Tourism may be the lifeblood of many economies, but the negative impact of ever-rising visitor numbers could soon change how we travel forever. Locals in holiday hot spots across the globe are becoming "increasingly vocal about the kind of tourists they want on their streets and the kind they don't," said Laura Hall at BBC Travel.Â
What did the commentators say? As international travel has swelled after a post-pandemic slump, so has anger from the residents of popular European locations such as the Balearics, the Canary Islands, Barcelona and Athens. In Mallorca, thousands of people have taken to the streets to demonstrate against what they say are uncontrolled tourist numbers causing a drop in wages, loss of quality of life, noise, and an increase in the price of housing.Â
It follows similar protests in the Canary Islands and Barcelona, where rising visitor numbers are "putting pressure on health services, waste management, water supplies and housing at the expense of residents," as well as construction "endangering historic sites, biodiversity and natural resources," said Euronews.Â
What next? The Balearic authorities have drawn up a "more balanced and sustainable tourism model that also protects the islands' natural environment and the needs of the local population," said Lonely Planet. This includes alcohol restrictions, a ban on new hotels and tourist rentals, and restrictions on visitor numbers to beaches and national parks.Â
While these measures are eye-catching, some doubt they will make any noticeable impact, "mainly because tourism is so enormously lucrative," said Sean Thomas at The Spectator. Spain's tourism lobby group Exceltur said vacationers accounted for 71% of real growth in the Spanish economy last year and consumption by nonresidents accounted for nearly a third of Spain's overall 2.5% growth in 2023.Â
Controlling visitor numbers could come down to a form of "rationing," said Thomas. Fees for day-trippers and tourism levies have already been introduced in places like Venice and Bali, but many are looking to Bhutan, which has the most expensive tourist tax in the world at $100 (£77) per day. "Travel to more enticing locales will become the province of the wealthy, as it was in the past," he said. So "make the most of free travel while you can." |