his language.
Later, already at the end of the existence of the USSR, the intourist became a source of jeans, plates and currency, since traveling abroad, even to the countries of “people ’ s democracy ”, not to mention capitalist countries, was available to a limited number of Soviet citizens.
A movie quote.
"The Diamond Hand".
Directed by L. Gaidai.
Mosfilm, 1969
Now with the word “tourist ” there are completely different associations.
Many compatriots visited not only tourist Turkey and Egypt, but also in many countries of Europe and the world and can get an idea of   the tourist service.
And having already got used to a certain standard of service abroad, we expect about the same service in our home country.
Nevertheless, despite the recitations of the relevant officials about the importance and necessity of tourism development, these words are perceived by many, including those in power, as some mantras, which must be repeated, but not taken seriously.
Tourism as a sector of the world economy
Meanwhile, tourism revenues as a contribution to global GDP may soon be in second place after oil revenues.
The dynamics of the movement is impressive: in 2013, tourism as an export item ranked fifth in the world after oil, chemical, food and automotive industries, in 2015 it was third, overtaking the food and automotive industries (according to the UN special agency UNWTO).
In 2016, the demand for international tourism remained the same, despite some difficulties.
According to the UNWTO Barometer of International Tourism, the number of international tourist arrivals increased by 3.9% and reached a total of 1 billion 235 million.
In 2016, the number of international tourists (overnight visitors) increased by about 46 million compared to 2015.
2016 was the seventh consecutive year of sustained growth since the global financial and economic crisis of 2009.
Such a period of continuous, stable growth has not been observed since the 60s of the XX century.
As a result, in 2016, the number of international tourists traveling around the world increased by 300 million compared to the pre-crisis figure for 2008.
Revenues from international tourism increased at a commensurate pace during this period.
And although outbound tourism, due to the decline in income in Russia is at a low level, despite a certain stabilization of the economy, the possibilities of inbound tourism are not fully used.
Russian regions are a storehouse of potential tourist routes.
These are historical and cultural monuments, ecological tourism, the richness of natural diversity.
Most foreign tourists visit mainly Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Golden Ring.
After the Olympics-2014 there were foreigners in Sochi, although there, mostly now rests Russian tourist.
There are attempts to create other tourist products, but they are not effective enough.
Baikal still can not boast of infrastructure for receiving tourists.
Kamchatka, rather, will be able to visit lovers of thrills and owners of not skinny wallets.
The Russian Arctic is taking steps to attract tourists, and even quite successful, but this season, for example, it is said about 1,000 tourists, and one cruise liner arriving in St. Petersburg brings up to 4,000 people.
That is, it is also a kind of exclusive, not mass tourism, but it is important and necessary, if this is correctly and in the right proportions to convey to a foreign audience.
Do I need a visa to enter Russia?
According to some experts, the situation can change the facilitation or abolition of the visa regime for residents of a number of EU countries and North America.
After the introduction of the law on visa-free stay of tourists for 72 hours arriving by sea, the flow of cruise tourists to St. Petersburg increased by more than 1.5 times, but cruise tourism is still a holiday closer to the premium, at least in the mass consciousness.
Attempts to adopt a law in the State Duma of the Russian Federation that allows tourists arriving by plane or train to board cruise or ferry vessels to stay without visas for 72 hours have not yet been successful.
Not to mention the wider application of the law and allowing all EU citizens to stay in Russia for 72 hours.
After all, to identify undesirable, dangerous and illegal citizens, it is enough to have biometric passports, and check at the border of the absence in the lists of Interpol and Europol, in the Russian databases of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
For all holders of bio passports, it is possible to put an additional requirement of sufficient financial security.
For now, even the thought of it seems seditious.
The main objections from the Foreign Ministry relate to the principle of reciprocity, because for Russian citizens such preferences in the European Union in the near future are not provided.
But after all, at the end of the Obama presidency, Russian diplomats were expelled from the United States, and there were no retaliatory measures on our part, in anticipation of the change of presidents in the United States.
So, there are exceptions to the principles of reciprocity, can we make an exception to the question of the availability of visas?
Simplification of entry to Russia can significantly increase the tourist flow and bring additional revenues to the budget, make tourism a really important income industry, one of the additional sources of revenue to the budget in the period of low oil prices.
The current procedure for issuing visas for foreigners is quite bureaucratic and not cheap, and is one of the limiting factors for the development of inbound tourism.
Now, according to the direct contribution of tourism to employment, Russia is on the 162nd place in the world between Yemen and Sierra Leone and is 1.2% (according to the open data aggregator Knoema), and the total contribution of tourism to Russia's GDP in 2016 amounted to 62.6 billion dollars.
For comparison, in the US in 2016, $1,509 billion, Germany $376 billion, India $208 billion.
As you can see, employment and income figures show that growth opportunities exist, and they are quite large.
Are there fewer tourist attractions in our country than in Germany?
Tourism and Soft Power
In addition to the great economic potential that exists for the country with an increase in the number of tourists, and the possibility of involving a large number of workers in the tourism industry, as well as the development of small businesses, we must not forget that attracting more foreign citizens who visited our country can become one of the points of application of the so-called soft power.
In the American and European media, a certain stereotype of the perception of Russia has been formed, and it is clearly negative.
Some voices in the media and social networks describing Russia as a country not only rich in its historical and cultural past, but also as a modern European power with its own view on some issues of modern life, sound just from those who visited us and saw with their own eyes that Russian is not only a man with a balalaika, with a bottle of vodka in his pocket with a bear.
The more foreign citizens visit our country, communicate with local residents, the more difficult it will be to convince them later that Russia is the offspring of hell, the most terrible threat to humanity, ahead of even ISIS (an organization banned on the territory of the Russian Federation).
Of course, the visa issue is only one of many, it is necessary to develop tourism infrastructure, raise standards of tourist services in the regions, prepare and offer new tourism products, inform foreign travel companies about new opportunities in the regions of Russia.
All these and other issues have been discussed in the country for more than a decade.
They can be moved out of place if decision-makers realize that the contribution of income from tourism both to the regional budget and to the federal budget, with the right approach, can be quite large, especially for regions rich not in minerals, but in objects of history and culture.
If this awareness really comes, then all the necessary activities can be filled with real content.
The abolition of visas for Europeans, of course, will not happen now, it looks too radical in our modern realities, but it is necessary to start talking about it or at least about the maximum simplification of issuing visas, about the electronic method of applying or obtaining a visa right at the border.
The tourism industry, small business and the country as a whole will benefit from these events.

Meanwhile, countries like Russia are seeing increased domestic tourism and are beginning to focus on the quality of tourism over mere quantity, exploring niche and ecotourism options that emphasize sustainability and cultural sensitivity.

Nevertheless, many new tourism products are underdeveloped, with effective, responsible messaging often lacking.

Overtourism can yield economic benefits: increased tourism creates jobs, stimulates small businesses, and acts as a form of soft power by cultivating international goodwill.

However, it also brings social and environmental challenges.

Local residents and tour operators stress the need for responsible tourism—ensuring visitors respect local customs, preserve natural environments, and minimize waste—though enforcement and awareness remain inconsistent.

Historically, mass tourism has shifted from exclusive, slow-paced experiences to fast, checklist-driven visits, with tourists now rushing to capture major sights rather than immersing themselves in local culture or nature.

Title:

Content: Thursday, 13 July 2023
"...
"... on a march en troupeau, on a regard en troupeau"
Author:, Geneva,.
Since the end of the 19th century, travel to Switzerland has become accessible to an increasing number of people.
Old poster
Since the end of the XIX century, travel has become available not only for the rich, but also for the middle classes of the population.
Switzerland is increasingly opening its doors to anyone who wants to admire the alpine landscapes and other beauties.
Gradually, tourism is replacing “just travel ”: the country is confidently embarking on a path that several decades later will lead to the beginning of an era that made this phenomenon mass.
Like any phenomenon, tourism has positive and negative sides.
Mark Twain writes about this with his characteristic humor in his book “Walking through Europe ”:“ It is amazing how in our century everything has changed in Switzerland, and in all of Europe.
About seventy or eighty years ago, Napoleon was the only person who could be called a tourist - he was the only one who really interested in tourism and paid attention to it, he was the only one who took long journeys - now anyone goes anywhere, even to the ends of the world; and Switzerland and other places, a hundred years ago considered an unknown reserve, now every summer turn into a buzzing hive, inhabited by an unknown "The Tourists."
The birth of tourism meant not only an increase in the number of people coming to a particular country, but also a change in many aspects of travel.
Already in the middle of the XIX century, the famous English writer and artist John Ruskin warned about the negative aspects that inevitably accompanied the emergence of a new phenomenon.
In 1864, speaking to entrepreneurs, he stigmatized those who, in his opinion, their actions brought the end of the era of travel, in particular, and in Switzerland.
According to Raskin, the journey turned into a pursuit of entertainment, and the impressions received by the modern traveling public, he compared with the pleasure of attractions.
“Your idea of   what pleasure is is limited to traveling in a railway car.
Why, I ask, did you throw the railway bridge over the Schaffenhausen waterfall, why was it necessary to build a tunnel through the rocks under Lucerne?
You just destroyed the shores of Lake Geneva, especially in the Clarence area.
Even in the Alps you see as a fairground attraction, as a slippery post, on which you need to climb for the fun of the public and then roll down it, issuing so-called enthusiastic cries! ” he wrote.
Of course, Raskin can be accused of retrograde: the call to stop the construction of bridges across rivers and the laying of tunnels through the thick earth is tantamount to an attempt to stop technological progress.
However, it is impossible not to admit that he very accurately identified the problem.
Yes, the developed infrastructure allows more people faster and easier to get to the most remote corners of Switzerland, but at the same time, technological progress does not facilitate, but complicates the genuine contact with nature, does not allow you to truly appreciate the beauty.Tourists could see more in a short time and do it in fairly comfortable conditions, but they lost the opportunity to plunge into the real life of the country with all its pros and cons.
In 1903, the magazine "Russian Tourist" published an interesting article "A few words about tourism", dedicated to this topic.
It noted that “the difference between the tourist and the traveler is as great as the different methods and means used by both in the movement. ”
The tourist “needs endurance, adaptability, the ability to quickly navigate, choose from the mass of phenomena the most outstanding, remember them and recycle ”.
As a result, the author defined tourists as follows: these are people “who are in a hurry to take advantage of the sparsely measured rest and replace everyday impressions with fresh ones. ”
Going on the road, the tourist and the traveler pursued various goals.
The task of the tourist is to relax, have fun, get new impressions.
The traveler sought to acquire new knowledge, to get acquainted with a new country, people, their mores and customs.
As a rule, he undertook a journey in order to enrich his life experience, to become a more perfect person.
The most important difference between a tourist and a traveler is the difference in time they devoted to the trip.
Limited time was one of the most important characteristics of the tourist, who often did not have the opportunity to make a detailed inspection of the city: he only needed to have time to run around the most important sights.
Limited time predetermined another important difference between a tourist and a traveler: the tourist had to plan in advance, organize a trip, and this meant that he needed the help of a guidebook and, preferably, a travel agency.
The traveler, going on a trip, of course, also planned what he would like to see.
But these plans were quite approximate, they could change depending on the circumstances.
Ideally, the tourist should know in advance what and when he will inspect.
As a result, this became another characteristic feature of tourism: the tourist often did not discover anything new, but only followed the program offered to him.
John Ruskin wrote with bewilderment about the advertised trips “Europe in a Week ”.
These railroad marches were organized, beginning in 1862, by the first tourist company of Thomas Cook, of which we have already told.
“A journey made at a speed of one hundred miles per hour will in no way make us stronger, happier or wiser internally.
There is and will always be something in the world that needs to be approached slowly.
The faster we sweep past such places, the less we see, the less we remember and the less we understand.
The real value is not speed, but slow contemplation, comprehension and memorization.
A bullet does not bring happiness, no matter how fast it flies.
A person, if he really wants to become a truly wise person, will only be enriched if he moves from one interesting place to another without unnecessary haste.
Indeed, only during long, unhurried trips you can enjoy the landscapes, capture what you saw in your heart, and most importantly, learn to appreciate the beautiful.
The idea that memories of the journey can help in the future to experience happy moments comes the English poet William Wordsworth, who was in Switzerland in 1790.
Leaving Geneva, he crossed the Chamonix Valley, climbed the Simplon Pass, and then descended the Gondo Gorge to Lake Maggiore.
He not only visited the Alps, but walked most of the route on foot.
In one of the letters to his sister, he describes his feelings: “Now that the landscapes seen on the way are imprinted in my memory, I can hardly live even one day without remembering them and not receiving another portion of happiness from contemplating, albeit mentally, these beautiful images. ”
The discovery of Switzerland by the first Russian travelers was also the result not of march-throws, but of long, unhurried trips.
Thus, the famous historian Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin spent about seven months in Switzerland from the beginning of August 1789 to the beginning of March 1790.
As a result, he knew the country so well that he was able to tell the Russian reader not only about its landscapes, sights, but also about the mores of its inhabitants.
Another famous Russian traveler of the XIX century, the poet Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky, came to Switzerland three times: first in 1821, and then in 1832-1833.
For him, staying in Switzerland is not just a sight of beautiful landscapes.
In nature, in the broad sense of the word, the poet appreciates what it gives for the soul of man, he sought to merge with it, allowing to purify and renew the soul and mind.
Zhukovsky constantly writes about this: “The nature that surrounded me was beautiful, but the main charm of the surrounding is our soul, is the feeling that it brings to the sanctuary of nature. ”
The journey through Switzerland left such a strong impression on the poet that even many years later he exclaimed: “Yes, I climbed Fourka, Gotthard!
These sublime, incomparable pictures of nature will always stand before my spiritual eyes. ”
To experience such emotions, to experience such intensity of feelings and to take a fresh look at the world, of course, is much more difficult, if at all possible, during a short tourist trip.
The tourist seeks to get pleasure from the trip, which means that he needs comfort, not extra effort.
Otherwise, he will not enjoy the trip.
Brilliantly formulated the goals of the tourist modern author Philip Giset in his book "The Art of Travel": "Minimum suffering and maximum pleasure - this is the motto of the tourist."
The traveler, unlike the tourist, on the contrary, is ready for the difficulties that the road has prepared for him, comfort is much less important.
Previously, travelers were constantly faced with unforeseen situations, even with risk, each trip was a kind of adventure, and it was an indispensable part of the journey.
With organized tourist trips, the probability of encountering a risky situation was minimized, which did not inspire enthusiasm for everyone.
Thus, P. Jakubowicz ’ s guide to Rome and Southern Italy, published in 1874, noted: “The journey has lost a significant part of its poetry from the absence of numerous small adventures, which are told in many old books; but it seems that everyone will prefer the late journey in the railroad car to poetry associated with the very dangerous attacks of robbers. ”
But how often it is experienced difficulties and even dangers that allow you to feel what is happening more acutely, leave the strongest impressions.
Let us turn, for example, to the memoirs of the Russian artist Alexander Benois.
In 1894, he decided to travel through the Saint-Gotthard Pass not by train through the tunnel, but by wheelchair, as was customary in earlier times.
The night that caught him on the pass, he spent in a hotel, where it was so cold that he and his wife were seriously afraid of freezing.
It was a real test.
But the greater was the pleasure of the next day: “But how wonderful was the whole subsequent day from the moment when we sat in the carriage ordered the day before and drove along the beautiful smooth highway.
“We have had some fun.
There is that excitement that always covers after the fact that some danger has passed, and you embark on an adventure, being sure in advance that it will end safely.
The stroller was old-fashioned, but comfortable, the springs were excellent, well-fed horses ran straight trot, the coachman with impressive fortitude was the most reliable kind.
For most people, limited by both time and material frames, the trip, as Raskin wrote about it at the dawn of tourism, was increasingly reduced to receiving emotions similar to those that a person receives from an attraction.
About such a tourist in more than a hundred years Joseph Brodsky will say: "I doubt even whether I saw what I remember looking at...".
First, the eyes “replaced ” cameras, now in their place came camera phones, and the main task of most tourists was to see and shoot as much as possible.
There is a feeling of mass psychosis: people seem to be afraid that if they do not capture the next attraction, the trip will lose its meaning, and they will not remember what they saw.
Actually, it's not that simple.
A look through the camera of a camera or phone captures the object, but does not allow you to perceive it to the fullest, pulls it out of the context of the surrounding landscape and thereby not only impoverishes the picture, but also does not allow you to enjoy it fully, and therefore complicates the process of memorization.
Today, when almost everyone can go beyond the three nine lands, all the trends mentioned above have finally prevailed.
The modern tourist prefers such a trip by plane, by train or by car, in which unpleasant surprises are minimized.
Romanticism is not in vogue today, the purpose of the trip has become more mundane, pragmatic, for many it is minimized: to make a “selfie ”, which will immediately be sent to friends and acquaintances.
And such a person often evaluates his trip not by the impression that he had seen, but by the number of “likes ” under his photos.
CURRENCY RATES
CHF-USD 1.14
CHF-EUR 1.03
CHF-RUB 103.17
The Association
Association
POPULAR IN A WEEK
"Lux starts with five million."
According to the observations of the staff of the Geneva real estate agency Pilot & Renaud, the war in Ukraine did not affect the highest segment of the market, and some initiatives of politicians need clarification.
All views: 668
"The Wild Years"
The play of words contained in the title of the exhibition opening today at the Fondation Pierre Janadde in Martigny will be immediately understood by fans of Fauvism.
All views: 538
Switzerland will help Ukraine to restore schools
Thanks to the financial support of Bern, about 15,000 Ukrainian schoolchildren will be able to continue their studies.
All views: 515
NOW READING
Black and white love
If anyone doubts that Swiss women are capable of full dedication in love, send this person to read the book of Corinna Hofmann “White Maasai ”.
The autobiographical story of her marriage to an African warrior from the Maasai tribe has been translated into 30 languages and has sold 4 million copies.
Total visits: 62,542
Switzerland will help Ukraine to restore schools
Thanks to the financial support of Bern, about 15,000 Ukrainian schoolchildren will be able to continue their studies.
All views: 515
Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the Swiss Parliament.
What's next?
One of the consequences of this event could be the holding in Geneva of a world summit on peace and security.
All views: 2,107
© 2023 Our Newspaper - NashaGazeta.ch
All materials posted on the website www.nashagazeta.ch are protected under Swiss copyright law and international agreements.
Full or partial use of materials is possible only with the permission of the editorial board.
In case of full or partial reproduction of the materials of the site Nashagazeta.ch, an ACTIVE HYPERLINK to a specific borrowed text is MANDATORY.
The images posted by Nashagazeta.ch are the exclusive property of Nashagazeta.ch.
Full or partial reproduction of photos without the permission of the editorial office is prohibited.
The editorial board is not responsible for the opinions expressed by readers in comments and bloggers on their personal pages.
The opinion of the authors may not coincide with the opinion of the editors.
Scroll to Top
Scroll to Top

This change, influenced by time constraints and the desire for instant gratification, often results in superficial encounters and a diminished sense of genuine discovery or well-being.

The psychological aspect of overtourism also emerges: a "fear of missing out" compels travelers to document every landmark, sometimes at the expense of meaningful engagement.

This mass behavior can feel like a kind of collective mania.

**Key takeaways for sustainable tourism management:**
- Overtourism is driven by economic development, globalization, social media culture, and the democratization of travel.

- Its consequences include strain on local infrastructure, environmental degradation, risks to heritage sites, and socio-cultural tensions.

- While it can drive economic growth, it demands robust regulation, awareness campaigns, and innovative tourism products that emphasize sustainability, quality of experience, and respect for local communities and ecosystems.

- The industry and policymakers must balance economic gains with responsible stewardship to protect both people and places, suggesting a need for strategies focused on diversification, education, and carrying capacity management.

**Summary: Causes and Consequences of Overtourism – Key Insights**

**1.

Title:

Content: Global News
The world today - spraying with water guns..
Are tourist expulsions spreading in Europe?
You are now following the news of spraying with water guns.
Are tourist expulsions spreading in Europe?
From the World News section and now we leave you with the full details
SAHAD MOHAMMED - Abu Dhabi on Friday 19 July 2024 04: 25 PM - Spain's tourism unrest has reached its peak in the past few days, with some locals in Barcelona spraying tourists with water guns and canned drinks, asking them to go back to where they came from.
Angry residents, numbering about 3,000, blocked the entrances to hotels and cafes in the Barceloneta neighborhood in a symbolic attempt to express their indignation at the excessive tourist overcrowding in their city.
This is not the first time tourism has been highlighted as a problem in Spain, where the country, which attracted 85 million visitors in 2023, has seen a series of protests against excessive tourism in the country, especially in the city of Barcelona with a population of 1.6 million, which received more than 7.8 million visitors in 2023, leaving many locals unable to afford to live there due to high rental prices.
Fear of Protests in Europe
Spain ’ s overcrowding problem, and the decision to confront it by locals, has highlighted the potential for anti-tourist protests to spread to the rest of Europe ’ s heavily tourist-ridden cities, as UNESCO ’ s Sustainable Tourism Project chief Peter Debrin warned.
The protests will certainly spread if European officials fail to address the negative impact of mass tourism on the lives of the local population, DeBrin says, noting that the situation in Spain has become very volatile, as the coming of civil society and its attempt to bring about change is critical, after all elected officials must respond to what the residents of their cities want.
He cited the 2021 ban on large cruise ships in Venice, Italy, which was passed after protests by residents, as cruise ships no longer pass through the Grand Canal, but are now docked away from Venice, helping to preserve the city ’ s structural and environmental integrity.
But despite the decision to ban large cruise ships in Venice, passengers continue to flock to its narrow lanes in the thousands, with Venice expected to attract about 540,000 cruise passengers this year, an increase of 9 percent compared to 2023, according to the North Adriatic Ports Authority.
In a bid to reduce crowds, Venice has imposed a 5 euro ($5.45) tourist tax on peak days this year, a measure that has so far failed to rein in tourist numbers, Euronews reported.
Quality rather than quantity tourism
Like Venice, Barcelona residents have long struggled with the global popularity of their city: every year, fewer locals say tourism benefits the city, while more people feel it is harmful, according to a survey conducted by the Barcelona City Council in 2023.
UNESCO ’ s Sustainable Tourism Project Chief Officer Peter Debrin believes that Barcelona, which handles too many travelers, could join cities and countries that rely on a “quality over quantity ” tourism strategy – prioritizing high-spending travelers, rather than budget ones – a strategy that gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic, when safety and employment concerns pushed destinations around the world to take in fewer affordable travelers. Instead of a lot of budget travelers.
Debrin said Barcelona ’ s reliance on a “quality rather than quantity ” tourism strategy helps correct another problem plaguing the city: tourists who behave badly, noting that for Barcelona residents, it ’ s not just about visitor numbers, but also how people behave, with Spaniards complaining for years about tourists drinking too much, throwing garbage and cigarettes on the streets.
Debrin called on tourists to be more aware in their travel decisions, suggesting focusing on beautiful cities with fascinating tourist and cultural attractions, which are in need of more tourists.
Civil Society Demands
Civil society groups are calling on Barcelona officials to implement a number of policies aimed at “declining tourism growth, ” such as increased tourism taxes, restrictions on cruise ships, and restrictions on short-term rental housing, just like the steps being explored in Amsterdam to crack down on buses, boutiques, new hotels and short-term rentals. In 2023, it asks some visitors, especially young British tourists, to“ stay away ” if they are travelling to the city for drugs or partying.
The most popular Spanish cities with tourists
The General Coordinator of the Association of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Mediterranean States (ASCAME) Anwar Zebawi, said in an interview to the site "Economy dot Gulf", that some tourist destinations in Spain already suffer from the problem of overcrowding, and these destinations are Barcelona, Malaga, Madrid and Valencia, as these four cities attract tourists more than their capacity, and the problem is that the largest number of these tourists, come in specific months of the year. Sixty percent of all tourists who visit Barcelona each year do so during the months between July and September, creating severe congestion, while the other 40 percent is spread over the rest of the year.
Amplify for protests
Zibawi stressed that what everyone should realize, is that there is a kind of amplification of the recent protests in Barcelona,   the city has not witnessed "major" demonstrations against tourists, as the problem of the local population is never with tourists, and the people who have been sprayed with water, very few and may not exceed the fingers of one hand, pointing out that what happened was directed against those who rent houses as hotel houses. Real estate, largely, deprived the local population, especially young people, of the possibility of obtaining apartments at an appropriate rental price.
Causes of tourist overcrowding in Barcelona
Zibawi explains that one of the reasons that contribute to excessive tourist congestion in Barcelona,   is to allow tourists to stay in tourist houses and chaos in this area, the city contains about 10 thousand houses that have a license to do these works, while there are about 30 thousand hotels operating without a license and in a way contrary to the law, the offer of houses for rent at competitive prices, in addition to cheap flights available in Europe make the cost of travel to Barcelona tourist destinations. This has exacerbated the phenomenon of excessive tourism.
European cities where protests could spread
According to Zibawi, the European cities that can witness objections from the local population because of their suffering from excessive tourism, are Rome, Venice, some Italian islands, Crete in Greece, and some other Greek islands, while Amsterdam in the Netherlands, suffer from the problem of excessive tourism only, in some weeks of the year, especially at the end of the year. year.
Paris found a solution.
Zibawi pointed out that Paris had a major problem with the subject of overcrowding of tourists, and therefore prevented the work of hotel houses and raised the prices of hotels, where she saw that these steps contribute to making the cost of travel high, which prevents the tourist who does not have enough money to come, and this limits the phenomenon of overcrowding, pointing out that if the principle of quality tourism instead of quantity in Barcelona, this may solve the problem of overcrowding and contribute to the distribution of tourists in other areas. Spain.
Solutions that can be resorted to
For his part, Amer Daboussi, executive partner of Eagle Travel Travel, said in an interview with Eqtisad.al-Khaleej that cities suffering from tourist congestion can face this phenomenon by adopting a policy of "quality rather than quantity", where this policy focuses on imposing high standards of hospitality to attract rich or well-resourced tourists, and get rid of the large numbers of tourists from the middle category. h its reception, which reduces the negative effects on the local community.
Dabbousi believes that cities can also resort to the solutions of imposing tourism taxes on foreign visitors, raising hotel prices, restricting the work of hotel house rental applications by imposing financial fees on these apartments and using the revenues collected to improve infrastructure in tourist areas, in addition to the need for affected countries to market new tourist destinations within them, which contributes to attracting visitors to areas outside the main tourist centers.
Excessive damage from tourism
Cities facing the challenges of overcrowding, such as Bangkok in Thailand, Paris in France and New York in the United States, as well as some Greek and Spanish cities, must take measures to manage tourism sustainably and distribute tourism pressure in a way that preserves the quality of life of local residents and respects local culture. Eat and drink, making life more expensive for local residents.
We hope that we have succeeded in conveying the full details of the spraying with water guns..
Are tourist expulsions spreading in Europe?
In God ’ s care and protection.
Advertisements
You may also read.

Definition & Core Problem:**
Overtourism occurs when the volume of visitors at a destination exceeds its capacity to cope, leading to negative social, environmental, and economic consequences.

Title:

Content: 6 Innovative Strategies to Reduce the Impact of Temperatures on Middle East Seasons
This phenomenon is due to various factors.
Many destinations suffer from the most important obstacles to the continuation of tourism growth, which is the "seasonality of tourism", whether these destinations are in the Middle East or other regions of the world.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the term "seasonality of tourism" is a temporary variation in tourism activities and patterns of visit and travel, within a given destination and over a specified period of time.
This phenomenon is due to various factors that are generally classified into four categories, including natural, cultural, institutional and economic factors.
Volatility caused by these factors can create a host of challenges for the destination during peak and recession seasons, necessitating the implementation of specific strategic plans and initiatives to overcome these challenges and mitigate their negative impacts, as well as maximize benefits during the recession season.
Colliers, a research and studies specialist, published a report entitled “Decommissioning Tourism in the Middle East: Reasons, Initiatives and Methods for Decommissioning Tourism in the Middle East ”, which provides a detailed analysis of the most prominent seasonal trends observed in the Middle East and proposes innovative ways to address the resulting tourism fluctuations. High temperatures on tourism in the Middle East.
The report outlines six innovative strategies to increase awareness of and more effectively manage seasonal fluctuations in the region ’ s tourism sector. The first strategy is to scale up destination offerings by offering a variety of types of tourism targeted at those less affected by recession, who focus more on experiences than the weather, including adventure, cultural or wellness enthusiasts.
The second strategy is to provide a mix of customized products, which contribute to stimulating demand according to the target segment, destination and available resources.
Other strategies include designing infrastructure capable of dealing with extreme conditions to ensure tourists are comfortable when temperatures rise, enhancing event schedules, implementing targeted promotional campaigns during recessions, and establishing strategic partnerships with other destinations offering different or similar tourism patterns to minimize the negative effects of seasonality and take advantage of its many advantages.
Tourist destinations experience low visitation rates during recessionary seasons, leading to lower revenues and overall economic activity, and high temperatures in the Middle East play a pivotal role in this equation, requiring innovative approaches to overcome these challenges and enable these destinations to thrive throughout the year.
News you might like.
No stories found.
Sabq Electronic Newspaper
sabq.org

Causes of Overtourism:**
- **Seasonal Concentration:** In cities like Barcelona, 60% of tourists visit during peak summer months, causing severe congestion, while the rest of the year sees significantly fewer visitors.

- **Focus on Quantity:** Destinations prioritizing high tourist numbers, especially budget travelers, over quality experiences exacerbate pressure on resources and infrastructure.

- **Popularity of Iconic Sites:** Attractions like the Louvre experience overwhelming crowds due to their global fame, with tourists often rushing rather than appreciating the offerings, degrading the overall experience.

- **Lack of Diversification:** Many tourists cluster around central or well-known sites, leaving other parts of cities under-visited and contributing to localized overcrowding.

- **Global Trends:** Cheap flights, social media exposure, and standardized tour packages amplify the focus on certain destinations and sights.

Title:

Content: Wednesday 27 September 2023
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
Abdurrahim Ali
Editor-in-Chief
Dalia Abdul Rahim
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editorial Board
Abdurrahim Ali
Editor-in-Chief
Dalia Abdul Rahim
The world.
Guterres: Tourism is a powerful force that can be used to drive progress and promote mutual understanding
Follow the latest news through the app
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said tourism is a powerful force that can be harnessed to drive progress and promote mutual understanding, but for it to achieve its full benefits, it must be protected and nurtured.
This came in a message to Guterres on the occasion of World Tourism Day, published on the official website of the United Nations, on Wednesday.
The climate emergency is currently threatening many travel destinations and the survival of tourism-dependent communities and economies.
Many developing countries that are severely affected by climate change are also facing a growing investment deficit and a cost-of-living crisis.
On World Tourism Day, we recognize the urgent need for green investments to build a tourism sector that benefits people and the planet, and governments and businesses must invest in sustainable and resilient tourism practices.
Private sector actors must adopt zero-emission pathways, reduce their energy consumption and benefit from renewable forms of energy, and all must protect biodiversity and ecological balance in all destinations.
Targeted investments can create jobs and support local businesses and industries while mitigating the environmental impacts of tourism, empowering communities, enhancing their cultures, and contributing to basic social protection systems, Guterres said.
Guterres concluded his message by calling for more efforts to harness the full potential of sustainable tourism, because investing in sustainable tourism is an investment in a better future for all.

Title:

Content: Director of the Department of Associate Members of the World Tourism Organization Ion Velco
Riyadh has become a center for coordinating tourism policies and initiatives for 13 countries in the Middle East
2024 sees return to pre-pandemic global tourism
The opening of the UNWTO Regional Office for Tourism for the Middle East in Riyadh has made it a focal point for coordinating tourism policies and initiatives for the 13 countries of the region, including many tourism projects and products. It also represents a hub for communication, dialogue and decision-making, and gives hope to many people in the region to enjoy the many benefits provided by the tourism industry at the economic and social level.
Ion Velco is a Romanian diplomat with a long career in diplomacy, having served as Ambassador of the Republic of Romania to several countries, including Chile, Argentina, Mexico and Spain, in addition to serving as Minister of State and Head of Protocol and Protocol in the Government of the Republic of Romania.
Velco explained the importance of UNWTO as one of the world ’ s leading agencies in the field of tourism, and as a leading global organization in the field of tourism, the organization promotes tourism as an engine of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability, and works to provide leadership and support to the sector in terms of spreading modern knowledge and tourism policies globally.
The United Nations also encourages the application of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism in order to maximize the economic and social contribution of the tourism industry while minimizing its potential negative impacts, and is committed to promoting tourism as a means of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which in turn seek to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development at the global level.
In this context, UN Tourism develops knowledge related to the tourism industry, promotes policies and tools to increase competitiveness and sustainability, supports tourism education and training, and works to make tourism an effective vehicle for development by providing technical assistance to projects in more than 100 countries around the world.
Velco demonstrated the ability of UN Tourism to overcome the worst crises and regain its dynamism in a very short period of time.
International tourism has rebounded, reaching about 90% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023.
The number of international tourists is estimated to have reached 1.3 billion this year, a third more than in 2022.
Revenues from global tourism traffic are expected to reach $1.4 trillion in 2023, representing a recovery of almost 93% from the $1.5 trillion recorded in 2019.
Despite economic and geopolitical challenges, such as rising prices for services such as accommodation and passenger transport – due to rising oil prices, uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, and other rising geopolitical tensions – still pose additional risks that could affect the recovery rate. Number of arrivals and revenue.
The UN has 160 member governments or member states, associate members, 466 members, and associate members, and is reserved for provinces that do not have independent representation of foreign affairs and are included in the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories in the United Nations.
UNWTO membership is open to intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, destination management organizations, tourism promotion entities, tourism professional organizations, institutions and associations, tourism-related education, training and research entities, as well as tourism businesses and business entities.
The Department in Riyadh promotes cooperation in the field of tourism between the public and private sectors through its members, through the establishment of a network of 470 members among private companies, organizations, unions, educational institutions and destination management entities. This network provides a unique opportunity to integrate in the exchange of experiences and increase cooperation to support the development of the tourism sector and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
We offer many benefits to members, for example by providing communication between members and each other through our online platform AMConnected is an interactive virtual space for members where they can communicate, collaborate and share experiences. We also offer greater opportunities to expand member networks, where they can interact and exchange information in order to address tourism issues of common interest in all fields. Giving members the opportunity to participate in the events and meetings held by the organization through which members can present their initiatives or benefit from the best practices in the field of tourism.
Membership also provides more visibility through the newsletter, which is a monthly newsletter that highlights and promotes member initiatives and projects among associate members, and allows them to communicate with potential business partners to promote the services they can provide.
On the other hand, members can obtain the right to use the logo and trademark of the organization, both on their websites and on their daily correspondence, in order to indicate membership of the United Nations Tourism Organization, thus enhancing the effectiveness and visibility of the member's activities.
Last but not least, the membership provides access to the UNWTO e-Tourism Library, which includes more than 1,100 tourism publications and research, as well as access to periodic reports and statistical bulletins issued by the Organization, which represent unique research and information coverage in the field of tourism.
We currently have 466 members, of which 39 are from the Middle East, of which 15 are from Saudi Arabia, and we are proud to have been able to double the number of members from the Middle East over the past year, as a result of the successful implementation of the new expansion strategy that seeks to achieve a more balanced geographical distribution of members.
Looking ahead, we expect additional responses from our target entities from the Middle East, and we are convinced that percentage will grow in the future.
Related Stories
No stories found.
Sabq Electronic Newspaper
sabq.org

Social & Community Impacts:**
- **Local Discontent and Protest:** Residents often protest as their daily lives are disrupted by overcrowded streets and surging demand for housing and services.

- **Loss of Authenticity:** Local traditions, food, and crafts risk being sidelined for mass-produced or “tourist-friendly” versions, eroding a destination’s soul and cultural richness.

- **Travel Fatigue:** Tourists themselves may experience stress and dissatisfaction, rushing from site to site without meaningful engagement.

Title:

Content: Slow travel.
How do you enjoy your vacation in 2023 in a completely different way?
Tourism and travel have recently become another way to keep up with popular trends or “trends ”, and to capture impressive images that bring in more followers.
While planning vacations, some no longer think only of the places they themselves wish to visit, as much as they observe the experiences of others on social media and think of all those wonderful places they go.
In the meantime, we seem to be surrounded by a flood of travel and tourism social media accounts, which post only minute-long "flutes" where influencers navigate between various fascinating tourist destinations.
Photos and leaflets tell you that you can travel to 10 places in seven days, and that there are 100 destinations you shouldn ’ t miss.
All of this makes us feel like we are in a race to go to as many destinations as possible in as little time as possible, and creates hunger for more experiences, drives us to jump like rabbits from one destination to another and from one experience to another, so we plan vacations filled with experiences, destinations and landmarks instead of focusing our time and budgets on what really interests us.
So, perhaps it ’ s time to rethink the way we travel from a different perspective that gives us more opportunity to relax and delve deeper into the travel experience, through “slow travel. ”
From food to travel.
In praise of slow and slow
In the 1980s, in 1986, McDonald ’ s opened a new branch in Piazza di Spagna, one of Rome ’ s most famous tourist attractions.
Italian sociologist and activist Carlo Petrini published a statement announcing the launch of the Slow Food movement as a reaction to fast food that has become permeating food cultures from one country to another, leaving its negative impact on food cultures and local cooking and turning it into a similar and unified “monster. ”
The statement sparked interest around the world, and quickly led to the emergence of a global movement and organization supported by more than 100,000 members, a movement that over time evolved into sub-ideas in other domains such as slow living, slow design, and slow travel.
Hence the term Slow Tourism, an approach to travel that offers different possibilities and ways to support sustainable tourism and low-carbon tourism, based on reducing mobility by plane and car, and relying more on bicycles or walking.
It also relies on communicating with local people and cultures and eating local folk food, with an interest in preserving the environment (2).
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, global tourism had reached a record high of 671 million international tourists.
Despite the positive effects of the boom in tourism, it has a negative aspect that cannot be ignored.
In a study published in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism, researchers focused on the potential of slow travel in the face of climate change challenges, with travel at the time of publication accounting for 50-97.5% of the amount of heat emission of most tourist trips.
The emerging concept of slow travel at the time was a reaction to high-carbon travel practices, so that slow travel becomes an integral part of the tourism experience and not just a difference in mode of transportation.
The negative impact of the tourism boom was not only on the increasing carbon footprint, but also on other environmental impacts of no less importance, for example, the Philippine government was forced to temporarily close the Boracay tourist area in 2018 to tourists, after it was transformed from a picturesque island to a sewage and waste sink for tourists, which affected the aquatic life there.
All these and other effects have led to the embrace of a new way of tourism, while embracing greater responsibility towards the environment and local communities, and opening up another horizon for individual enjoyment and exploration of the self and the world.
Here are a selection of slow travel mechanisms that will help you enjoy this exciting experience.
Take the least traveled routes.
Off The Beaten Path (or The Road Less Traveled) is one of the terms associated with slow travel, and is adapted from verses by the American poet Robert Frost, which means choosing unusual areas and different routes than the familiar, crowded routes, and is highly associated with the search for hidden local gems and avoiding the pattern of consumer tourism.
We advise you to stay away from peak tourist seasons, so you will be able to avoid the crowds, as well as get cheaper accommodation and transfers.
You will also be able to explore your destination slowly and quietly away from the crowds and crowds of tourists.
Nobody sees everything.
Many tourists fall into the sin of trying to see and discover everything, and you find lists such as “places not to miss if you go to such a country ” containing dozens of places that it is impossible for an ordinary person to visit all of them on a short vacation.
Take the Louvre as an example, one of the most famous and important museums in the world, with an area of   about 13 square kilometers, and its complex map makes you wonder will you be able to visit all these halls?
And see over a million pieces of art and history in one day?
Or even a few days?
Here you will have to choose between jumping from hall to hall and planning your visit so that you can see as many pieces as possible and take dozens of photos, or choose the pieces that really interest you, and look at each piece, and reflect on its meanings.
You can gasp from hall to hall, or you can settle for a few paintings, and if you go in the opposite direction, you can visit the same painting for several days and spend hours in front of it.
And what about the pictures?
The images are already on search sites, and believe me if you ’ re not an exceptional professional artist, the image you take in the Louvre has been taken by thousands of people before you.
Choose what matters to you, and build your own list based on your priorities.
If you don ’ t enjoy art, and you love outdoor adventure, why spend hours in a museum and see paintings you won ’ t be able to communicate with instead of climbing a mountain, for example.
The opposite is also true.
Think about what really interests your heart, are you a lover of architecture, nature or art and history?
And what are your priorities?
Let coincidence lead you.
Despite the importance of planning, planning every minute of your trip deprives you of a lot of coincidences that may give you irreplaceable opportunities.
Leave room for a bit of randomness, an empty space for chance, free tours in which your feet and intuition lead you towards the unknown and the adventure it carries.
You might want to skip the usual tourist attractions to enjoy other things, such as living like the locals and exploring the side streets away from the city center.
Knowing people is a treasure.
Speaking of side streets instead of renting a car, walking and using public transport will enable you to get to know the country better, as well as the chance to get to know the local population.
It is said that "the people of Mecca know its people", and so in every city, away from the popular tourist destinations, the people of the city know the best and cheapest places, restaurants and shops, and from them you can explore the city in the best possible ways.
Not only that, in movies we often see heroes change their lives after having an inspiring conversation with a passing person on the way.
Perhaps we wonder why we do not meet such inspirations, and why our lives do not change.
You may not be able to take inspiration if the ones you ’ re talking to are the hurried tourists or the tour guide.
But what about people from different cultures?
Shopkeepers and old people who sit in cafes, those who belong to a land other than your land and a time other than your time, is it not possible that if you open your heart and speak without concern, you can draw inspiration from them?
There is a hidden pleasure in talking to strangers you may never meet again.
The conversation may not turn your life upside down like in the movies, but if you allow your soul to open up enough, it could be an opportunity to explore a new aspect of yourself or the world.
Find out about local markets and food.
Instead of buying souvenirs from tourist bazaars or airports, you can try buying from local markets, where you will find unique handmade goods.
You can learn about the many handicrafts of each city, from which you explore its history, and support it in the face of counterfeit products that do not carry a soul.
Be sure to try local food as it is one of the most important experiences not to be missed when traveling.
Look for local dishes and try what works for you, visit local markets, and taste vegetables and fruits that may be unfamiliar in your country.
If you ’ re a foodie, you might want to take lessons in cooking local dishes, learn how to prepare them and understand more about the culture and history of the place.
Instead of searching for branches of international chains of cafes and restaurants drink your coffee in a small local cafe, meet the waiters and pioneers and pick up the tales scattered from their mouths, this is your real wealth from the journey, not the bright photographic image that resembles the hundreds of photos taken by tourists before you.
Get rid of travel stress
When you rush from one place to another with a full list of activities you do every minute, you usually come back from vacation with a deep sense of stress, which is called travel fatigue.
In the slow travel experience you will enjoy relaxing, walking through forests and gardens, or lying in the desert in a star-studded sky.
Ignore your phone and your desire to take pictures.
Relax a bit and enjoy your experience. (6)
You don ’ t need any more time or money.
Some may say I can ’ t travel slowly, my vacation is only 7 days.
Slow travel doesn ’ t mean long travel, it doesn ’ t have to do with time frame as much as the way you travel and your way of thinking.
So slow travel brings us back to the real and root causes of travel, why do we move from one place to another?
And what are we looking for?
Are we looking for more photos of our social media accounts, are we looking for relaxation, are we looking for more cultures and history, or do we want to dig deeper and connect with ourselves?
In terms of budget, I ’ m happy.
There are many ways to reduce your travel budget, it is possible to try work while traveling, you can work in one of the farms or small hotels in exchange for accommodation, which many places offer, especially if you decide to settle in one place for long enough.
Also, instead of looking for luxury hotels, you can opt for shared homes, live with a local resident, or look for shared accommodations and cheap local hotels.
And within your city, too.
If you don ’ t have a chance to vacation outside your city, you can apply these ideas in your city as well, instead of meeting your friends in repeated places behind glass walls, go on a tour to explore the city, the unknown areas of it, the unfamiliar streets.
Turn to the old cafes, to the trees you pass every day on your way to work without seeing or noticing its presence, to people and stones.
Remember that slow travel is not just a way to travel, but a different view of the world and a way to live and think.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Sources:
Carlo Petrini and the History of Slow Food
2. Slow Travel and Tourism
Slow travel: issues for tourism and climate
Philippines to shutdown tourist island boracay for six months
The Tourist ’ s Perception about Slow Travel – A Romanian Perspective
In light of the Krona pandemic, slow travel is the latest tourism trends
Source: The Island

Title:

Content: Featured ArticlesInternational
World Travel and Tourism Summit reveals global climate footprint data for travel and tourism
Regions _ Followers
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched environmental and social research on the climate footprint of the global travel and tourism industry.
This came during the 22nd World Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council, organized by the World Travel and Tourism Council in cooperation with the Global Center for Tourism Sustainability in the capital Riyadh.
Environmental and social research covers 185 countries on all continents, the first of its kind at the international level, and will be updated annually with the latest figures, including measures that monitor the sector ’ s impact on a range of indicators, including pollutants, energy sources and water use, as well as social data, age data and gender wages in jobs related to the travel and tourism sector. Accuracy.
Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), announced in her opening speech the results of Environmental and Social Research (ESR).
One of the largest research projects, the World Travel and Tourism Council will be able to provide accurate reports and track the impact of various industry activities on the environment.
She explained that the tourism and travel sector is making great strides in decarbonization, stressing a focus in increasing the production of sustainable aviation fuel supported by government incentives, and also to greater use of renewable energy in national public electricity grids so as to promote the use of sustainable energy in hotel rooms.
The sector ’ s 8.1% share of the carbon footprint can be impacted by becoming more efficient and decoupling growth from the amount of energy consumed starting today, she said, noting that every decision and every step towards change will lead to a better and brighter future for all.
For his part, His Excellency the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Ahmed Al-Khatib, expressed his pleasure for the participation of the World Travel and Tourism Council in this important research that will follow the impact of future activities, stressing that the Kingdom recognizes that travelers and investors want policies that promote sustainability in the sector and that the Kingdom has embarked on a phase to make it a leader in the field of sustainable tourism.
“Within the framework of the Saudi Green Initiative, we launched more than 60 initiatives last year to achieve this goal, the first batch of initiatives was investments in the green economy worth more than $186 billion, ” he said.
Previous estimates have indicated that the global travel and tourism sector is responsible for up to 11% of all global emissions, however, leading research by the World Travel and Tourism Council shows that the sector ’ s total greenhouse gas emissions reached only 8.1% in 2019 globally. Thermal.
These emissions have continued to decline continuously since 2010, as a result of technological developments, as well as the introduction of a number of energy efficiency measures to activities within the sector. Between 2010 and 2019, the GDP of the tourism and travel sector grew at a rate of 4.3% annually, while its environmental impact increased by only 2.4%.
The World Travel and Tourism Council will continue to release new data on the sector ’ s performance in these indicators over the course of 2023.
Governments around the world will have a tool to guide their decision-making and more accurately accelerate the process of environmental change.
Go to the top button

Environmental Consequences:**
- **Resource Strain:** Overtourism puts huge pressures on water, waste management, and local ecosystems, particularly in fragile destinations.

Title:

Content: Reports & Analytics
Tourism in 2023.
Eastern Europe ’ s Decline, Saudi Arabia and China Prosperity Key to Recovery
Unlike many other industries, there is no single clear product in the industry, as it includes a range of different industries, aviation, road transport, accommodation and touring between different attractions, travel companies, restaurants, souvenir shops and other activities all fall within the broad concept of the tourism industry.
Tourism, however, is usually defined as the travel of a person or group of people and the stay in a place outside their usual environment for less than a year for the purpose of recreation, seeking treatment, or for other reasons.
During the past three decades, the tourism sector has rebounded globally, but the Coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly been a moment of severe setback for the sector and its development, and has taken it back a lot, yet the profitability of the industry makes many countries have real incentives to invest in policies that allow the development of travel and tourism.
The economic attractiveness of the tourism sector does not negate that expectations about the ability of the global tourism scene to recover this year and return to what it was before the Coronavirus pandemic remain controversial.
A paradoxical set of factors is influencing the tourism landscape this year.
The Russian-Ukrainian war is not over and there is no sign of this, which has negative economic repercussions on the two belligerent neighbors, and therefore the possibility of a decrease in the number of tourists coming from the two countries and a decline in their financial capacity, which is very likely.
Taking into account that Russian and Ukrainian tourists are a major driver of the tourism sector in many countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, we can recognize the negative impact of the war on the tourism sector in a number of global tourist destinations.
On the other hand, China is opening its doors and abandoning the zero-covid-policy, suggesting that Chinese tourists can return to the world stage and revive the international tourism market, at the same time, the recession is likely to hit the global economy, and this will have a severe impact on the world tourism markets, but the growing dollar strength suggests that the American tourist is likely to be a major player in the international tourism market this year.
Therefore, a diverse and conflicting set of factors will leave their mark on the international tourism market in 2023, and in this context, the Economist polled the opinions of a number of experts in the field of tourism to draw a picture of the international tourism scene and its possible consequences.
Alex Dean, the former chief executive of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is optimistic about the general course of the international arena this year, without ruling out the possibility of some unrest.
During the past year, inbound tourism spending increased by 112 per cent compared to 2021, despite inflation that hit the global economy in the second half of 2022, and tourists spending per trip shows an increase of 13 per cent at 2022 prices, with an average of $1,331 per tourist worldwide.
By 2023, researcher Alex Dean expects total tourism spending to exceed $1.4 trillion internationally, with global tourist arrivals rising 30 percent.
Hotels, restaurants and airports are likely to struggle to cope with labor shortages, wage requirements and rising food and energy prices, but international airlines will make remarkable profits this year, benefiting from increased passenger numbers, after two years of consecutive losses, with the International Air Transport Association predicting that airlines will suffer a combined net loss of $9.7 billion in 2022, compared to $180 billion in 2020-2021. ".
For her part, Dr. Orla Liu, professor of international economics at the University of Bristol, pointed out that most estimates suggest that the number of tourists arriving globally is about 1.6 billion, which is less than the number of tourists in 2019, i.e. before the Corona pandemic, which reached 1.8 billion tourists.
“The tourism path will of course vary from region to region, and international reports indicate that some parts of the Middle East will witness a clear tourism recovery, specifically Saudi Arabia, which has an attractive physical and cultural infrastructure for tourism.
Overall, the Middle East saw a very strong tourism recovery in 2022, with tourist arrivals rising 287 per cent year-on-year from January to July 2022, bringing them closer to the 2019 level.
“Saudi Arabia, which has witnessed the resumption of the Hajj season, has big plans especially for the tourism sector within the framework of the Kingdom ’ s Vision 2030, including the development of the Red Sea region and the construction of a number of international hotels on different islands, while it will be different for Eastern Europe, which will not return to the previous levels of the Coronavirus until 2025 due to the impact of the Ukrainian war. ”
However, some argue that the most influential factor in this year ’ s international tourism trajectory will be China and the return of Chinese tourists to the global tourism scene.
Lauren Phillip, the former CEO of Visit Britain, points out that in the years before COVID-19, China was the world ’ s most important source of international travelers, with 155 million Chinese tourists spending more than $250 billion outside their borders in 2019, but this generosity declined dramatically in the following years due to the country ’ s closure of its borders. With them comes the hope that international tourism will recover its lost health once again.
The top tourist destinations for Chinese are in the Asia-Pacific region, specifically Australia, Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong, and the United States and the United Kingdom ranked among the top tourist attractions for Chinese.
“Travel bookings during the Lunar New Year holiday, which falls between January 21 and 27, have risen 540 per cent as a result of the accumulation of bank deposits by Chinese households in recent years due to repeated closures, ” said Loren Phillip.
"The tourism sector in Europe knows the importance of Chinese tourists, so we are currently in a conflict between officials of airlines, airports, tourism companies and major hotels that stand united against politicians and health officials in the European Union who recommend medical tests for Chinese tourists before they set foot on European soil to make sure they are not infected with COVID-19," she said.
But the role that Chinese tourists will play in the international tourism map this year does not contradict the view of eco-tourism expert Teddy Finley that climate change could have negative repercussions on the scale of tourism recovery.
“Climate change is beginning to affect some of the major tourist destinations.
Popular ski resorts lack snow and summer resorts have been affected by drought and wildfires, and in 2023 those effects will be even more pronounced if weather-related events continue to worsen. ”
According to Teddy Finley, tourism accounts for 5-8% of greenhouse gases, and increasing travelers ’ awareness of the environmental consequences of tourism could change their tourism patterns and destinations, according to a study by the European Investment Bank, 37% of Chinese, 22% of Europeans and the same percentage of Americans expressed concerns about air travel as a result of climate change, but at the same time they were willing to pay higher prices for more. Eco-friendly options on their tour.
But with talk about the continuation of the US Federal Reserve in raising interest rates in the United States and continuing inflation to hit the joints of the global economy on a large scale, the possibility of an economic recession remains a concern for many experts, especially in the United States and Europe. Risks of economic uncertainty, especially since the "home quarantine" during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed the accumulation of savings that could be used at the moment regardless of the economic situation.
However, Dr. Max Elbe, professor of international trade, believes that a recession, if it happens, will have multiple repercussions on the path of international tourism.
"If the recession is accompanied by a significant rise in the value of the US dollar against other international currencies, we can see a significant increase in the number of tourists coming from the US and countries whose national currency is pegged to the dollar such as the Gulf region, and even if this does not offset the decline in the total number of tourists globally, the spending capacity of this group of tourists means that the international return from tourism activity will be high even as tourist arrivals."
But Dr. Elby believes that the most realistic possibility is that the economic recession will lead tourists to revise travel plans so that tourist arrivals do not shrink as much as to re-choose the most budget-friendly destinations, look for destinations with good value for limited financial capabilities, adapt to the recession by shortening the trip or choose cheaper destinations and rely on more price comparison platforms, or change travel times to non-peak times.
Publish it.
More Reports and Analytics

- **Climate Considerations:** The cumulative emissions from travel (especially air travel) have been declining per trip, but total emissions grow as global travel hits record highs (e.g., 1.3 billion international tourists in 2023).

Title:

Content: Minister of Tourism: We are working to empower the sector globally to implement sustainable practices to preserve the environment
/ Source: aleqtisadiah
The Travel and Tourism Environmental Impacts Report, issued by the World Travel and Tourism Council and the World Centre for Sustainable Tourism with the support of the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, has revealed positive results for the sector in water conservation, resource management and low emissions.
and reduce energy consumption.
The International Research Centre (IRC), as a reference body, announced the findings of the preliminary report, including global “greenhouse gas emissions ” for the first time, aimed at accelerating the transition of the travel and tourism sector to climate neutrality, reducing the waste of food and other resources, including water, while protecting nature and supporting local communities.
Commenting on the positive results of the sector, Ahmed Al Khatib, Minister of Tourism, said: “The Ministry of Tourism in Saudi Arabia welcomes this joint report, which was initiated by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the World Travel and Tourism Council to enable the travel and tourism sector to adopt environmental solutions and support prosperity. ”
He praised the efforts of the International Research Centre as a comprehensive center for reliable research to contribute to overcoming the challenges of the travel and tourism sector, and work to enable the actors in the travel and tourism sector to take action aimed at transitioning to sustainable practices.
headtopics.com
The report highlights the continued decline in the intensity of emissions from the travel and tourism sector over the past decade in more than 185 countries around the world.
Although GDP growth in the sector averaged 4.3 per cent per year, emissions grew by only 2.5 per cent per year between 2010 and 2019.
This reflects the joint efforts to achieve net zero emissions in the travel and tourism sector. ”
“We believe in the importance of the travel and tourism sector as part of the solution to achieve zero neutrality, which is why Saudi Arabia has played a leading role in accelerating and tracking this change to promote sustainability in various sectors, protect nature, and support local communities, ” he said.
Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), said: “The results of research and studies mark a pivotal moment for the global travel and tourism industry, highlighting the multidimensional economic, environmental and societal impacts of the sector towards its sustainable future.
With this data, we are not only thinking about where we are now, but clearly charting our path towards a future in which the sector gradually reduces its environmental damage and enhances its social impact. ”
Read more:
Aleqtisadiah
The Minister of Economy meets with officials from the private sector on the sidelines of the initiative of the future of investment Al-Jazeera newspaper: in all colors..
For all spectrums read more
The West opposes a ceasefire amid the worsening humanitarian tragedy in GazaAnadolu Counts the reactions of several countries to the ongoing attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip - Anadolu Ajsı Read more
A quarter of a million riyals fine on those who submit false documents to « Environment and Water » A quarter of a million riyals fine on those who submit false documents to « Environment and Water » Read more »
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov discussed with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani the issues of the regional agenda with a focus on escalation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Read more 🙂
Israeli warplanes are now carrying out a massive attack on the Gaza Strip covering all areas, according to RT correspondent in the Gaza Strip, that Israeli aircraft are carrying out a massive and violent air attack on several areas in the Strip, and artillery shelling has been continuing for hours on the eastern areas.
Read more 🙂
In response to the skepticism of Washington and Tel Aviv..
In response to American and Israeli skepticism, the Ministry of Health in Gaza published a list of the names of the martyrs who died during the continuous Israeli bombardment on the Gaza Strip since October 7.
Read more 🙂

- **Climate Change & Destinations:** Rising temperatures and changing environmental conditions are starting to affect the viability of some major tourist destinations.

Economic Implications:**
- **Revenue vs. Sustainability:** While tourism generates vital income and jobs, an unbalanced influx (e.g., budget versus high-value visitors) can inflate prices, disrupt local economies, and make cities unaffordable for residents.

- **Policy Shifts:** There is growing recognition among policymakers and tourism sectors for the need to shift toward quality tourism that benefits communities and supports sustainable development.

Visible Hotspots:**
- European cities (e.g., Barcelona, Paris)
- Heritage and cultural sites (Louvre)
- Key seasonal destinations

**7.

Strategies for Mitigation:**
- **Temporal & Spatial Spread:** Promoting off-peak and alternative destinations to reduce load on hotspots.

- **Slow Travel:** Encouraging tourists to stay longer, travel less hurriedly, and focus on local experiences, cultural immersion, and sustainability.

- **Local Engagement & Empowerment:** Supporting authentic crafts, local food, and community-driven tourism to maintain cultural integrity and economic benefits.

- **Policy Leadership:** Countries like Saudi Arabia emphasize sustainable tourism policies, aiming to balance economic recovery with environmental stewardship.