Interesting reflection, thanks. I do notice, though, that host communities are not mentioned in the essay!? I (want to) believe that host communities have some agency on how the tourism industry operates in their area and they gradually exert more force in shaping destination policies. Those policies might include fee structures, but also cruise ship and STVR permits, and the ways marketing budgets are used to fund influencer programs, attract large events like the World Cup, etc.
I mention this because tourism must be a strategy to help communities meet their goals; not just something the industry does to meet demand.
Please read this book: "Overtourism" by Professor Rachel Dodds and Professor Richard Butler.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites cannot be enclosed.
There are no tools to mitigate mass tourism. Instead, all destinations resort to establishing paywalls, fees, limits, checkpoints, restrictions and excessive tourist taxes — all of which is not sustainable and they negatively impact the tourism model in the long run.
Fortunately, we have a travel-tech solution to manage the visitor flows inside of the public spaces to reduce the pressures of any touristic hotspot by spreading the economic benefit within the destination and to make the cities and islands livable again.
I know Prof. Rachel Dodds and her work well. And yes - you can't de-market your way out of overtourism. We're likely going to see more paywalls, greater exclusivity, fees and checkpoints around major travel sites. Particularly in Europe and Japan.
Honest question this piece left me with: doesn't the "off the beaten path" trend just move the problem around? The minute enough people go hunting for the quiet alternative, it gets a listicle and a hashtag and becomes the next bamboo grove. I don't have an answer, but I appreciate a writer who admits the five euro fee isn't one either.
So there's good news and bad news here. As just 10 countries account for 50% of arrivals over the last 25 years, there does genuinely appear to be room for growth in a lot of destinations. China, Mongolia, India, Argentina, Chile, Nigeria, Senegal, etc all have extraordinary potential to absorb travellers in the future.
The problem is that commercial interests are keen to make something go viral to see huge growth and an explosion of profits, which can quickly threaten to overrun a destination and cause exactly the type of overtourism we've seen in Arashiyama and Maya Bay.
Should destinations decide to get ahead of this by acknowledging the threat of overtourism before the fact, rather than slapping on a five euro fee after, then I think there's real opportunity for off the beaten path options. Whether or not destinations will on the other hand...In my experience....no.
Interesting read Edmund, thanks for publishing. I experience what you describe often when travelling – 'Travel, in this respect, is a form of social credential and status, where the place matters less than the proof of having been there. – the classic arrive, point camera, click, pose, check photo, repeat, walk away... post on socials. Little importance is given to 'experiencing' the joy of actually being there.
Thanks Josh! So I think this 'bucket list travel' has always been a real thing. The idea of going places to say you've gone there. It's just that these days, it's far easier, and far more affordable than ever before.
What we have seen in the data however, is that the visitors themselves are enjoying this type of travel less and less, and the novelty of bucket list travel - as it begins to feel more and more like cattle herding - is turning travellers off. So it might be that **some** consumer/traveller demand moves towards the experiential side of it.
I agree Edmund. I’d been watching vlogger clips earlier this year for Indonesia before hitting the globetrotting road (guilty… I’m traveling!). Initially I was like ‘wow that remote beach… I have to go there’. But now I find myself calling this my bucket list of must don’t’s… things I’m actively avoiding for fear of packaged up drone tours inc. More and more I enjoy leaving the devices at home and wandering, with no set schedule. There’s joy in the lack of algorithmic experience.
Providing some food and a bed is simply an easy and profitable way to make money, with very low barrier to entry. Look at the islands in Thailand, massively overdeveloped but for locals it's pushed them into comfortable lifestyles.
This is such a good point Alfred. One that I think is often overlooked sadly. It does help locals. Truly. It's how I ended up working in tourism in fact. Hopefully we'll see destinations manage travel in such a way where they can balance both - the growth of the local tourism economy and businesses - while protecting the long-term interests of the local people and environment that make it all possible.
Interesting reflection, thanks. I do notice, though, that host communities are not mentioned in the essay!? I (want to) believe that host communities have some agency on how the tourism industry operates in their area and they gradually exert more force in shaping destination policies. Those policies might include fee structures, but also cruise ship and STVR permits, and the ways marketing budgets are used to fund influencer programs, attract large events like the World Cup, etc.
I mention this because tourism must be a strategy to help communities meet their goals; not just something the industry does to meet demand.
Overtourism cannot be de-marketed!
Please read this book: "Overtourism" by Professor Rachel Dodds and Professor Richard Butler.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites cannot be enclosed.
There are no tools to mitigate mass tourism. Instead, all destinations resort to establishing paywalls, fees, limits, checkpoints, restrictions and excessive tourist taxes — all of which is not sustainable and they negatively impact the tourism model in the long run.
Fortunately, we have a travel-tech solution to manage the visitor flows inside of the public spaces to reduce the pressures of any touristic hotspot by spreading the economic benefit within the destination and to make the cities and islands livable again.
Support@TouristNewApp.com
I know Prof. Rachel Dodds and her work well. And yes - you can't de-market your way out of overtourism. We're likely going to see more paywalls, greater exclusivity, fees and checkpoints around major travel sites. Particularly in Europe and Japan.
In the meantime, I'll check out the app!
Honest question this piece left me with: doesn't the "off the beaten path" trend just move the problem around? The minute enough people go hunting for the quiet alternative, it gets a listicle and a hashtag and becomes the next bamboo grove. I don't have an answer, but I appreciate a writer who admits the five euro fee isn't one either.
So there's good news and bad news here. As just 10 countries account for 50% of arrivals over the last 25 years, there does genuinely appear to be room for growth in a lot of destinations. China, Mongolia, India, Argentina, Chile, Nigeria, Senegal, etc all have extraordinary potential to absorb travellers in the future.
The problem is that commercial interests are keen to make something go viral to see huge growth and an explosion of profits, which can quickly threaten to overrun a destination and cause exactly the type of overtourism we've seen in Arashiyama and Maya Bay.
Should destinations decide to get ahead of this by acknowledging the threat of overtourism before the fact, rather than slapping on a five euro fee after, then I think there's real opportunity for off the beaten path options. Whether or not destinations will on the other hand...In my experience....no.
Interesting read Edmund, thanks for publishing. I experience what you describe often when travelling – 'Travel, in this respect, is a form of social credential and status, where the place matters less than the proof of having been there. – the classic arrive, point camera, click, pose, check photo, repeat, walk away... post on socials. Little importance is given to 'experiencing' the joy of actually being there.
Thanks Josh! So I think this 'bucket list travel' has always been a real thing. The idea of going places to say you've gone there. It's just that these days, it's far easier, and far more affordable than ever before.
What we have seen in the data however, is that the visitors themselves are enjoying this type of travel less and less, and the novelty of bucket list travel - as it begins to feel more and more like cattle herding - is turning travellers off. So it might be that **some** consumer/traveller demand moves towards the experiential side of it.
I agree Edmund. I’d been watching vlogger clips earlier this year for Indonesia before hitting the globetrotting road (guilty… I’m traveling!). Initially I was like ‘wow that remote beach… I have to go there’. But now I find myself calling this my bucket list of must don’t’s… things I’m actively avoiding for fear of packaged up drone tours inc. More and more I enjoy leaving the devices at home and wandering, with no set schedule. There’s joy in the lack of algorithmic experience.
Providing some food and a bed is simply an easy and profitable way to make money, with very low barrier to entry. Look at the islands in Thailand, massively overdeveloped but for locals it's pushed them into comfortable lifestyles.
This is such a good point Alfred. One that I think is often overlooked sadly. It does help locals. Truly. It's how I ended up working in tourism in fact. Hopefully we'll see destinations manage travel in such a way where they can balance both - the growth of the local tourism economy and businesses - while protecting the long-term interests of the local people and environment that make it all possible.