A lot of well-liked vacation spots are facing challenges due to the significant ecological effects caused by large crowds of tourists. What strategies could address this issue?
Travel industry is experiencing unprecedented growth globally. The previous year witnessed approximately 1.5 billion tourists, marking the second most significant figure recorded following 2019.
From Gran Canaria to Mallorca and Rome, numerous popular tourist destinations are now overrun with visitors.
Overtourism characterizes the overwhelming and frequently concurrent influx of tourists to a single location. As per the UN World Tourism Organization, this phenomenon is typically identified when either residents or travelers sense that tourism has become too burdensome. has adversely affected the standard of living to an unacceptable extent within a region.
This applies to all of this seven Canary Islands. The Atlantic archipelago, which is home to 2.2 million residents, welcomed a total of 15.2 million tourists last year—and a new record is anticipated for this year.
Although tourism makes up over one-third of the island economies, it appears that primarily major investors benefit from this, as stated by local organizations. Rents are exploding The environment is deteriorating, and the living spaces for locals are shrinking due to property owners capitalizing on profitable short-term rental opportunities.
What effects does overtourism have on the natural surroundings?
Excessive tourism exacerbates the issues caused by regular heavy tourism and frequently pushes infrastructure and local resources to their absolute limits.
Commotion, trash disposal issues, drones soaring overhead to capture vacation photos, along with gridlocks, represent some of the more disagreeable outcomes of increased tourist numbers.
Landscapes frequently undergo changes due to extra trails for pedestrians or new parking areas designed for tourists, which can disturb the native plants and wildlife.
Tourism threatens water resources, especially on islands and in warm regions as vacationers, especially those that are wealthy, generally consume more water than locals.
Waste water is also often a problem. For example, the wastewater discharged into the sea off the popular Spanish Balearic island of Majorca has caused underwater seagrass beds, important helpers against the climate crisis, to shrink considerably.
Is overtourism exacerbating the climate crisis?
Between 1995 and 2019, emissions from tourism surged by 65%, and currently, this sector accounts for 8-10% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.
Airlines are the primary factor behind the increasing environmental impact of air travel. Despite representing only one-fourth of all holiday journeys, flights contribute to about seventy-five percent of carbon emissions from tourism activities.
In addition to these emissions come those from local transport, lodging, and recreational activities. Increased overall travel frequently results in overcrowding at tourist hotspots; as more individuals embark on journeys, favored locations tend to get increasingly congested.
Short trips are becoming more popular. Last year, Germans alone took around 94 million short trips — an increase of almost a quarter compared to the previous year. This type of travel is particularly damaging to the climate, as the largest proportion of tourists' CO2 emissions comes from the journey to and from a destination. More short trips equals more arrivals and departures, and this means more emissions.
What causes overtourism?
The Swiss nonprofit organization fairunterwegs indicates that air travel significantly contributes to overtourism. According to them, the presence of local airports, especially those serviced by budget carriers, fosters the onset of overtourism. For instance, Mallorca might not attract such large numbers were travelers required to reach the island solely via sea voyages.
Nonetheless, cruise ships are often blamed for worsening this issue. Visitors from these vessels typically disembark for just a few hours, which can overload local facilities and provide minimal benefit to the regional economy since their needs are mostly met aboard the ship itself.
Moreover, there is the effect known as set-jetting. Filming sites from beloved television shows frequently experience a significant increase in visitors. Following the production of the American series "The White Lotus" on Maui and Sicily, guest numbers have climbed by 20% on each island.
Dubrovnik in Croatia, The location where much of Game of Thrones was shot is also grappling with overcrowding due to tourism. In Hallstatt, Austria, a local group is combating the effects of an influx of tourists, possibly fueled by the charming town’s appearance in the South Korean Netflix show "Spring Waltz."
Can overtourism be prevented?
Several municipalities and areas are attempting to restrict the Number of travelers at specific times or in total.
In Venice, Day visitors may have to pay as much as €10. In Lisbon, cruise ship operators are charged €2 for each passenger who leaves their vessel. On Tenerife, only 300 visitors are permitted daily at the peak of the Pico del Teide volcano.
Paris has imposed restrictions on how often residents can lease their primary homes through platforms like Airbnb annually, whereas Thailand is temporarily shutting down the popular Similan and Surin Islands for the entire year to enable local ecosystems to recuperate and plans to introduce an entry fee system moving forward.
Besides imposing access limitations and levying increased taxes on overnight accommodations, tourist influxes are being regulated via digital reservation platforms designed to prevent long lines at landmarks or cultural sites. Certain popular travel destinations are additionally encouraging visits to points of interest located beyond central urban areas.
Copenhagen is adopting a new strategy by incentivizing greener travelers. Those who arrive by train can enjoy perks such as complimentary bike rentals, yoga classes, guided tours, and discounted entry fees.
The article was initially published in German.
Author: Jeannette Cwienk
إرسال تعليق