'Overtourism' and the Planet's Decline

By Gemma Tabet

Written: February 20th 2023

Theme of Issue: SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth. Here is the official UN link where you can learn more about this particular Sustainable Development Goal: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal8

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Photo by Mark de Jong via Unsplash

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In 2018, Oxford dictionary chose ‘overtourism’ for their 8 shortlist entries to Word of the Year. And although it was described simply as “an excessive number of tourist visits... resulting in damage...”, the more recent 2023 report by The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) calls for a new definition: overtourism today refers to a destination’s lack of capacity to deal with visitors. In a post-pandemic world, the strain of overtourism on local infrastructure, ecosystems and cultural heritage is higher than ever, and to achieve SDG 8’s target of promoting sustainable tourism, new policies and regulations must be made to ensure job creation and local culture and products are at the top of countries’ priority lists.

Prior to the pandemic, travel and tourism, according to a study by Oxford Economics and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), accounted for 1 in 4 new jobs worldwide, making up 10.3% of global GDP or $9.6 trillion USD. But 2020 alone cost the travel and tourism industry $4.5 trillion in GDP and 62 million jobs, and the need to travel becomes yet again a global trend, with tourist numbers from April to July 2022 soaring past pre-pandemic levels. UNWTO predicts an annual 3.3% growth, which will see 2030 with 1.8 billion tourists, a huge leap from the 25 million international visitors in 1950. Even if the income generated by tourism significantly contributes to socio-economic and cultural development, today’s unsustainable travel business model will only end up costing countries as they will struggle to recover their environment and cultural infrastructure from the destruction of ill-managed tourism.

But a sustainable tourism industry would effectively manage the flow of tourists through cultural sites and destinations, ensuring the protection of locals’ history and traditions, as well as the conservation of natural ecosystems. The issue of tourism congestion, when “the number of visitors is excessive in relation to the capacity of the destination or site to accommodate that flow” (World Tourism Organization) would simply not occur. Tourism congestion, directly caused by overtourism, leads to a series of problems that greatly impact every sector in a city: overcrowding, noise disturbance, the over-proliferation of tourist facilities, and short-term rentals, to name a few issues. Not only, but overtourism has many negative impacts on the environment, from water pollution to loss of biodiversity, and accounts for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions. In terms of cultural heritage destruction, there’s been an increase in the looting of cultural treasures and a decrease in traditional authenticity: making it ‘cheaper’ for the masses. So, what are the solutions?

The UNWTO report proposes 11 strategies and 68 measures to fight the masses and introduce sustainable tourism that allows cities and natural resorts to effectively manage visitors. Among the 11 strategies is the encouragement of tourist dispersion in cities and beyond, by the promotion of less-visited areas. Also recommended is ensuring local communities benefit from tourism, by increasing employment and by involving citizens in the creation of tourism experiences. Another strategy involves spreading awareness of tourism impact and educating visitors on local traditions and culture, so creating more respectful and conscious travelers. All these strategies fall under sustainable tourism, which according to UNWTO should, firstly, “make optimal use of environmental resources”, so protecting biodiversity and conservating natural sites. Secondly, it should respect and conserve the cultural heritage of local communities, and thirdly, sustainable tourism should ensure long-term strategies that provide economic benefits for all involved, especially in terms of creating employment and reducing poverty levels.

Countries today should begin to implement strategies and policies aimed towards sustainable tourism, as it’s the only tourist model that will survive the future with long-term thinking at its core. If nothing is changed, more and more destinations will be lost and added to ‘No Travel Lists’. Already this year, Fodor’s Travels released their 2023 ‘No List’ with places they believe need a break from tourism; either because their natural attractions have been damaged, cultural sites overcrowded, or because of water crises. On the list are all of France’s cliffs and calanques, which have been facing coastline erosion caused not by storms, but by tourists; California’s Lake Tahoe risks losing its cobalt waters to traffic pollution; Venice is being consumed by mass tourism along with Amalfi Coast; Cornwall in England has a crumbling infrastructure; Thailand is facing the destruction of their local biodiversity; and in Bali, 65% of their water supply is consumed by tourists alone.

With the current climate crisis and the looming deadline of the 2030 United Nations Agenda, now should be the time for countries to consider concrete solutions to overtourism. As Abdulla Shahid, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives and President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, said “Whether we are yearning for a spring of renewal, or a summer of celebration and festivities; whether we are embarking on a new adventure, or re-discovering and re-connecting with friends, family and acquaintances, let us ensure that we are doing it responsibly, for ourselves, for each other and for our planet.”