Overtourism and sustainability top agenda at World Travel Market in London
Thousands of travel representatives have arrived in London's ExCeL exhibition centre for the World Travel Market trade event, as new data shows global tourism is now breaking pre-pandemic records.
But more tourists means there is a higher risk of overcrowding in many hotspots, putting pressure on local infrastructure.
"We see a phenomenon like this, for example, when cruises visit small islands that aren’t equipped to handle large numbers of tourists at once. We believe it’s more about local infrastructure and management than anything else," says Andreas Fiorentinos, Secretary General of the Greek National Tourism Organisation.
Another area under threat from overtourism is sustainability. Tourism development becomes unsustainable when the negative social, cultural, political, and environmental impacts on the local community outweigh the economic and societal advantages.
As a result, many communities are becoming exasperated at the increase in tourist arrivals to their countries.
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Local protests against overtourism on the rise
Some European destinations have even seen anti-tourism protests, amid concerns over environmental damage and high rental prices, for example.
Spain saw multiple protests against mass tourism earlier in the year, notably in the cities of Barcelona and Malaga, on the Balearic Islands as well as the Canaries.
Many destinations are now introducing new rules to protect local citizens against the negative impact of overtourism.
In Croatia, for example, new regulations are being implemented to address the housing challenges caused by the large influx of tourists.
“We are passing a law in which we are requiring 80% approval from tenants in the buildings where the short-term rentals are possible. We will have a situation in which we have our apartments and residential areas, I’m not going to say free from tourists, but with a significantly reduced number of tourists,” says Tonči Glavina, Croatia's Minister of Tourism and Sport.
All this comes amid mounting climate change concerns and extreme weather events impacting the sector.
The travel sector says it’s not just working to reach net-zero, but also striving to become net-positive.
“The stats say that people are acutely aware of the impact on the environment, and many of them are eager to go to destinations that have a lower carbon footprint. I think there’s also a bigger impact on the weather and how that’s changing people’s travel choices,” explains Jonathan Heastie, Portfolio Director at the World Travel Market.
The event ends on 7 November.
