Overtourism is a significant issue in many parts of the world, causing strain on local communities and environments, as seen in Tenerife, which had 6.5 million tourist arrivals in 2023, a record high.

Mass tourism increases property and rent costs for locals, forcing some to relocate to shanty towns due to unaffordability, as reported in Tenerife.

The influx of tourists also disrupts locals' daily lives with noise and disregard for rules, leading to calls for stricter rules for tourists.

Overtourism has severe environmental consequences, including water restrictions due to drought, worsened by tourism, as declared in Tenerife.

The current tourism model is seen as unsustainable by protesters, who are planning a protest against overtourism in Tenerife.

Similar issues are reported in Málaga, where locals protest overtourism with anti-tourist stickers, and 14 million holidaymakers visited Costa del Sol in 2023.

The rapid growth of tourism has led to a housing crisis, with eight out of 10 new Málaga residents being foreigners, and 630 tech companies opening offices in the area.

Tenerife declared a water emergency due to overtourism, highlighting the severe environmental impacts of mass tourism.

Gran Canaria residents displayed "tourists go home" messages, and Mallorca residents put up fake warning signs against tourists, indicating the growing backlash against overtourism.

Venice banned cruise ships from its canal system, and Amsterdam discourages drunken tourists, demonstrating efforts to manage tourist congestion.

Hawaii struggles with hospitality worker shortages and congestion, showcasing the economic and social challenges posed by overtourism.

Seville declares it is "bursting at the seams" due to overtourism, with three million tourists visiting every year, and a population of 700,000.

Locals protest against the tourism industry and its problems, citing lack of housing and poor living conditions as major concerns.

Spain's housing minister plans to crackdown on holiday homes, and tourist rentals will be regulated to address the housing crisis.

Overtourism causes noise and insecurity for locals, leading to the formation of protest groups like "Sevilla Se Muere," which means "Seville is dying".

Ibiza welcomes three million tourists annually, but overtourism increases rents and mortgages costs, harming public services and forcing locals into cramped accommodations.

Tourism generates 45 percent of the island's GDP, but locals demand limits on tourist arrivals to mitigate the negative impacts.

The Balearics attracted 14.4 million visitors in 2023, with £14.75bn spent by visitors, highlighting the economic significance of tourism in the region.

Overtourism causes negative effects on areas, including overloading, declining quality of life, and environmental damage, as well as high prices and homogenization of shops.

Multinational companies invest in hotels and cottages, but tourism brings jobs that often do not provide living wages, exacerbating social and economic issues.

Social media contributes to overcrowding, and cities charge tourists "admission fees" to curb demand, demonstrating efforts to manage tourist flows.

Overtourism leads to "tourism nuisance" problems like traffic and noise, highlighting the need for effective management and policies to determine tourism impact.

In Hawaii, overtourism causes a housing crisis, and tourism is the main economy driver, but it also leads to lack of access to clean water and environmental degradation.

The native Hawaiian population declined 90% after contact with outsiders, and sugar production led to Native Hawaiians' displacement, demonstrating the historical and ongoing impacts of tourism.

Overtourism affects quality of life for locals and species, with nearly 10 million visitors in 2022, and 70% of Hawaii's income coming from tourism.

Barcelona hosted 13 million tourists, with 38 million tourist nights, and rents rose by 70% in a decade due to tourism, forcing many tourism workers to live outside the city.

Venice lost 70% of its population since the 1950s due to tourism, and the city imposed a $5.30 entrance fee on day visitors to manage tourism.

Barcelona banned renting rooms in private apartments to control tourism, and a quarter of the population now views tourism as negative.

Tourism accounts for nearly a fifth of Barcelona's non-public economy, but it affects local resources like water, electricity, and transportation.

Japan has selected 20 regions to tackle overtourism, including plans to ease traffic congestion and raise tourism etiquette awareness.

Pilot projects will be implemented in 20 districts, starting in fiscal year 2024, to address overtourism issues and protect local residents and the environment.

Iriomotti Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will establish restricted access areas to manage tourist flows and mitigate environmental impacts.

Overtourism occurs when too many visitors overwhelm a destination, pushing out local tenants for holiday rentals and causing narrow roads to become jammed with tourist vehicles.

Tourists crowd landmarks, hindering views, and decades of uncontrolled growth create problems, leading to a backlash from local communities.

Local residents protest overtourism in cities like Barcelona, Venice, and Dubrovnik, and even remote areas like Iceland and Skye experience overtourism.

Governments limit daily visitors to reduce local impact, and Brehat island limited visitors to 4,700 per day to mitigate the effects of overtourism.

Tourists increased waste by 10 times on Brehat island, and 80% of tourists visit 20% of districts in France, highlighting the need for sustainable tourism practices.

Visitor numbers returned to pre-epidemic levels in France, and Americans visiting Europe are expected to rise by 55% this summer, putting additional pressure on tourist destinations.

Dubrovnik launched a "Respect the City" campaign, and Venice will impose a tourist tax and reservation system to manage tourist flows.

Tenerife's tourism causes overpopulation and overexploitation, with 35 percent of the Canary Islands' GDP coming from tourism, and 40 percent of jobs linked to hospitality.

The island's population density is almost 1,000 people per square kilometer, and Tenerife is experiencing a housing crisis due to overdevelopment.

Property prices and rents increased significantly in 2023, and Airbnb-style holiday lets reduced available properties for locals, exacerbating the housing crisis.

Tenerife declared a drought emergency due to abnormally hot weather, and the island's electrical grid is strained, risking a total blackout.

Spain attracted 85 million visitors in 2023, and Barcelona received 7.8 million visitors, leading to protests against tourist overcrowding.

Venice banned large cruise ships in 2021, and Barcelona imposes a 5 euro tourist tax on peak days to manage tourist congestion.

Quality over quantity tourism strategy helps reduce overcrowding, and tourism taxes and restrictions can manage tourist congestion, as seen in Paris and other cities.

The global economic impact of overtourism on destinations is a significant concern, as tourism contributes 8% of global emissions and generates enormous economic benefits, but also causes excessive development and degrades natural areas and habitats.

Tourism is a vital sector for many destinations' economies, such as Tenerife, which welcomed 6.5 million tourists in 2023, a record high, and generates significant revenue, but also pushes up property and rent costs for locals.

Overtourism leads to strain on local services and infrastructure, as seen in Tenerife, where stringent water restrictions are in place due to drought, and forces locals to relocate to shanty towns.

In Málaga, locals protest against overtourism with stickers and graffiti, highlighting the negative impacts of mass tourism, which includes the displacement of locals and the degradation of natural areas.

The Canary Islands declared a water emergency due to overtourism, and Venice banned cruise ships from its canal system to combat overtourism, demonstrating the need for sustainable tourism management.

Amsterdam implemented tourist taxes to reduce visitor numbers, and other cities, such as Barcelona, are taking measures to manage tourism sustainably, including restricting hotel house rentals.

Ibiza's economy relies heavily on the tourism industry, which generates 45 percent of the islands' GDP and creates 200,000 jobs locally, but also increases housing costs for locals and forces them to leave due to high rents and mortgages.

The Balearics saw 14.4 million visitors from abroad in 2023, and visitors spent £14.75bn in the Balearics in 2023, highlighting the significant economic impact of tourism on the region.

Overtourism causes negative effects on areas and declines quality of life, as seen in Venice, which has 50,000 locals and over 50,000 daily tourists, leading to a range of social and environmental problems.

Tourist cities, such as Amsterdam, charge "admission fees" to curb demand, and other cities, such as Kamakura, Japan, decentralize transportation to reduce overcrowding, demonstrating the need for innovative solutions to manage overtourism.

Hawaii's tourism industry is the No. 1 driver of the state's economy, generating 70% of every dollar in Hawaii directly or indirectly, but also causes a range of environmental and social problems, including lack of access to clean water and destruction of Hawaiian lands.

Thailand's new World Heritage site faces overtourism, with Si Thep park unprepared for the visitor surge, highlighting the need for sustainable tourism management and conservation efforts [14

Overtourism is a significant issue in many parts of the world, causing strain on local communities and environments, as seen in Tenerife, which had 6.5 million tourist arrivals in 2023, a record high.

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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Mass tourism increases property and rent costs for locals, forcing some to relocate to shanty towns due to unaffordability, as reported in Tenerife.

The influx of tourists also disrupts locals' daily lives with noise and disregard for rules, leading to calls for stricter rules for tourists.

Overtourism has severe environmental consequences, including water restrictions due to drought, worsened by tourism, as declared in Tenerife.

The current tourism model is seen as unsustainable by protesters, who are planning a protest against overtourism in Tenerife.

Similar issues are reported in Málaga, where locals protest overtourism with anti-tourist stickers, and 14 million holidaymakers visited Costa del Sol in 2023.

Title:

Content: ‘Go f*cking home’: The European cities where locals are fighting back against overtourism

Picturesque but troubled: A view of Malaga's centre Copyright  Yuliya Matuzava via Unsplash
By Saskia O'Donoghue
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Millions of holidaymakers visit the Costa de Sol and Málaga, one of its most popular destinations, every year, but now locals are saying enough is enough.

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Málaga locals are frustrated by the growing influx of tourists and now they’re expressing their feelings in no uncertain terms.

The Spanish city’s centre has been hit with a wave of stickers, posted on walls and doors, telling visitors what residents think of them.

Walk the streets of Málaga and you’ll see these daubs, ranging from the fairly mild “this used to be my home” (antes esta era mi casa) and “this used to be the city centre” (antes esto era el centro) all the way to “go f*cking home” (a tu puta casa), “stinking of tourist” (apestando a turista).

Why are Málaga locals so irate with tourists?

The city on the Costa del Sol has long been a popular destination for visitors, thanks to its sunny climate and relatively low cost of living. However, it’s recently become an even more desirable destination for holidaymakers and digital nomads alike.

Many locals have simply had enough. Bar owner Dani Drunko runs a much-frequented bar in Málaga called Drunkorama. He started the ‘sticker initiative’, having favourite anti-tourist phrases given to him by bar regulars printed and posted around the city.

Speaking to a local newspaper Diario Sur, Drunko explained that he began the campaign after he was apparently “kicked out” of the home he’d lived in for a decade.

He claimed that the landlord refused to negotiate the rent or even sell him the property. The reason? They wanted to turn it into a short-term rental for tourists.

“There’s a lot of hype because locals are tired of the situation; I just suggested the idea of the catchphrases, I offered the spark, and now others have joined,” Drunko told Diario Sur.

“Málaga city centre has been going downhill for a long time, so much so that if for example something in my bar breaks, I don't have a hardware store on hand to buy anything, since the tourist who comes doesn’t need to buy screws,” he added.

Local politician Dani Pérez took to X - formerly Twitter - to add his voice to the growing discontentment.

“You walk the streets of Málaga and it is practically impossible to find a residential building that does not have a lockbox [for tourist rentals],” he wrote, going on to accuse the city’s mayor, Paco de la Torre, of “not lifting a finger for the people of Malaga” and “expelling them from the city where they were born.”

Last November, a local reporter for news website The Local Spain reported that Málaga is “definitely busier than before during low season,” while confirming the existence of lockboxes “everywhere” and commenting that restaurant prices have seen huge hikes in recent months.

What makes Málaga so popular with foreign visitors?

Spain’s Costa del Sol, home to Málaga, has been hugely popular with tourists for years. In 2023, a record 14 million holidaymakers from Spain and abroad visited - and a fair few visitors decided to make the city their home.

Recent data from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) shows that eight out of 10 new residents moving to Málaga are currently foreigners.

It’s not just individuals changing the face of the city, though. Some 630 tech companies, including Google, have opened offices in Málaga, turning it into a quasi-Silicon Valley of Europe.

That has the knock on effect of drawing thousands of international remote workers and digital nomads, attracted by the heady combination of a pleasant work environment and warm climate.

Málaga locals, though, think enough is enough, believing they are being priced out and alienated from their own home city.

Which other European destinations have fought back against overtourism?

Earlier in March, the Canary Islands - a territory of Spain - saw graffiti pop up ordering tourists to “go home”.

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With its year-round sun and warm weather, the Canaries are an always-popular destination for foreign visitors - and tourism is seen as the island group’s largest money maker.

One of the most popular islands, Tenerife, recently declared a water emergency. That added more fuel to the fire for locals, as some tourist areas there use up to six times more water than residential areas, putting pressure on reserves crucial for drinking water and farming.

In February, nearby Gran Canaria saw walls emblazoned with the message, 'tourists and digital nomads go home', something newspaper the Canarian Weekly reported as 'tourismphobia'.

On the Balearic island Mallorca last August, residents put up fake signs along a number of beaches, reading: “beware of dangerous jellyfish” and “caution, falling rocks”.

All written in English, the signs also featured, in smaller print, explanations in Catalan informing locals that warnings are not real. Instead, the text read: “the problem isn’t a rockfall, it’s mass tourism” and “beach open except for foreigners (guiris) and jellyfish”.

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Overtourism isn’t just a problem in Spanish territories, though.

Many European nations have been putting tourist taxes in place, including Venice which has also banned cruise ships from entering its endangered canal system.

In Amsterdam, authorities and locals alike have been trying for months to encourage - mostly British - drunken tourists to stay away and in Kyoto, Japan, roads have been sealed off to ensure the city doesn't become a ‘theme park’.

Other top tourist destinations are begging people not to visit, with many simply not having the infrastructure to accommodate them.

Hawaii is on many people’s bucket lists, but continues to struggle with hospitality worker shortages, congested roads and 90-minute restaurant waiting times as tourists still arrive in droves.

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While the problem does appear to be a global one, it is Spain that is leading the grassroots fight back.

Graffiti in Barcelona last year read: “We spit in your beer. Cheers!” - yet tourists continue to flock there.

Euronews Travel reached out to the Málaga tourist board for comment but have yet to receive a response.

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The rapid growth of tourism has led to a housing crisis, with eight out of 10 new Málaga residents being foreigners, and 630 tech companies opening offices in the area.

Tenerife declared a water emergency due to overtourism, highlighting the severe environmental impacts of mass tourism.

Gran Canaria residents displayed "tourists go home" messages, and Mallorca residents put up fake warning signs against tourists, indicating the growing backlash against overtourism.

Venice banned cruise ships from its canal system, and Amsterdam discourages drunken tourists, demonstrating efforts to manage tourist congestion.

Hawaii struggles with hospitality worker shortages and congestion, showcasing the economic and social challenges posed by overtourism.

Seville declares it is "bursting at the seams" due to overtourism, with three million tourists visiting every year, and a population of 700,000.

Title:

Content: Seville Spain: Holiday warning issued to UK holidaymakers as popular European city declares it is 'bursting at the seams'

UK holidaymakers have been issued a Spain holiday warning as another Spanish city, Seville, has declared it is “bursting at the seams”
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A warning has been issued to UK holidaymakers as another popular Spanish city has declared that it is “bursting at the seams” and they have had “enough” of tourists. Locals in Seville have spoken out, joining the likes of the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands in protesting over “overtourism”.

Protest group "Sevilla Se Muere" carried out a march in Seville's city centre on 10 April protesting against the tourism industry and the problems it creates for locals. The group's name in English means "Seville is dying".

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The platform said: "With the slogan of this call, Now is the Time, we want to denounce the city model that the city council and lobbies are imposing on us. For years, we have seen abuses that only benefit a few and condemn our neighbours. It is time for them to know that what they have been doing with Seville for years is not what we Sevillians want for our city. The city is bursting at the seams. We can't take it any more. Let's reverse this unsustainable situation before it is too late".

The group added: "The people of Seville pay the costs of cleaning and repairs, while we suffer the noise and insecurity that they cause." Seville welcomes three million tourists every year, and has a population of 700,000.

It is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. The protests in the city come after it has been announced that marches will take place in Tenerife, Lanzarote and beyond on 20 April 20. Locals have cited a lack of housing as a factor for the protest as well as poor living conditions.

Spain’s housing minister Isabel Rodriguez announced that the country will crackdown on holiday homes as she says she doesn’t want Madrid to “be a theme park”. On Thursday (11 April), Spain’s housing minister Isabel Rodriguez said she would intervene over the housing crisis that is being caused by overtourism.

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She said: “This is more than Operation Camp which is the largest ever public housing promotion and I don’t want the centre of Madrid to be a theme park, but to remain a city. We will act in a precise and targeted way because tourist rentals in some regions are an opportunity for tourist dynamism but it has to be regulated according to that diversity.”

Earlier this month the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, called for "common sense", adding that tourism is the "main source of employment and wealth" for the local economy and urging protestors to be “responsible”. He said that tourists "come to enjoy themselves, to spend a few days and to leave their money in the Canary Islands".

Locals protest against the tourism industry and its problems, citing lack of housing and poor living conditions as major concerns.

Spain's housing minister plans to crackdown on holiday homes, and tourist rentals will be regulated to address the housing crisis.

Overtourism causes noise and insecurity for locals, leading to the formation of protest groups like "Sevilla Se Muere," which means "Seville is dying".

Ibiza welcomes three million tourists annually, but overtourism increases rents and mortgages costs, harming public services and forcing locals into cramped accommodations.

Title:

Content: British tourists warned European island 'doesn't have enough locals left to run things'

Ibiza is the latest holiday hotspot in Spain where anger with overtourism is boiling over.

By Alice Scarsi, World News Reporter

Ibiza welcomes around three million tourists every year (Image: GETTY)

The cost of rents and mortgages, which activists say is being pushed up by over-tourism, is prompting people to leave Ibiza, one of the most popular Balearic Islands.

This, in turn, is harming public services, as there aren't enough people available to work in them, it has been claimed.

Iván Fidalgo, a Guardia Civil officer and local coordinator for the Spanish Association of Civil Guards, told Euronews Travel: "They sell Ibiza as a first-class resort, but it is not because it doesn’t even have the public services because there are not enough people to work in them."

Many of the locals who don't leave the island are forced to leave in cramped accommodations or relocate in caravans, campaigners have claimed.

Ibiza attracts on average three million tourists a year, some 800,000 of which are Britons.

Tourism is an industry important to the economy of the island (Image: GETTY)

In 2023, the Balearics as a whole saw an unprecedented surge of international interest, attracting 14.4 million visitors from abroad - who spent collectively £14.75bn (€17.22bn).

Tourism is a majorly important industry for the archipelago, creating 200,000 jobs locally and generating 45 percent of the islands' GDP.

However, an increased demand for temporary accommodation created by tourism reportedly means that many locals are pushed out of their homes as they are unable to afford the increasing housing costs.

Similar issues are being lamented by activists elsewhere in popular Spanish destinations - including the Canary Islands.

Last month, many of these islands including Tenerife held massive anti-overtourism protests, in which they demanded local governments to limit the number of visitors and curb the development of tourist stays.

Similar pleas were heard on Friday in Ibiza, where around a 1000 people took to the streets of the island's capital to demand limits on the number of tourist arrivals.

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Tourism generates 45 percent of the island's GDP, but locals demand limits on tourist arrivals to mitigate the negative impacts.

The Balearics attracted 14.4 million visitors in 2023, with £14.75bn spent by visitors, highlighting the economic significance of tourism in the region.

Overtourism causes negative effects on areas, including overloading, declining quality of life, and environmental damage, as well as high prices and homogenization of shops.

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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[Lin Chi-yin]
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Multinational companies invest in hotels and cottages, but tourism brings jobs that often do not provide living wages, exacerbating social and economic issues.

Social media contributes to overcrowding, and cities charge tourists "admission fees" to curb demand, demonstrating efforts to manage tourist flows.

Overtourism leads to "tourism nuisance" problems like traffic and noise, highlighting the need for effective management and policies to determine tourism impact.

In Hawaii, overtourism causes a housing crisis, and tourism is the main economy driver, but it also leads to lack of access to clean water and environmental degradation.

Title:

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 native Hawaiian population declined 90% after contact with outsiders, and sugar production led to Native Hawaiians' displacement, demonstrating the historical and ongoing impacts of tourism.

Overtourism affects quality of life for locals and species, with nearly 10 million visitors in 2022, and 70% of Hawaii's income coming from tourism.

Barcelona hosted 13 million tourists, with 38 million tourist nights, and rents rose by 70% in a decade due to tourism, forcing many tourism workers to live outside the city.

Title:

Content: It was easy to look away when local protesters sprayed water on surprised tourists snacking on pavement cafes on a recent sunny afternoon in Barcelona, one of Europe ’ s best summer destinations.
But the anti-tourism demonstration here was also a telling snapshot – and a warning – of rising tensions on the continent and beyond, where record travel levels this summer are colliding with climate change, social disparities and capacity even in the most visitor-friendly cities.
If you think the world ’ s tourist hotspots are already saturated, think again – specifically the hitherto untapped markets for international travelers from China and India.
For decades, tourism has been growing around the world, and its impact has varied disproportionately in Europe, especially in the solar belt region of southern Europe.
Barcelona, a magical place whose popularity has skyrocketed since hosting the Olympics 32 years ago, is an example.
In 1990, the overcrowded city of Barcelona, with a population of 1.6 million, hosted less than two million tourists.
This year, city officials expect nearly 13 million arrivals, representing about 38 million tourist nights.
As a result, rents in the city have risen by almost 70% in a decade.
Nearly 150,000 people work in tourism jobs in Barcelona, but many cannot live in the city.
Similar concerns surround Lisbon, Athens, Las Palmas, Ibiza and other major destinations, as these cities are the victims of their tourism-revenue success, but increasingly fear the loss of working-class residents, neighborhood grocery stores — and their lives.
No European city has seen as much tourist density as Venice, where 70% of its population has been driven out since the 1950s, and more than 20 million visitors a year are crowded into the three-square-mile city.
Venice this year imposed an entrance fee of $5.30 on day visitors, a gesture that seems futile.
Reactions and protests by locals against tourist waves are intensifying – not only in southern Europe, but also in Amsterdam, Tokyo, Seoul and elsewhere.
In Barcelona, where tourism was almost universally viewed as positive 15 years ago, nearly a quarter of the population now say it has brought negative impacts.
In Barcelona, I spoke with Jordi Valls, the city ’ s deputy mayor for economy, taxation, economic promotion and tourism, who took office last year.
He soon decided that tourism, which accounts for nearly a fifth of the city ’ s non-public economy, had reached its limits and could not be stopped either.
He said: “I can ’ t control the demand.
I can only influence the show. ”
In pursuit of this goal, the city has banned the renting of rooms in private apartments, and by 2028 plans to cancel another 10,000 short-term rental rooms through Airbnb and similar companies.
The city also raised the municipal overnight tax, capped new hotels in the city centre and legalized the size of tourist groups.
This is difficult enough in some parts of the city, and then there is the long-term pressure exerted by tourists on water, electricity, transportation and other resources.
Writer specializing in European affairs
Published by special arrangement with Washington Post Leasing and Syndication

Venice lost 70% of its population since the 1950s due to tourism, and the city imposed a $5.30 entrance fee on day visitors to manage tourism.

Barcelona banned renting rooms in private apartments to control tourism, and a quarter of the population now views tourism as negative.

Tourism accounts for nearly a fifth of Barcelona's non-public economy, but it affects local resources like water, electricity, and transportation.

Japan has selected 20 regions to tackle overtourism, including plans to ease traffic congestion and raise tourism etiquette awareness.

Title:

Content: Japan selects 20 regions as models to tackle overtourism
TOURISM & TRAVEL
TOKYO — Japan ’ s tourism agency on Tuesday selected 20 regions to implement pilot projects aimed at tackling challenges related to overtourism, or increasing tourist numbers that negatively affect the lives of local residents and the natural environment.
In the 20 districts, local government officials and residents will draw up plans for fiscal year 2024, which begins on Monday, to ease traffic congestion and raise awareness about tourism etiquette.
These areas include Niseko in the far north of Hokkaido Prefecture, Asakusa in Tokyo and Irimoti Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Okinawa Prefecture in the far south of the country.
In Niseko, which attracts many skiers from abroad, a plan is being considered to allow taxis from outside the region to operate to address the lack of transport.
Asakusa is expected to take steps to disperse crowds of travelers at popular tourist spots.
On the island of Iriomotti, areas with restricted access will be established to protect the natural environment.
(Original text in English, Gigi Press)
Tourism Kyoto Jiji Press Foreigners

Pilot projects will be implemented in 20 districts, starting in fiscal year 2024, to address overtourism issues and protect local residents and the environment.

Iriomotti Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will establish restricted access areas to manage tourist flows and mitigate environmental impacts.

Overtourism occurs when too many visitors overwhelm a destination, pushing out local tenants for holiday rentals and causing narrow roads to become jammed with tourist vehicles.

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Sedona Film Festival presents ‘Crowded Out’

“Crowded Out” is a powerful short documentary exploring over-tourism, featuring interviews with local residents and global experts. (Image provided by SIFF)

Originally Published: September 14, 2022 8:43 p.m.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the third film in its four-week Sustainable Tourism Film Series. “Crowded Out: The Story of Overtourism” will show on Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre at 4 p.m. The event will also include a selection of “Sustainable Travel: Where Next?” short films along with a panel discussion.

“Crowded Out” is a powerful short documentary exploring overtourism, featuring interviews with local residents and global experts.

Overtourism occurs when there are too many visitors to a particular destination. When rent prices push out local tenants to make way for holiday rentals, when narrow roads become jammed with tourist vehicles, when tourists cannot view landmarks because of the crowds – these are all signs of overtourism.

And it is the backlash from local residents that has made overtourism news. Cities such as Barcelona, Venice and Dubrovnik, and places once thought of as remote such as Iceland and Skye have suffered firsthand, and the protests by local residents have spread.

There has been decades of virtually uncontrolled growth, and it has crossed a threshold: in many destinations, tourism now demonstrably creates more problems than benefits.

This special event will also include a selection of short films from “Sustainable Travel: Where Next?” This series includes short-form documentary films, featuring insightful stories from the global travel and tourism sector showing how they are driving sustainable travel and protecting these precious destinations.

Following the screenings, there will be a panel discussion with representatives the City of Sedona, the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, Keep Sedona Beautiful and the tourism and hospitality industry here.

“Crowded Out: The Story of Overtourism” will be shown at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona. For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.org.

The final film in the Sustainable Tourism Series is:

Thursday, Sept. 29 at 4 p.m. “Vendemmia”

Tourists crowd landmarks, hindering views, and decades of uncontrolled growth create problems, leading to a backlash from local communities.

Local residents protest overtourism in cities like Barcelona, Venice, and Dubrovnik, and even remote areas like Iceland and Skye experience overtourism.

Governments limit daily visitors to reduce local impact, and Brehat island limited visitors to 4,700 per day to mitigate the effects of overtourism.

Title:

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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Tourists increased waste by 10 times on Brehat island, and 80% of tourists visit 20% of districts in France, highlighting the need for sustainable tourism practices.

Visitor numbers returned to pre-epidemic levels in France, and Americans visiting Europe are expected to rise by 55% this summer, putting additional pressure on tourist destinations.

Dubrovnik launched a "Respect the City" campaign, and Venice will impose a tourist tax and reservation system to manage tourist flows.

Tenerife's tourism causes overpopulation and overexploitation, with 35 percent of the Canary Islands' GDP coming from tourism, and 40 percent of jobs linked to hospitality.

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Content: Advertisement

Tourism For Members

'The island can't take it anymore': Why Tenerife is rejecting mass tourism

Alex Dunham - [email protected]

Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands exemplifies the damage mass tourism can cause whilst still creating jobs and driving the economy, from overpopulation to overexploitation. This is why thousands took to the streets on Saturday to denounce the real culprits.

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Upon casting his eyes on the Orotava Valley, Alexander von Humboldt wrote: “I have tears in my eyes. I wish I could live here”.

The year was 1799 and the German naturalist known as the “father of modern geography” was one of the first of many million foreigners to fall for the natural charms of Tenerife, the biggest of the Canary Islands.

Conquered by the Kingdom of Castille over the course of the 15th century, Tenerife and the other seven Canary Islands have always had largely single-industry economies: first it was cochineal dye, then sugar cane, followed by bananas and since the 1960s mass tourism.

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Their all-year-round balmy weather ensured their success among sun-starved northern Europeans, and as Spanish dictator Francisco Franco’s policy of fixing prices low meant more and more tourists came, Tenerife’s rampant development continued, and never really stopped.

Currently 35 percent of the Canary Islands’ GDP comes from tourism and roughly 40 percent of jobs are linked to hospitality.

Tenerife receives the bulk of holidaymakers, 6.5 million of the 14 million that visited the eight-island archipelago in 2023. Therefore it compounds the problems of the Canaries better than any of the other seven isles.

Tourist numbers have been putting increasing pressure on a 2,000-square-kilometre island that already houses just short of a million people. At current rates, the island is gaining 1,200 residents every month, most of them foreign nationals.

There’s an increasing sense among tinerfeños (locals of Tenerife) that the island has reached breaking point and that the Canary political establishment only cares about catering to tourists, even though the profits aren’t staying on the island and locals are being relegated to second-class citizenship.

As half of Tenerife’s territory is protected non-urban land, the population density - when you include tourists and residents - is now higher than Japan’s at almost 1,000 people per square kilometre.

Referred to in the Canary press as the “demographic challenge”, there are fears of another total blackout due to an increasingly strained electrical grid.

Despite the overdevelopment of Tenerife, there are still places of immense natural beauty, such as Spain's highest peak Mount Teide. Photo: Bert Christiaens/Pexels

Abnormally hot and dry weather has also forced the Tenerife government to declare a drought emergency as a means of guaranteeing the water supply of locals and holidaymakers when the summer arrives. Such conditions caused Tenerife’s worst wildfire in 40 years last year

Traffic jams and a lack of parking spots are a daily pain for thousands, as there are almost as many cars as there are people on Tenerife - 818.9 vehicles for every 1,000 inhabitants.

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Tenerife is running out of space and poorly planned development during previous decades, which has already ruined once pristine coastal locations, is worsening the current lack of housing crisis.

Property prices and rents increased in the Canary Islands more than in any other Spanish region in 2023, even though Canary salaries are the second lowest in the country.

The proliferation of Airbnb-style holiday lets, up 25 percent across the Canaries in 2023 alone, has reduced the amount of properties to rent for locals and kept prices high, with higher-earning foreign digital nomads often the only ones capable of affording them.

A protester holds a banner which reads "If we live off tourism, why are we poor?" during April 20th mass protest in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Photo: Alex Dunham

It’s within this multifaceted context of discontent that tens of thousands of canarios took the streets of their capital cities on Saturday April 20th, as did other protesters in cities such as London, Amsterdam and Berlin, all under the slogan “The Canaries have a limit”.

The biggest number gathered in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, around 60,000, with placards reflecting mixed opinions over who is to blame.

 A few did regurgitate the “tourists go home” message that has made international headlines for the apparent ‘tourismphobia’ that’s raging in other parts of Spain.

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Nevertheless, for the most part protesters made sure to clarify that they are not blaming tourists for the islands’ “collapse” or “oversaturation” but rather the mass tourism model that the government has allowed to grow uncontrollably.

As one banner read, “it’s not the guiri’s fault, it’s the fault of the corrupt politician”.

“Yes to tourism, but not like this”, “if we live off tourism why are we poor?”, “My grandparents’ home won’t be an Airbnb”, “dying of success is a failure” and “no more cement” were some of the countless other messages locals wanted to get across to the eyes of the world.

“We’re not saying that there shouldn't be tourism, but that there be limits to tourism,” said Felipe Ravina, a filmmaker whose documentary Salvar Tenerife (Save Tenerife) has illustrated what overexploitation has caused, from gallons of faecal matter spewing into sea every day to the destruction of Tenerife’s biodiversity.

Ravina was one of the driving forces of the 20A protests together with the group Salvar La Tejita - whose members went on hunger strike over the construction of a hotel in one of the last remaining unspoilt beaches in the south of Tenerife.

“What we’re calling for with the tourism moratorium is not one single hotel bed more,” Ravina told RTVE broadcaster.

“The island can’t take it anymore. We’re a place with limited space and limited resources.

“This protest isn’t against tourism but against the political classes that haven’t done anything over the past decades to solve the problem of Tenerife’s collapse and now we’re worse off than ever.”

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See Also

The island's population density is almost 1,000 people per square kilometer, and Tenerife is experiencing a housing crisis due to overdevelopment.

Property prices and rents increased significantly in 2023, and Airbnb-style holiday lets reduced available properties for locals, exacerbating the housing crisis.

Tenerife declared a drought emergency due to abnormally hot weather, and the island's electrical grid is strained, risking a total blackout.

Spain attracted 85 million visitors in 2023, and Barcelona received 7.8 million visitors, leading to protests against tourist overcrowding.

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.
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Venice banned large cruise ships in 2021, and Barcelona imposes a 5 euro tourist tax on peak days to manage tourist congestion.

Quality over quantity tourism strategy helps reduce overcrowding, and tourism taxes and restrictions can manage tourist congestion, as seen in Paris and other cities.

The global economic impact of overtourism on destinations is a significant concern, as tourism contributes 8% of global emissions and generates enormous economic benefits, but also causes excessive development and degrades natural areas and habitats.

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Mohamad Elbaz
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Wael Lotfy
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
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Mohamad Elbaz
Editor-in-Chief
Wael Lotfy
The Guardian: Tourism contributes significantly to the climate crisis
It is a terrible paradox of the climate crisis that some of the most beautiful – and popular – places in the world are also the most vulnerable, especially as most of them have poor infrastructure, which means that with rising temperatures, increasing weather extremes, drying up water sources and the death of natural habitats, these places face another devastating loss, especially tourists.
Tourism contributes significantly to the climate crisis – around 8% of global emissions – and hordes of visitors cause many problems, including excessive development and degradation of natural areas.
The revenue generated by tourists can bring enormous economic benefits to these destinations, and many do not own other forms of industry or otherwise rely on extractive industries such as mining or logging.
She added that tourism can also spread awareness of environmental problems, such as bleaching coral reefs or endangered animal species, and provide funding for conservation efforts.
This complex relationship was highlighted during the coronavirus outbreak, when tourism stopped, carbon emissions dropped, wildlife flourished, and leatherback turtles in Thailand laid the largest number of eggs in two decades, but all this has come at a cost, with the global tourism industry taking a heavy toll, triggering an emergency in developing countries, families struggling to find food, illegal logging in some places has increased, and overfishing has increased.
As the rebuilding of tourism begins, it has become impossible to ignore that the future of the industry is inextricably linked to the climate crisis.
Instead of becoming a major cause of the climate crisis, tourism can be used to raise awareness, increase tourism resources and improve infrastructure.

Tourism is a vital sector for many destinations' economies, such as Tenerife, which welcomed 6.5 million tourists in 2023, a record high, and generates significant revenue, but also pushes up property and rent costs for locals.

Overtourism leads to strain on local services and infrastructure, as seen in Tenerife, where stringent water restrictions are in place due to drought, and forces locals to relocate to shanty towns.

In Málaga, locals protest against overtourism with stickers and graffiti, highlighting the negative impacts of mass tourism, which includes the displacement of locals and the degradation of natural areas.

The Canary Islands declared a water emergency due to overtourism, and Venice banned cruise ships from its canal system to combat overtourism, demonstrating the need for sustainable tourism management.

Amsterdam implemented tourist taxes to reduce visitor numbers, and other cities, such as Barcelona, are taking measures to manage tourism sustainably, including restricting hotel house rentals.

Ibiza's economy relies heavily on the tourism industry, which generates 45 percent of the islands' GDP and creates 200,000 jobs locally, but also increases housing costs for locals and forces them to leave due to high rents and mortgages.

The Balearics saw 14.4 million visitors from abroad in 2023, and visitors spent £14.75bn in the Balearics in 2023, highlighting the significant economic impact of tourism on the region.

Overtourism causes negative effects on areas and declines quality of life, as seen in Venice, which has 50,000 locals and over 50,000 daily tourists, leading to a range of social and environmental problems.

Tourist cities, such as Amsterdam, charge "admission fees" to curb demand, and other cities, such as Kamakura, Japan, decentralize transportation to reduce overcrowding, demonstrating the need for innovative solutions to manage overtourism.

Hawaii's tourism industry is the No. 1 driver of the state's economy, generating 70% of every dollar in Hawaii directly or indirectly, but also causes a range of environmental and social problems, including lack of access to clean water and destruction of Hawaiian lands.

Thailand's new World Heritage site faces overtourism, with Si Thep park unprepared for the visitor surge, highlighting the need for sustainable tourism management and conservation efforts [14

Thailand's new World Heritage site faces overtourism, with Si Thep park unprepared for the visitor surge, highlighting the need for sustainable tourism management and conservation efforts [14

Thailand's new World Heritage site faces overtourism, with Si Thep park unprepared for the visitor surge, highlighting the need for sustainable tourism management and conservation efforts [14