" How sad Venice" sang Charles Aznavour. If the singer saw it as a sign of romanticism, his song is more topical than ever. Over-tourism to blame which the authorities are now trying to curb... and which are changing the face of many destinations.
In the wake of Covid, the 'wanderlust' has boosted tourism more than exponentially. A phenomenon accentuated by social networks. As a result, millions of people are flocking to destinations that are now considered "must-sees".
An overflow of visitors to iconic destinations
Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Florence, Lisbon, Prague and Venice but also Bali, Kyoto, Marrakech or Phuket are now among those destinations where the impact of tourism is considered to be increasingly negative. How could it be otherwise in places built to support thousands of inhabitants rather than millions of visitors?
Here are just a few examples: Florencewith a population of 700,000, welcomed almost 5.6 million tourists in 2023. And these are only tourists staying in the Medici city. Venice welcomes slightly more tourists than Florence. The destination recorded 5.66 million tourists in 2023, but only 257,000 inhabitants. However, the historic city, which now has just 50,000 inhabitants, welcomed 3.8 million tourists.
In France, 80% of the country's tourism activity is concentrated on 20% of the national territory.. These destinations include Paris, Versailles, Mont Saint-Michel and Saint-Tropez.
Such figures are undermining existing infrastructures - roads, stations, water supply and waste treatment systems. A phenomenon that particularly affects cities in developing countries. In Europe, local populations and city councillors blame the Airbnb phenomenon which makes property prices unaffordable and housing scarce.
The list in the American magazine Forbes, while not exhaustive, serves as a reference. In particular, it enables MICE organisers and specialist business travel agencies to think twice about choosing a destination in 2025…
For 2024, Forbes listed Barcelona, the Canaries, Lisbon, Majorca and Venice as destinations plagued not only by overtourism but also by growing hostility to visitors on the part of the local population.
Looking for alternatives
During 2024, measures to restrict tourist movements have been adopted. They concern Amsterdam, the Acropolis in Athens, Florence, Lake Como, Machu Picchu in Peru, Mount Fuji in Japan and Pompeii.... Visitor quotas, entry fees, and various bans on the construction of hotels, private parties at night or the conversion of accommodation to Airbnb are all part of the arsenal of controls. Forbes believes that other cities will be added to the list of destinations hostile to tourism in 2025.
The American magazine has already published its list of destinations to avoid due to overtourism in 2025.. In its sights: Asia with Bali, the island of Samui in Thailand and Mount Everest. The publication also estimates a dozen other destinations are under threat from the same causes. These include Agrigento in Sicily, the British Virgin Islands, Kerala in India, Kyoto and Tokyo in Japan, Oaxaca in Mexico and, last but not least, the picturesque North Coast of Scotland..
Both the magazine and many travel websites now recommend that you promote secondary destinations to avoid crowds. Such as Ljubljana or Verona instead of Venice, Girona instead of Barcelona or Memphis instead of Nashville. You could even swap Paris for Lille or Reims...
For MICE organisers aiming for quality of welcome, so-called secondary towns are a viable alternative. Especially for conferences or incentive groups that don't require huge conference halls or dozens of hotels.
