Overtourism is ruining Europe (and the world)

If you have ever lived, even for short periods, in an art city or a famous tourist destination for work or study, you have experienced it firsthand. Overtourism is the new term of discord, but the concept it seeks to express and bring to the world's attention is not new. Approaches vary. For example, Barcelona rebels: citizens use water pistols against visitors, the city wants to increase the tourist tax, and plans to ban short-term rentals by 2029. Another European capital, Copenhagen, encourages sustainable behaviors and promises rewards to tourists who travel by bicycle or public transport and who collect trash. From Hawaii, a clear cry, an invitation to stay away: tourists, we don't want you. In Italy, Daniela Santanché fights for tourists' rights to see the beauties of Italy, completely downplaying the problem. But the problem exists and shows no signs of improvement. Meanwhile, Venice has instituted an entrance fee, but the decision has been harshly criticized far and wide.

Overtourism: Meaning and Consequences

What are we talking about when we talk about overtourism? The term refers to an extreme and difficult-to-manage situation where the number of visitors exceeds the capacity of a destination to handle them. This abundance of numbers has serious and negative consequences on the affected area, on local communities, and on the experience of travelers themselves. Specifically, we are talking about:

Environmental degradation: overcrowding creates pollution, damages natural ecosystems, and exploits local resources, such as water and energy. Take the example of Sicily, which is experiencing months of drought and invaluable losses both in natural and economic terms. Climate change is certainly a culprit, but tourism also plays a significant role.

Impact on local communities: residents of a locality suffering from overtourism often face increased and unsustainable living costs, congestion, loss of local identity, and reduced services and infrastructure. This is directly linked to neocolonialism or digital nomadism, a phenomenon where remote workers move to countries cheaper than where they earn their salary. An example? Lisbon, where rents have become unaffordable for those who live and work in Portugal.

Economic imbalance: Although, especially in Italy, we were raised with the myth of tourism as a great economic driver, the flip side is economic dependency on the phenomenon, making the destination completely dependent on tourist flows (which follow uncontrollable trends) and therefore more fragile and susceptible to fluctuations.

Deterioration of the tourist experience: Finally, overtourism damages tourism itself and the experience of travelers, leading to a general decline in quality.

Does Italy Live on Tourism? The Answer is Surprising

As mentioned, Italy has always been a victim of rhetoric that portrays tourism as the leading sector driving the domestic economy. After all, with so many cultural beauties, how could it be otherwise? Perhaps, the rhetoric continues, it's our fault for not exploiting them enough. That we do not offer enough services, that we do not accommodate tourists as we should. Not to mention southern Italy, which also has beaches, but where everything works so poorly. The truth, however, is that making tourism the backbone of the economy is unsustainable for citizens who live and work in Italy and, as mentioned, could lead to significant long-term damage. Today, according to a map created by Euranet based on data collected by Statesman, the Italian economy does not depend on tourism. Maybe that's a good thing, after all.

How to Avoid It? Should We Stop Traveling?

So, what to do? The answer is certainly not to stop traveling. One could appeal, with a bit of faith in humanity, to some general common sense rules. Avoid traveling during high season, look for alternative destinations, ensure you are sustainable tourists, treat the places you choose to visit with respect, strive to use public transport and recycle even when away. If awareness campaigns in this regard do not work, then it will be up to mayors and governments to take action, with fines or measures, for example to limit short-term rentals and protect long-term ones. Finally, especially when talking about the global south or east, one should act on entitlement and mentality, making those from the north or west understand that economically less developed countries are not amusement parks, do not live for us, and often do not benefit from our monetary contributions as we might think, quite the opposite.