The official end of the COVID-19 epidemic allowed tourism companies to breathe again. At the same time, seats on transportation to tourist countries are better bought. The tourism industry is alive again. Nevertheless, the problems associated with the influx of tourists have not gone away. The problems of ecological pollution in tourist regions, problems with respect for local culture, lack of sufficient staff to serve all visitors, and many others are still acute. This topic can be viewed from many different angles. It is trendy for cultural and environmental studies. If you ask the writers of any online essay writing service how many articles they have written on tourism and ecology, they will tell you that every third article in the field of nature conservation deals with the impact of tourists in one way or another.
Spring is the beginning of the tourist season in many European countries, and families are ready to pack their suitcases to see the wonders of nature or architecture in other cities and countries. At the same time, locals in the world's most touristy cities are already starting to complain about the influx of tourists and lack of peace.
New Protests Against Tourists in 2024
The most recent news on this topic was the Canaries in Spain. The tourism sector on the island is the fastest-growing business and generates significant profits. However, residents and environmental organizations are alarmed by the tourist model that the industry is pursuing and have come out in mass protests. Locals are demanding that short-term rentals be made more difficult and that the construction of new hotel complexes be restricted. Environmentalists, in turn, say that tens of millions of tourists visiting the region yearly create a huge load on the ecosystem and pollute the environment. To understand the scale, the year before the pandemic in 2019, the Canary Islands were visited by 15 million people.
Cities Most Affected by the Influx of Tourists
According to the calculations of statisticians and ecologists, the regions of the Old World that suffer most from the oversaturation of tourists are Central and Western Europe, as well as coastal cities to the seas and oceans in the European part of the continent.
The most overpopulated city by tourists in 2023 was Dubrovnik in Croatia. This city's ratio of locals to visiting tourists is 1 to 36. Many other European cities also made the list. Barcelona, Venice, Bruges, Rhodes, Heraklion, Reykjavik, Florence, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Tallinn.
As for countries and cities not located in Europe, one of the countries suffering the most from tourism is Japan. More than 30 million people visit the country per year. The tourism sector is facing huge pressures. There is a shortage of qualified guides, the problem of renting accommodation is always acute, and the attitude of some tourists to the strict Japanese rules and culture irritates many locals. In addition, due to the constant influx of tourists, transportation in the cities is constantly overloaded, and locals often cannot get to work normally.
To understand the situation in large Japanese cities, imagine a music festival coming to you, and you spend several days watching crowds of people on the street who create queues in stores, litter the roads, make noise, and often disrespect your peace. Now imagine that you have such a "festival" all year round.
The problem requires an immediate solution. Japanese authorities have already developed a multi-stage plan to improve the situation. It includes, among other things, increasing the fleet of public transportation and placing tourists outside of major tourist cities. Although the Japanese do not openly protest against tourists, particularly because of their mentality, not all residents of other tourist regions are so patient. This topic is extremely interesting for sociological research, and you can take it as a topic for an essay. Just ensure the text is checked by reliable editors, such as the ones from the essayusa review, to ensure the conclusions are correct.
Cities Protesting Against Tourists
Touristophobia is a hot topic of the World Tourism Organization. Residents of many European cities often turn it into open protests, which have repeatedly erupted in several tourist destinations.
Barcelona
Each year, the city of less than 2 million receives more than 70 million tourists. The city has seen protests against the tourist model on multiple occasions. On the walls of the city, you can often see inscriptions: "Give the beach back to others!" "We don't want tourists in our buildings!" "This is not a beach resort."
Mallorca
Here, rentals are adjusted to tourist prices, and locals often can't afford an apartment. In the city, you can find inscriptions, such as "Tourist, you are a terrorist" or "Tourists go home, welcome immigrants."
Venice
Residents of 50 thousand people in Venice organize protests almost every year. They complain about high rent prices and pollution from huge cruise ships.
Dubrovnik
Because the TV series Game of Thrones was filmed in the city, it became a mecca for fans of the franchise. Locals protested against the huge number of people visiting. The authorities heard the people. Now, visiting Dubrovnik is strictly limited. The city can be visited by no more than 4000 people a day.
Options to Overcome the Tourism Crisis
Since tourism is a serious profit, one should not expect the local authorities to restrict or even close ecologically sensitive places from being visited by tourists. Nevertheless, everyone can contribute to improving the situation and promote a culture of responsible tourism through their actions.
Visiting Less Touristy Places
Instead of Venice, you can visit the French city of Colmar, which also has gondolas. Multiculturalism can be explored in Singapore, and instead of Florence, you can go to the equally picturesque Val di Zoldo.
Avoid Cruise Ships
Cruise liners are one of the main causes of coral reef destruction in the coastal waters of tourist regions.
Travel in Low Season
You'll see all the same sights but greatly reduce the strain on the local ecology and even save money.
Be Eco-Friendly
Make it a rule to leave the place you visit in the same condition as it was. Sort your waste, and don't litter.
Although all these obvious rules have been known to everyone for a long time, not everyone adheres to them. The sphere of tourism will continue to develop, but it is in the power of each of us to make tourism more responsible and environmentally friendly.
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