Overtourism causes negative social impacts, including unaffordable property and rent costs that force locals to relocate.

The tourism industry can create jobs, but often without living wages, exacerbating economic inequalities.

Overtourism in destinations like Venice causes environmental damage and threatens the city's fragile ecosystem.

Tourism generates significant revenue and jobs, as seen in Wyoming, where it is the second-largest industry.

Policymakers can implement tourist taxes or limit tourist rental housing to balance revenue generation with community and environmental protection.

Sustainable tourism initiatives, like those in Kamakura, Japan, protect destinations from overtourism through education, transportation decentralization, and crowd control.

National governments can limit visitors, as in Brehat island, or implement measures like Dubrovnik's "Respect the City" campaign.

Policymakers can consider a Destination Management Action Plan, like Hawaii's, to reduce tourism's environmental, infrastructural, and community impact.

Overtourism can have severe social and environmental consequences, such as the 90% decline of Hawaii's native population after outside contact.

The travel and tourism industry accounts for 8.1% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Egypt's 2030 Strategy prioritizes sustainable tourism, integrating environmental considerations and promoting ecotourism.

Sustainable tourism management strategies can be measured using metrics like customer satisfaction, environmental, health, economic, and social aspects.

The Travel and Tourism Development Index measures sustainability and resilience in tourism that meets the needs of visitors, industry, environment, and host communities.

Local communities and governments can implement sustainable tourism by investing in green initiatives.

Sustainable tourism practices ensure long-term economic benefits and community development.

Overtourism causes negative social impacts, including unaffordable property and rent costs that force locals to relocate.

Title:

Content: 'I live in Tenerife - we've had enough of ignorant tourists keeping us up until 3am'

Fed-up locals in Tenerife are gearing up to march against unsustainable mass tourism next month.

By Alice Scarsi, World News Reporter

Fed up locals in Tenerife will take part in a march against overtourism in April (Image: GETTY-STOCK)

Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, welcomed a record-breaking number of tourists in 2023.

Data shared by the local Chamber of Commerce revealed more than 6.5 million people arrived on the island in 2023.

Most notably, the number of arrivals - around five million of which were international - was 600,000 higher than that recorded in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the tourism sector worldwide.

While tourism remains a vital sector for the island's economy, the mass arrivals have become more than a nuisance for many residents.

The large demand for short-term accommodations is one of the factors pushing up the cost of properties and rent, forcing many locals out of their homes and cities.

Particularly in southern Tenerife, some unable to pay rent had to relocate to shanty towns, motorhomes and tents.

Mass tourism is also placing local services and infrastructure under immense strain.

Moreover, as local municipalities are introducing stringent water restrictions amid a drought emergency, residents fear masses of tourists may worsen the situation on the island.

These, however, aren't the only challenging aspects of overtourism.

Josua Garcia-Garcia, 33, who works in a bar in Playas de las Americas, lamented the disregard for rules and lack of manners displayed by some visitors.

Tenerife welcomed a record-breaking number of tourists last year (Image: GETTY-STOCK)

He told the Olive Press: "It can be a nightmare when the tourists come, I only get four hours of sleep every night because of the music and noise, which keeps me up until 3am. We need stricter rules for tourists, a lot of them are ignorant of how we are suffering."

British expat Alex Kelly, 20, who works in the Rejoyce bar in Las Playas de Las Americas, said life in Tenerife has become "tough" in recent years.

Speaking about the eye-watering costs of long-term accommodations, she added: "I’m living with my boyfriend in his parents’ home because we can’t afford to move out.

"I totally get the viewpoint of the anti-tourism people, a lot of young people feel that way, the prices are crazy."

Despite many acknowledging that mass tourism is an increasing issue for Tenerife, other locals realise it is a necessary evil, as much of the economy of the island is based on it.

The frustration expressed by many locals will be publicly voiced next month.

Organisers of the protest taking place on April 20 - many of whom are groups focused on safeguarding the environment - will protest under the slogan "The Canary Islands have a limit. For a change of the model!

Their aim is to highlight how in their opinion the current tourism model has "overwhelmed" the island.

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The tourism industry can create jobs, but often without living wages, exacerbating economic inequalities.

Title:

Content: Point of view
Lin Chi-yin
Lin Chi-yin: "Traveling Everywhere" and "Over-Travel"
Earlier, the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Hsia Baolong, advocated the concept of “travel everywhere ” to fully explore Hong Kong ’ s tourism resources.
To speed up the implementation of the concept, the authorities are planning to set up a "special class" to bring together people inside and outside the Government for in-depth discussions.
In recent days, officials and legislators have expressed their views on the development of "red tourism", exploring new spots in the community, beautifying the streets, and presenting some scenes in the movies.
Simply put, it may be the story behind the attraction, or the accumulated word of mouth on social media, and every tree and grass anywhere can become a tourist attraction.
Of course, the author hopes that the "class" can launch various new ideas; and since the task of the class is to implement the concept of "travel everywhere", then how to implement the concept is the best for Hong Kong, the industry, the community and the public, the class can not ignore.
The University of Hong Kong campus has been forced by tourists, and the school has implemented reservation measures this month.
HKU itself has a complete management structure, and the university can still implement crowd control according to the situation. However, if some scenic spots that go deep into the community or even close to residential buildings are really "red hot", it may not be easy to implement crowd control.
“Everywhere travel ” is a concept, the key to implementation lies in the ability of the authorities to foresee problems. If you rely only on“ see and see ”, it is very likely that good things will turn into bad things.
“Aggressive ” Travel
In 2018, the word “overtourism ” was chosen as the Oxford English Dictionary ’ s word of the year, referring to the negative effects of overloading the area, declining quality of life and environmental damage caused by the influx of tourists to tourist attractions.
For example, Venice, Italy, which has long been affected by “overtourism ”, is not a“ once in a lifetime ” – the local population is only 50,000, and the number of daily tourists has exceeded the local population; during peak season, the number of daily visitors has even doubled.
I have friends who visited the place more than a decade ago, and they all agreed to say that people are crowded and will not go again.
In addition to Venice, some European cities or small islands with a tourism-led economy (such as the Canarias in Spain) also face the problem of job opportunities, high prices, and a homogenization of shops. Multinational companies invest heavily in hotels and holiday cottages, which also lead to higher rents, which locals can ’ t afford.
Even if tourism brings a lot of jobs to the region, it does not mean that the average person can earn a living wage.
People in these places understand the importance of tourism to the local economy, but they do not want the tourism industry to be unlimited, resulting in the resources of the whole place are only for the service of tourists.
"Tourism Hazards" and How to Deal with them
In Japanese society after the epidemic, a similar term, "tourism nuisance", has also appeared to describe problems such as traffic, noise, nuisance, and garbage pollution caused by too many tourists.
This phenomenon, in addition to the popularity of exchange rates, affordable air tickets, and people's desire to travel after the epidemic, social media will also have the effect of focusing on specific hot spots.
In the era of image-led, everyone can follow the picture, some places that were not originally planned as tourist attractions have begun to face sudden overcrowding.
Hong Kong people who love to visit Japan will not be unfamiliar with two “attractions ”: the Daokou near Enojima Electric Railway ’ s Kamakura University Station, and a Lawson convenience store in Kawaguchi-cho.
The former is the "holy place" of the popular manga "When Men are in the bottle". In recent years, the crossing has been congested with traffic due to frequent visits by tourists to "punch", local people can not get on the electric train, and some tourists are dangerous for taking good photos. Lawson is also a "punch" attraction, and the picture is a convenience store with a beautiful view of Mount Fuji. of tourists are constantly crossing the road and parking without permission, causing local residents to feel troubled.
Too many tourists can also lead to a decline in the quality of service, even in Japan, which values the spirit of “work people ”.
When I visited Japan last year, I saw some shops find ways to deal with “tourism hazards ” on their own, such as not allowing diners to take photos in the store, so that after the photos are uploaded to social media, it will cause more people to come and see them; limiting the number of diners to the number of people that the staff can serve, even if the seats are not full.
However, some tourists always find it difficult to understand the intentions behind these arrangements, and I have heard some tourists complain: "Obviously there is still a place, why not let us sit?"
When these conflicts can no longer be handled by businesses and residents themselves, how to strike a balance between “tourism ” and“ public nuisance ” will gradually become a policy issue.
The most extreme way to deal with it is to “eliminate ” popular attractions – coincidentally, the authorities of Kawaguchiko recently erected a 20-meter-long and 2.5-meter-high“ black curtain ” in front of Lawson to drive away tourists who came to take photos.
The reason why the authorities have to take extreme measures is that management alone can not prevent tourists from rushing out of the road, which is actually to "play the spot".
In addition, there are more and more tourist cities and hotspots charging tourists "admission fees" or "admission fees", but this method can not play a large role.
In Venice, for example, the city has been charging a 5 euro entry fee (about HK $42) to “overnight ” travelers since last month.
However, these fees simply cannot curb the huge demand for tourists, and the revenue is mainly used as a financial source to cope with "excessive travel", which can only cure the symptoms, not the root cause.
The Real Meaning of “Travel Everywhere ”
At this point, some people may point out that the above problems will only become problems if we succeed in attracting tourists to Hong Kong; what we have to focus on is how to get more people to come to Hong Kong.
However, how much tourism can bring to a city depends on the management and policies of the city, not on the remedial measures that can be taken.
Although the share of tourism industry in Hong Kong's economy is far less than that of the "tourist city" mentioned above, Hong Kong can't wait to see that other places are looking for countermeasures for the "tourism nuisance", and even start to turn to attack, redefine the tourism industry from the planning level and actively promote tourist education.
In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for example, the government announced last month that it would ban new hotels and limit the number of cruise ships to return the city to a livable and tourism-friendly city. In Kamakura, Japan, people are no longer concentrated at certain points by decentralizing transportation (such as the launch of electric tricycle rental business) and proactively promoting multiple circumnavigation routes (such as the travel routes at 13 locations of Kamakura Shogunate).
The main disadvantage of post-event remediation is that the difficulty and cost of solving the problem are greatly increased, which will also affect the experience of tourists. More than 10 years ago, the North District of Hong Kong also experienced a pharmacy every few steps, and the situation of residents in the North District driving out water consignors on their own, which hurt the feelings of the people of the two places.
In particular, there are many policy issues that can be foreseen in advance, and we do not have to go through them personally before we know what the problem is (for example, the legal problems faced by cleaners under the garbage levy will not be known until the moment of trial).
Since there is a great deal of experience and policy measures in various places to refer to, the “Special Class ” must also strike a balance between tourism and city operations when formulating tourist routes and supporting packages, otherwise the attraction will only lead to losses. After the city of Kamakura solved the problem of overcrowding of tourists, the tourism industry representative of Kanagawa Prefecture (that is, the seat of Kamakura City) pointed out:“ Attraction is not tourism. ” The amount of time it takes to win is certainly not appropriate.
“Travel Everywhere ” is not just about adding tourist attractions, but promoting quality tourism in a more nuanced and proactive way to avoid problems.
The author is a public policy consultant.
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Overtourism in destinations like Venice causes environmental damage and threatens the city's fragile ecosystem.

Title:

Content: Venice: Venice’s famed Rialto Bridge was jammed with tourists on Monday, the same day Unesco recommended the watery city be put on its endangered list citing overtourism and other concerns.

Taking selfies, licking gelato and wheeling suitcases, the hordes of visitors seemed happily oblivious to the possible downgrade Unesco said was due to the risk of “irreversible” damage.

New York tourist Ashley Park, 28, said she knew it would be crowded in Venice, but it wasn’t ruining her vacation.

“Obviously if we lived here with all these tourists it wouldn’t be fun,” she acknowledged.

Among the crowds on the historic bridge was city worker Diego Nechifrovo, 23, wearing an #EnjoyRespectVenezia T-shirt, who was busy keeping an eye out for misbehaving tourists.

“Sometimes I see someone throwing away his cigarette or walking around without a T-shirt,” he said, noticing a bag of potato chips discarded on the doorstep of a jewellery shop.

The worst? One time a family “sat down right in front of the Doge’s Palace and started to set up a picnic.”

A few weeks ago, a distracted tourist fell into the water, Nechifrovo said.

“He was trying to get a good photo”.

Please don’t come

Not far away, a seller of watercolours had a sign on his stand pointing to St. Mark’s Square.

“That’s all they want to know,” said the native Venetian, Claudio, who declined to give his last name. “They come to Venice because it’s Venice. That’s all.”

The days of educated tourists visiting and enjoying the city’s many churches and museums were over, he said.

“Those who come now don’t even know what a museum is. It’s not cultural tourism,” he said.

“They need to go to the beach, or the mountains, but not here!” he lamented. “Please don’t come anymore!”

The list of Venice’s challenges are many, from environmental damage to its lagoon to its fleeing residents - with only about 50,000 left - leaving what many critics charge is now a city without a soul.

Two years ago, Venice narrowly avoided being placed on the same Unesco list - which is intended to spur governments into action to preserve places deemed of “universal value to humanity” - after the city imposed a ban on massive cruise ships travelling past the centre.

Environmental groups warned the ships, carrying thousands of day-trippers and sailing exceptionally close to shore, caused large waves eroding Venice’s foundations and harming the lagoon’s fragile ecosystem.

But the rerouting of the ships to the more distant industrial port of Marghera did not address the issue of overtourism itself.

Some 3.2 million tourists stayed overnight in Venice’s historic centre last year, according to official data, a number that does not include the thousands of daily visitors who do not spend the night.

“It’s pretty beautiful - it’s a draw!” justified US tourist Mike McWilliams, 53, who had just arrived in the city for a two-day visit with his family.

Managing the masterpiece

Unesco, the UN’s cultural wing, put Venice on its heritage list in 1987 as an “extraordinary architectural masterpiece”, but it has warned of the need for “more sustainable tourism management”.

On Monday, it said progress had been insufficient while citing “a lack of overall joint strategic vision” by authorities.

Critics say measures put in place to check tourism are ineffective and have come too late.

A long-discussed plan to introduce a paid booking scheme for day-trippers has been repeatedly postponed, now until 2024, over concerns it will seriously dent tourist revenue and compromise freedom of movement.

Back at St. Mark’s Square, city worker Lorenzo Seano, 21, was struggling to keep tourists from sitting on the steps of the surrounding arcades.

The problem of too many tourists invading cities went well beyond Venice, Seano said, but no one in government had tried to tackle the problem “on a structural level”.

“After all, there’s a ton of money coming in,” he said.

Tourism generates significant revenue and jobs, as seen in Wyoming, where it is the second-largest industry.

Title:

Content: Wyomingites whose businesses support tourism are getting their open arms ready for a big 2022 season. As the state’s second-largest industry, tourism took the biggest hit during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but after two years, this economy has seen not only a rebound, it is now prepping for forecasted growth.

“We are optimistic about the coming year,” said Wyoming Travel and Tourism Executive Director Diane Shober. “We know that as global markets are opening and people have the ability to travel, we can’t take that demand for granted.”

Residents of the state are generally cognizant on a day-to-day level of the number of travelers that pass through the area – especially around the vicinity of Yellowstone National Park. However, the larger economic implications of tourism are easy to overlook because the impact is less direct than that of fossil fuel revenue.

“When we think about tourism being the second leading industry in the state, it’s about jobs and revenues generated,” Schober said. “Tourism represents the largest private sector employer in the state. Many times, people think of that as being entry-level positions, but that industry has a fast-track to mid-level management and executive positions. That’s an important component, because employees at all levels then turn around and buy goods and services, cars, food and housing. They cause economic movement through the community.”

The ramifications of accommodating visitors is one of the main lifelines for the state to generate resources to make livable communities, Shober said.

“As we look at the ‘22 season, it is important for every community to understand they are touched by tourism. As we continue to grow the economic value of this industry, we need them to help us help visitors understand how to recreate responsibly,” she added, noting that it takes people to manage people, and hospitality jobs cannot be roboticized or outsourced.

The opportunity to help people recreate is a calling Keenan Bruce hears loud and clear. Born and raised in Cody, he grew up an outdoorsman and uses his gift in engaging the public as a whitewater raft guide. Last year, he saw an opportunity to develop his other passion, fly fishing, into a second career. His inaugural season as owner/operator of High Country Fly Guides did not disappoint.

“I guided people into October of last year,” he said, adding that it was large demand for guided trips that kept him busy late into the fishing season. “The biggest problem I had last year is I didn’t have employees,” he said. “I had to turn down large groups because I didn’t have enough help to take that many people out.”

Bruce said his community is home to several well-established outfitters that have been in business for more than 30 years, but even so, starting his own endeavor was possible because of the large number of interested clients. Those inquires, he said, are still rolling in.

“There’s plenty of market for it. If there wasn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten any spillover from those larger companies,” Bruce said.

Bruce observed most visitors came from metropolitan areas, where normalcy is still largely upended by pandemic-related measures, including extended lockdowns, curfews, and a general wariness of crowds and indoor spaces.

“They come here looking for a sanctuary,” he explained, noting that while tourist-related demand increased around the state because of the pandemic, the housing market also experienced an influx of buyers. “Last year, the mainland U.S. really stepped up and made the Great American Vacation happen.”

Shober backed up his sentiment by saying part of what has helped the state tourism industry stay relatively afloat through the fallout of attempted contagion containment was the existing culture and lifestyle of the state.

“We didn’t have to change who we were,” she said, adding that, in this case, the rural and outdoors nature of the majority of the state’s most famous attributes translates into the ideal of sustainable resources with the added benefit of implicit social distancing.

Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board communications manager Sue Muncaster said in her corner of the state, accommodating visitors has taken on a new air of urgency.

“We are extremely optimistic about the upcoming year,” she said. “As far as economics go with tourism, we have had unprecedented crowd the last couple of summers and did much better than we ever expected to. We are actually starting to address over-tourism.”

Muncaster said her board has issued a new destination management plan that emphasizes the importance of pre-registration for accommodations in the geographical area that borders Yellowstone.

“It’s a mix of positive and negative for the Tetons,” she explained. “It’s about the economic benefit versus the sheer number of tourists.”

While Muncaster said they will know more after further investigation, it seems like many of the residents in Teton County are exhausted – and even frustrated – with the crowding of trails and facilities. On top of that, the state’s wealthiest county is struggling to find a workable balance in the local labor market.

“Last summer, the labor shortage was definitely amplified,” Muncaster said, referring to the nationwide phenomena that has resulted in low-wage service sector jobs standing vacant. As a result, many businesses resorted to cutting their hours of operation or availability, which made the situation more manageable for workers, but created a proverbial logjam that is still echoing through most of the hospitality bedrock of the community.

Muncaster said the present situation amplifies the need to do things differently in visitor hotspots.

“The easiest thing to do with over-tourism is to have businesses ramp up advanced reservations,” she said. “I know there is resistance to that, especially with older businesses, but I feel like the customer is looking for great websites with super clear ways to book and reserve spots. The more our communities can do that, the better it is for everybody. There are people that just want to travel and just figure things out when they get there, but that’s not the way it can be anymore.”

Ready or not, tourist season in Wyoming is just around the corner. While waiting for the inevitable influx of visitors and all they bring, Wyomingites can contemplate a quote circulated online attributed to an anonymous sage: “If you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life, but the same amount of snow.” The same can apply to tourists.

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Policymakers can implement tourist taxes or limit tourist rental housing to balance revenue generation with community and environmental protection.

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“Let the tourists go home! ” – Over-sightseeing is overwhelming the residents of Europe ’ s popular cities
Lisa Stüve
14 July 2024
Many of Europe ’ s holiday destinations are expected to see record numbers of visitors this summer.
However, local residents were deeply troubled by the development of mass tourism and took to the streets to protest.
Is there a solution?
Https: / / p.dw.com / p / 4iD5I
In many of Europe's most popular tourist cities, residents began to protest against the influx of tourists.
Venice is one of them, the local residents are plagued by tourism, the city's housing prices are rising, and the number of available housing is decreasing.
Venice ’ s Old Town also has a resident population of less than 49,000, compared to an estimated 20 million tourists visiting Venice each year.
Europe has the most visitors from all over the world, and Venice isn ’ t the only city to suffer from a surge in visitors.
In Barcelona and other tourist cities in Spain, there are increasing reports of local residents protesting against tourists.
In Lisbon, Prague and Amsterdam, large-scale tourism has led to growing tensions between tourists and locals.
Residents everywhere protested for the same reasons: rising rents, soaring property prices, and problems with access to resources.
Tourism is one of the economic sources
The EU estimates that tourism accounts for about 10 per cent of the economy's total output.
About 12.3 million people are employed in the industry.
“But these are just abstract numbers, ” says Sebastian Zenker, a tourism researcher at Copenhagen Business School.
He pointed out that if rents rise at the same time, property prices exceed residents' affordability, and restaurants are affordable only to tourists, then the income from tourism will not bring real benefits to local residents.
For locals, tourism development must provide them with the balance they feel – that is, liveability is not unduly negatively affected while benefiting from tourism.
Although a large number of people are employed in the tourism industry, "only a few have a good income or can make a living from it," Zeng said in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
He said low wages were a problem.
In Italy, where there is no legal minimum wage, the minimum hourly wage is 4.85 euros in Portugal and 6.87 euros in Spain.
Big tourist tax
Where did all the money go?
Paul Peeters, who studies sustainable tourism and transportation at the University of Breda in the Netherlands, says the money is mostly going to the airline industry, large hotel chains, international companies and cruise lines.
When calculating the flow of tourism, the choice of travel mode is crucial. Cruise tourists eat and drink on board, and passengers who order through large travel agencies usually sell their tickets, hotels, and meals in packages, which tend to spend less locally.
But at the same time, the arrival of tourists brings with it air pollution and water consumption – all at the expense of local residents.
This sense of imbalance has further exacerbated tensions between locals and tourists.
All stakeholders in the tourism industry understand that they need tourists, and the question is how to develop tourism and what kind of tourism to develop.
Copenhagen tourism researcher Zeng Ke said.
Restrictive marketing, rules and bans
The first policies are in place.
For example, new hotels are no longer allowed in Amsterdam.
In addition, the city is trying to control drug and party-themed tourism through targeted restrictive marketing measures.
“De-marketing ” refers to advertising strategies designed to reduce the demand for a product from a specific target group – for example, the city of Amsterdam.
In Lisbon and Palma de Mallorca, the housing market has long been disconnected from the needs of residents and economic realities.
Response: No new rental licenses will be issued to online short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb.
Mallorca has set a time limit for tourist rental housing.
Barcelona has taken a more radical step: the city ’ s 10,000 vacation apartment permits for tourists are set to expire in 2028.
The move aims to reduce pressure on the housing market.
Rents in Barcelona have risen by more than 60% in the past decade.
In addition, there will be further restrictions on the scope of cruise activities or additional charges.
From 2021, Venice will no longer allow large cruise ships to sail into its waters in its historic center.
Amsterdam plans to adopt a similar measure in 2026.
This will not only reduce the number of tourists, but also reduce air pollution.
Are tourists bad too?
Similar to Amsterdam, Mallorca wants to shake off the image of a party city.
They hope to reduce the overall number of tourists, and will be more willing to accept those who can afford to spend.
This is known in industry jargon as “high quality tourism ”.
But is this the solution to the problem?
“It ’ s not, ” says Macià Blázquez-Salom, a geography professor and activist.
He is also a resident of Mallorca.
He believes that excessive emphasis on “luxury tourism ” will only exacerbate inequality.
“‘ Party tours ’ and ‘ beach tours ’ are often limited to specific areas and operate on a scale and standardised basis similar to factory production lines, ” Blasker-Salon told Deutsche Welle.
Its immediate impact is often limited to a small part of the city.
In contrast, tourists with high spending power typically have higher demand, consume more water, tend to travel more excursions, and generally have the financial means to purchase property.
“This will further promote gentrification (Gentrifizierung) and with it the possibility of real estate speculation, ” explains Blaske Salon.
"This type of visitor will have a direct impact on the lives of all the residents," the statement said.
Making tourism sustainable
The tourism industry is still largely driven by pure data growth and is delighted with the growing number of visitors each year.
But for residents of places like Barcelona, Venice and Mallorca, further growth is no longer an acceptable option.
Is there a solution?
Peters says keeping visitor numbers within the limits of what cities and communities can afford or as a way to do it.
He said that ecological and social factors should be taken into account when formulating tourism development strategies and management measures.
For tourism to be sustainable, agreements must be reached with airlines, ports and airport operators, which are often driven by overcapacity – that is, by expanding growth.
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Any misconduct will lead to recovery and criminal prosecution.

Sustainable tourism initiatives, like those in Kamakura, Japan, protect destinations from overtourism through education, transportation decentralization, and crowd control.

National governments can limit visitors, as in Brehat island, or implement measures like Dubrovnik's "Respect the City" campaign.

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Content: International
International news.
Retaliatory Tourism Damage Law "Restriction Order" under Kojima
As the global tourism industry recovers after the COVID-19 epidemic, the problem of “overtourism ” has emerged in many places, and national and local governments in Europe have made extraordinary efforts to discourage tourists during the summer peak season, including limiting the number of visitors per day by booking, so as to reduce the impact on local residents and the surrounding environment.
The northern French island of Brehat, known for its scenic beauty, has tried to host 6,000 visitors a day, 15 times more than its 377 residents, and Mayor Olivier Carre issued an executive order last week that said the local community could not handle the 10-fold increase in waste during the peak tourist season, limiting the number of visitors on the same day from July 14 to August 25. There are 4,700 people.
Industry says 80% of customers gather in 20% of districts to call for diversion
The influx of tourists also drained the path to the lighthouse on Brea Island to the northern attraction and impacted the protected area.
The French tourism ministry said on Wednesday that visitor numbers in the first quarter of this year had returned to pre-epidemic levels nearly in 2019, but Alliance France Tourisme said 80 per cent of tourists had flocked to only 20 per cent of the country, calling on the industry to promote sub-popular attractions to divert tourists.
CNN reported on the 10th of this month that this year's "crazy" summer of local people flocking to Europe has begun.
Allianz, a travel insurance company, estimates that the number of Americans visiting Europe this summer will rise by 55% from last year.
In preparation for this summer ’ s post-epidemic travel season, the Dubrovnik government has launched a “Respect the City ” campaign, which includes an animated promotional film to remind visitors of the rules of behavior at the attractions.
Venice is planning to impose a tourist tax, and attractions have a reservation system and have stepped up fines for non-compliant visitors.
(AFP / CNN)
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Policymakers can consider a Destination Management Action Plan, like Hawaii's, to reduce tourism's environmental, infrastructural, and community impact.

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Hawaii faces economic and environmental challenges
As Hawaii ’ s tourism industry rebounded after it was effectively shut down during the pandemic, local politicians, communities, and business leaders revived the central issue of tourism policy discussion: How many visitors are considered too many?
Natalia Hussey-Burdick, a member of the summer state House of Representatives and vice chair of the House Committee on Tourism, has introduced a bill calling for a study of Hawaii ’ s tourist capacity.
The effort comes amid growing concerns about illegal vacation rentals, transportation, and threats to marine life and the environment. “In fact, this is a longstanding concern for all Hawaiian islands and communities. ”
However, not everyone agrees that Hawaii needs research to quantify the tourism industry. In 2019, Hawaii received 10.4 million visitors, which is considered too many, and the tourism industry in Hawaii is overloaded.
Broadly speaking, capacity is the maximum number of visitors a destination can receive without irreparable damage to the environment, infrastructure and community.
Community and environmental groups see this as critical, as do hotel executives, who argue that hosting too many visitors will harm Hawaii ’ s natural and cultural resources, as well as the “aloha spirit, ” and that tourism will be at risk if Hawaii loses those resources and tourists don ’ t want to return.
Hawaii policy makers have worked to address concerns about overtourism.
Before the pandemic, city officials tried to understand the situation of Kailua and Lanikai as tourist destinations, studying the shift from a focus on passenger capacity to a perception of tourism among residents, who were dissatisfied with the daily average of about 15,161 tourists in the two places.
Research shows that more than 65% of residents surveyed in the second half of 2019 agree or strongly agree that tourism increases traffic flow, costs of living, and disrupts the small-town atmosphere.
The same proportion of respondents believe that holiday rentals reduce the supply of housing for locals, and that government decisions on tourism generally benefit tourists rather than local people.
The report was published in June 2020 and received little attention.
At the height of the epidemic, Hawaii closed tourism, tens of thousands of hotel workers lost their jobs, and the unemployment rate was about 17%.
However, in the wake of the pandemic, Hawaii welcomed 9.2 million visitors in 2022, which has recovered to nearly 90% of 2019.
Hawaii hotel operator Jerry Gibson observed that when tourist rental growth, especially in Oahu, is the main reason for the increase in visitor numbers, up to 10 million people, the number of new hotel rooms is small, unable to supply demand, "hotel and tourist rental capacity is different."
Some people believe that the overloading of tourism is not the most important thing, but the threat to the health of the ecosystem. In 2022, the residents of the northern coast of Oahu face an environmental crisis in the Marine Life Reserve, so they are promoting projects that do not focus on tourist capacity but on the impact of tourism on the environment.
Tourism Hawaii also develops a Destination Management Action Plan for each island.
The Oahu community expects to reduce the impact by improving infrastructure and management, and limiting the number of visitors to tourist hotspots.
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Overtourism can have severe social and environmental consequences, such as the 90% decline of Hawaii's native population after outside contact.

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Content: Today is Sunday October 08, 2023
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Hawaii’s ‘overtourism’ becomes growing debate as West Maui reopens for visitors

Posted/updated on: October 8, 2023 at 5:48 pm

West Maui began reopening Sunday to visitors just two months after a wildfire devastated the town of Lahaina.

The reopening did not come without outrage from some residents, many of whom signed a petition to delay the reopening as families continue to struggle to "find shelter, provide for their children's education, and cope with emotional trauma," according to the petition.

Homes have been flattened and are completely inhabitable. Businesses have been decimated. Some loved ones remain unaccounted for and residents have been grieving the loss of 97 people who died in the tragedy.

The petition has received more than 10,000 signatures.

The fact that tourism is resuming so soon around the outskirts of a town made unrecognizable by the wildfires has reignited an ongoing debate about Hawaii's reliance on tourism.

"There is just not a lot of activities like there usually is for these people to do, so a lot of people are wondering, why do they want to come here?" said Jordan Ruidas, a community organizer and resident.

Tourism is the No. 1 driver of that state's economy, according to Hawaii Tourism Authority, and businesses across the island have been impacted by the lack of visitors since the Aug. 8 wildfires.

But some residents link tourism and its historical links to colonialism with many of the issues plaguing the Islands, including lack of access to clean water, the housing crisis, and pollution and destruction of Hawaiian lands.

"It's a great business for Hawaii, but the difficult thing for us here is that there is not a street, a community, a county. There's nowhere that you can hide from tourism in Hawaii," said Susie Pu, a hotel manager on Maui.

She continued, "The most important thing is that we find a balance between the Hawaiian culture and tourism. Hawaiian people need to be benefiting from tourism equally. And I do not see that."

Hawaii before tourism

Hawaii didn't always rely on tourism as its main source of income.

According to research from the University of Hawaii, Hawaiian society was self-sustaining and run in cooperative, extended ohana -- or family -- that each manned subdivisions of land.

Native Hawaiians were recorded to have been living "well above subsistence levels, with extensive time available for cultural activities, sports, and games" before their long period of isolation from outsiders came to an end, the University of Hawaii found.

Contact with the outside world in the 1770s changed Hawaii drastically. Deaths caused a massive wave of fatalities, leading to a 90% decline in the Native Hawaiian population, according to research from the National Academy of Medicine.

The Hawaiian Kingdom and monarchy were formed during this period of change, adopting Western political strategies to settle disputes between competing Hawaiian states. The Islands also became integrated into the global market, losing its past self-sustaining system.

This drastic social, economic, and political change was marked by a shift to sugar production when a treaty with the U.S. exempted sugar firms on the island from high tariffs.

"The story of sugar is really, really important because in a lot of ways it was the wealthy and powerful corporations that promoted sugar to the kingdom that really were responsible for seeking markets in the United States," Jonathan Kay Kamakawiwoʻole Osorio, the dean of the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, said.

"That's all a part of the story of not just the rise, but the fall of the [Hawaiian] kingdom," said Osorio.

As production expanded, American corporations producing sugar on the Islands sought to keep prices high and labor costs lower, hiring cheaper immigrant labor and lobbying for an immigration policy that would allow them to do so, historians say.

"While sugar did actually generate a great deal of income, most of that income really acted to sort of replace Native Hawaiians in the country," said Osorio.

Efforts to expand sugar production and house waves of imported labor pushed Native Hawaiians from their land, home, and island.

Throughout this time, laborers were organizing against low wages and poor benefits, and "the sugar companies began to lose a little bit of control. Everybody can sort of see that in the future, sugar is not going to be as profitable as it once was," according to Osorio.

However, World War II and the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 put labor rights efforts to a halt.

It wasn't until the late 1940s that workers began to make real concessions -- getting better benefits and salaries.

"Sugar companies really basically are looking at an industry that's not nearly as conducive to profits as it once was. Plus, in the post-war world, there's also new competition from places like the Philippines," Osorio added.

By the 1970s, more and more plantations were shutting down and they were moving toward using their lands for a tourist economy.

"Tourism would not exist at the scale that it exists today if it weren't for the takeover," Osorio said.

Vulnerability in tourism reliance

Following the wildfires on the West side, occupancy at the oceanfront condo resort Hana Kai Maui on the other side of the island was impacted almost immediately.

"We have always operated at a really high occupancy, almost like 95% year round. The day of the fires or the day after the fires, it was just such a downward slide," Pu said.

"We lost hundreds of 1000s of dollars in reservations over about a one-week period. And we're only a 17-unit business so it was a lot. We're recovering," she added.

Noah Drazkowski, who was born and raised in West Maui and owns a local business, told ABC News in a previous interview that he's been grieving alongside his community while looking for ways to keep his local business afloat.

"The majority of our income is from tourists, tourism, and I wish that we could say that we can survive on only the local community support," said Drazkowski.

Some business owners are torn about the future of tourism in Maui.

In 2022 alone, Hawaii saw nearly 10 million visitors, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Islands saw roughly 2.7 million.

Now, approximately 70% of every dollar is generated directly or indirectly by the visitor industry, according to the Maui Economic Development Board.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how life in Hawaii could be without "overtourism," Osorio said.

"We started really seeing what happens to beaches and what happens to the ocean and what happens to mountain trails, hiking trails when they are free of so many people," said Osorio. "The quality of life in so many ways improves not [just for the people] but for other species that have depended on this environment for a long time."

Pu added: "We want tourists in Hawaii, but we also want to be able to live peacefully here and we want our forests to remain intact."

The impacts of tourism

Being a popular tourist destination comes with its challenges.

The Aloha State is experiencing one of the worst housing crises in America, with some of the highest housing costs in the nation and the fourth-highest rate of homelessness per capita in the country, according to the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The U.S. has acknowledged its historical responsibility for causing this housing crisis among Native Hawaiians through its 1921 Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, a reparations policy that set aside land for Native communities after the violent displacement and removal of Native Hawaiians.

Parts of Maui have also been under a water conservation notice in recent years, as an intense drought and dry conditions limit the region's access to water. With hotels and resorts taking up their share of the water, some locals wish that water would be directed toward residents, especially following the deadly wildfire in which firefighters in Lahaina claimed that their hoses ran dry.

Politicians have been under pressure from some residents to look for a way to diversify the economy and for land to be given back to the Native Hawaiian population. As tourism comes back toward the disaster area, the conversation around tourism is unlikely to settle down.

"Our desire is to provide for ourselves so that we can properly feed ourselves, so that we can actually have places to live, so that we can protect the lands from misuse," said Osorio.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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The travel and tourism industry accounts for 8.1% of greenhouse gas emissions.

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Content: Featured ArticlesInternational
World Travel and Tourism Summit reveals global climate footprint data for travel and tourism
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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.
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Egypt's 2030 Strategy prioritizes sustainable tourism, integrating environmental considerations and promoting ecotourism.

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Content: Egyptian News
Minister of Antiquities: Sustainable and environmental tourism is one of the main pillars of the 2030 Strategy
Hamdi Abdullah - Cairo, Sunday, May 29, 2022 12: 28 AM - Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad expressed her happiness on this day as it represents a milestone in reaching a true partnership for the protection of the environment between all stakeholders in different sectors from government, private and civil society experts and media. Achieve many achievements, the most important of which is the integration of the environmental dimension in the tourism sector and work to exploit natural resources properly to achieve growth in ecotourism to achieve reconciliation between the two sectors by working together to reach sustainability, which is a global challenge that achieves harmony between the tourism sector and the environmental sector.
This came during the launch ceremony of the project "Towards Green Development in the Tourism Sector" in the presence of Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Dr. Khaled Al-Anani, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Mr. Alessandro Fracasetti, UNDP Regional Representative in Egypt, and a number of representatives of ambassadors and stakeholders in the tourism industry and international media.
The Minister of Environment pointed out that the work between the tourism and environmental sectors to achieve sustainable development was carried out according to a clear vision and foundations, the most important priorities of which are the interest of the Egyptian state, as well as keeping abreast of the international developments taking place around us, in addition to protecting the right of future generations to natural resources.
The Minister of Environment stressed that the way to achieve this was not easy, but went through many specificities and difficulties that were worked to overcome with science and certainty the importance of what we are doing to convince the tourism sector of the importance of protecting natural resources because it increases the benefits and rates of economic development.
The Minister of Environment pointed out that all this work coincides with Egypt's hosting of the climate conference cop27, which the Ministry of Tourism is making a great effort to work to get the hotels and restaurants of Sharm El Sheikh to the green star and adjust their conditions, pointing out that the work is in full swing to protect natural resources and biodiversity and lay the foundations of sustainability in the tourism sector, especially in all sectors. Therefore, the outputs and results of the project must be launched today to emphasize the importance of returning to nature again and how to deal with tourist places and the importance of establishing environmentally friendly practices.
The Minister of Environment explained the importance of the existence of the green list in order to distinguish between environmentally compatible facilities that are making an effort to reach sustainability and others, so we must thank everyone who made an effort in this for the sake of the environment and its protection.
The Minister of Environment said that the months of May and June coincide with many important environmental celebrations, where the second Saturday of May coincides with the celebration of the World Migratory Bird Day, May 22 coincides with the World Biodiversity Day and June 5 coincides with the celebration of the World Environment Day.
I also expressed my thanks and appreciation to Dr. Khaled Al-Anani, Minister of Tourism for his support of the environmental work in the tourism sector. I am pleased that the initiative of the Central Bank for the tourism sector will be useful to all those who contributed to this work from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Media. What has been confirmed by the latest international reports and the latest report of the Intergovernmental Authority, which pointed out that if the temperature of the earth rises above 1.5 degrees Celsius, the environmental deterioration in the tourism sector will reach ten times what was done 10 years ago, time is not in our favor and loves to work to preserve our planet, we have no other choice.
Dr. Khaled Al-Anani, Minister of Tourism, thanked Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, and her team at the ministry, and Mr. Alessandro Fracassetti, UNDP Regional Representative in Egypt, for the continuous and fruitful cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to achieve a balance between benefiting from tourism sites and maintaining environmental balance. Wishing a special environmental day, the ministry pays special attention to environmental tourism, pointing to his visit this morning to Wadi Natroun, which is a model of ecotourism distinguished as it includes a group of monasteries dating back to the fourth century AD, which witnessed the passage of the Holy Family, in addition to its presence in green fields.
Dr. Khaled Al-Anani pointed to the concerted efforts with all concerned parties and the state pays special attention to providing environmental tourism and green tourism, and work to highlight Egypt ’ s green and picturesque nature and natural elements and how to preserve it through alleviating the pressures of human activities and spreading environmentally friendly practices, in line with the objectives of the Ministry ’ s Sustainable Development Strategy and Egypt ’ s Vision 2030.
The Minister also praised the continuous cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, where many important initiatives have been launched during the past years, namely, the Greens fins initiative in the diving sector and marine activities in May 2020, which was obtained by 9 diving centers in South Sinai Governorate, 19 other centers have applied for it, the EcoEgypt initiative for natural reserves in 2020, and the Red Sea Marine Environment Protection Initiative in 2021.
He added that sustainable tourism and ecotourism have become one of the main pillars of the ministry ’ s 2030 strategy. Together, we are witnessing the launch of the “Towards Green Development of the Tourism Sector ” initiative in cooperation with the Egyptian Federation of Chambers of Tourism.
The minister pointed to the ministry ’ s supervisory and supervisory role by obliging all hotel and tourism establishments as a first stage in Sharm el-Sheikh to obtain a certificate from one of the accredited international or local authorities stating that they have implemented all the requirements of green practices in accordance with the concept of sustainable tourism.
In a way that contributes to the mechanisms of transforming the city into a green city that preserves natural resources and environmental systems through obtaining these certificates, pointing to the response of the tourism sector and the demand for green transformation, despite the repeated crises it faced over the past periods.
In line with the global objectives of sustainable development, we have a clear goal of "improving the traveler experience" and the main strategy to do this includes promoting and ensuring the proper management of the environmental aspects of tourism, communicating effectively with travelers to ensure the sustainability of tourism products and destinations, and strengthening partnerships with the private sector and international parties to preserve nature and protect its resources and biodiversity.
He stressed that in order to achieve sustainability and green tourism practices, the ministry is continuously cooperating with the Ministry of Environment to activate the project of integrating biodiversity conservation measures in the tourism sector in Egypt, which is carried out in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Environment Facility.
The project aims to integrate the concept of environmental conservation, natural resources and cultural resources in tourism, where work has been done through several axes, which is to integrate this concept at the level of tourism planning and development and supporting policies, and at the level of tourism activities, whether hotels, diving, companies and tourist trips, in addition to supporting ecotourism.
He added that the project is based on sustainable tourism and another aspect is supporting ecotourism within nature reserves, where a number of products that have been produced can put Egypt on the path of green tourism, which is part of more than 25 activities that have been working on for a long time.
As explained by Alessandro Fracassetti, the regional representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Egypt, Egypt ranks 51st globally in the Travel Enthusiasm Index for 2021 issued by the World Economic Forum, which makes Egypt one of the very few countries in the world that has witnessed a remarkable improvement, especially the current global conditions, which reflected the decline in tourism worldwide due to the spread of the Corona virus epidemic. Green tourism achieves environmental safety, social and cultural development and comprehensive economic development, expressing the hope that these guidelines will lead to lasting positive effects to ensure the preservation of the Egyptian cultural heritage and environment, stressing the commitment to support the sustainable tourism initiative throughout Egypt in the future.
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Sustainable tourism management strategies can be measured using metrics like customer satisfaction, environmental, health, economic, and social aspects.

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Content: Archive / Saudi News
Shura calls for "tourist application" and funding program for shelters
RIYADH - Members of the Shura Council made several demands to the Ministry of Tourism, on Tuesday, during the discussion of the annual report of the Ministry of Tourism for the fiscal year 1441 / 1442 AH.
Shura member Saleh al-Shamrani, according to what the Council published through his official Twitter account, called on the Ministry of Tourism to use technology to promote domestic tourism and establish a comprehensive mobile technology application for tourist places in the Kingdom.
Council member Attia Al-Atwi called on the Ministry of Tourism to establish a funding program to support the operation of shelters in Makkah and Madinah to help operating companies overcome the repercussions of the pandemic.
Al-Shura member Salah Al-Taleb stressed the importance of tourism investment to increase the tourism attractiveness of the Kingdom and improve prices, stressing the importance of the ministry improving the investment environment in cooperation with the relevant government agencies.
Member of the Council, Amira Al-Jaafari, called on the Ministry of Tourism to adopt the approach of global tourism vigilance in its strategic management of tourism, to achieve more effective and sustainable results.
Shura member Reema Al-Yahya suggested that the Ministry of Tourism cooperate with the relevant authorities in establishing special tourism colleges with international standards, including all scientific tourism disciplines, and develop programs for foreign scholarship in cooperation with the Ministry of Education.
Shura member Hassan Al Masloom urged the Ministry of Tourism to speed up the development and development of comprehensive indicators of sustainable tourism that are compatible with the post-pandemic phase that measure customer satisfaction and focus on environmental, health, economic and social aspects.
Member of the Council, Aisha Arishi, called on the Ministry of Tourism in coordination with the Ministry of Information to make a strong tourism media according to international standards and foundations, commensurate with the Kingdom's development renaissance, and work to exploit natural tourism resources such as hot eyes and develop them to attract medical tourism.
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The Travel and Tourism Development Index measures sustainability and resilience in tourism that meets the needs of visitors, industry, environment, and host communities.

Title:

Content: Monday, 09 October 2023 08: 58 GMT
Investing in Smart and Sustainable Tourism Cities
(MENAFN- Alghad Newspaper)
International tourism continues to recover from the worst crisis in its history, with arrivals reaching 84% of pre-epidemic levels between January and July 2023, according to data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The Middle East, Europe and Africa is leading the global tourism recovery with a 20% rise over pre-epidemic levels, and tourism demand continues to show remarkable resilience and sustainable recovery, even in the face of economic and geopolitical challenges. The number of international tourists worldwide increased by 43% year-on-year in the first seven months of 2023 to 700 million.
The tourism sector in Jordan continues to achieve unprecedented levels since the beginning of this year, driven by the large number of tourists coming to the Kingdom.
Figures from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities showed that the number of international visitors to the Kingdom has achieved a remarkable rise and unprecedented levels compared to the same period of previous years, where the number of visitors in the first seven months of this year 2023 reached about 3.75 million visitors, an increase of 51.3 percent compared to the same period in 2022.
Tourism is one of the main sources of income for many countries, and depends on the budgets of major countries, such as France, Spain and America, for example, in Jordan, the contribution of the tourism sector to the national economy and GDP is 14.6%.
With intense international competition to attract more tourists, many new tourism ideas are emerging.
Capitals and cities around the world have begun to shift to so-called “smart sustainable cities ”, a term that aligns with climate change and significant technological development, to enhance economic resilience and quality of life.
Jordan attaches great importance to the establishment of a sustainable tourism sector, as the tourism sector is a priority in the Kingdom ’ s Economic Vision 2033, as this sector is a key pillar of economic diversification.
Sustainable tourism is defined by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts and meets the needs of visitors, industry, the environment and host communities.
Jordan adopts future and global trends focused on responsible and sustainable tourism to enhance its competitiveness. The Kingdom is working to establish this culture among local tourist destinations, focusing on innovation and digital transformation in this sector to increase revenues and growth and enhance opportunities for SMEs. The Kingdom ’ s objectives of climate neutrality and sustainable economic development.
The Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI), issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF), measures the factors and policies that lead to the development, sustainability and resilience of the travel and tourism sector in order to contribute to economic and social development.
In order to promote sustainable tourism, a holistic blueprint for smart cities and sustainability needs to be developed, covering a variety of areas including sustainable management, performance measures, health measures, investment in digital technology, training, qualification and innovation, business environment, infrastructure development and modernization, including renewable energy systems, and smart green transportation., water management systems, waste management and air quality, agriculture and green spaces, public safety and disaster management, as well as governance.
It is also necessary to stimulate partnership efforts with the private sector to contribute to a prosperous future for the tourism sector, attract industrial and commercial investments and handicrafts, take advantage of the retail and events sectors, and digital marketing to attract more local and international visitors, so that tourism is not the determining factor in the sustainability of local communities and is an important supporter of their resources, thus creating inclusive economic growth through real and sustainable tourism products and experiences. To improve its position regionally and globally, reduce the impact of seasonality of tourism and work to enrich the product and experience of tourism continuously to prolong the duration of stay of tourists and increase their spending, and repeat their visits to enjoy new experiences.
Sustainable development will generate local jobs directly in the tourism sector and indirectly in a number of supporting and resource management sectors, and contribute to enhancing the activities of profitable local sectors, through integrated and sustainable investments through the development of an innovative package of services, products and logistical and financing solutions, designed to empower investors, entrepreneurs and tourism-related enterprises to support them and enable them to take advantage of huge opportunities in the tourism sector. The tourism sector, enhancing Jordan ’ s leading position on the global tourism map.
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Local communities and governments can implement sustainable tourism by investing in green initiatives.

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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
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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.

Sustainable tourism practices ensure long-term economic benefits and community development.