Cities Take Baby Steps to Address Overtourism This Summer
Photo Credit: Barcelona and other cities don't want another summer of anti-tourism protests. Pictured are tourists on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Flickr / Mark_M
Skift Take
It took years for overtourism to happen in some destinations and the problem won't be solved overnight or this year. But to start, destinations could begin paying tourism workers more fairly and give locals more access to programs and services that tourism revenue supposedly helps to fund.
Destinations are starting to take some measures to address overtourism for this summer season following protests across Europe last year that shined a light on the problem of overcrowding and costly disruptions to local economies.
Governments for years had neglected overtourism and treated travel like any other industry. That complacency in cities like Barcelona, Dubrovnik, and Venice left many residents railing for answers and accountability.
The lack of effective tourism planning, regulation, and investment caused residents' anger to spew over last year in some destinations like Barcelona. Organized street protests in Barcelona and other cities demanded action from elected officials.
With peak tourism season about to kick off in much of the world, much of the travel industry is probably wondering: what, if anything, has changed since last year?
Angered residents will likely still feel crowded this year, but more destinations have demonstrated they know they have a problem
