27th July 2024 (11 Topics)
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Overtourism is unbalancing the world
Context
The world tourism scenario is worrisome. The latest victim is Greece's "Instagram Island" Santorini. Of the record 32.7 million people who visited Greece last year, around 3.4 million, or one in 10, went to the island of just 15,500 residents.
What is Overtourism?
- The primary distinction between regular tourism and overtourism lies in a destination's saturation with tourists. If their number exceeds its capacity to accommodate visitors without negative effects on the local community, it is called overtourism.
- Factors behind such developments include:
- growth of budget airlines
- impact of social media coverage on popularizing destinations
- government policies that put tourism sector growth before sustainability
Impact of Overtourism
- Economy: Flow of tourists (growth of demand for goods and services) drives up the cost of living for locals, causing income inequality, where locals may be unable to afford necessities. As tourism-related businesses dominate regions, they may displace local enterprises.
- Society: Communities strive to adapt to visitors’ preferences, which dilutes local customs and traditions and leads to a loss of authenticity and heritage (cultural erosion).
- Residential areas are converted into tourist accommodations, and residents may find themselves
- It leads to overcrowded public transport, congested roads, and stretched healthcare facilities.
- Environment: Increased waste, air, and noise pollution can degrade natural landscapes and harm local wildlife.
Suggestive Measures:
- Technology: The travel industry can utilize tech-based tools that combat the root causes of tourist congestion and actively encourage travel to lesser-known locales.
- Regulated tourism practice: There is need to establish regulated tourism practices with promotion of sustainable agendas. There is need of maintenance of proper tourist capacity in every tourist place.
- Vigilance and patrolling: Protected areas require vigilance and regular patrolling to reduce unwanted wildlife-tourist interaction as well as habitat destruction due to off-road driving and encroachment.
- Area Specific Sustainable Plan: There is need to review the area’s present status and draw up a sustainable plan that respects the specific requirements of region.
- Promote Ecotourism: There is need to initiate a dialogue on adverse impacts of commercial tourism and promoting ecotourism.
How Regions Are Managing Tourist Numbers?
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