[maddy42]

Overtourism is here to stay. Its now upto the govt to decide on how to regulate it. We will soon see a permit system for many tourist places to prevent over crowding and traffic and i believe that is the only way it can be limited.

In addition the govt should setup sewage treatment plants effective waste management solutions as places like Bali, Goa, Ladakh, Coorg are facing trash mountains with no effective way to solve it. But this usually doesnt happen.

Water is scarce during summers and we get sudden landslides and floods during the monsoon and each such incident is met with - " lets stop tourism and development

The private players make a place popular and its usually the govt which wakes up late to figure out connectivity by which time its usually too late.

Development and economic growth and the spurt of instagram and youtube vloggers have increased stress on any Tourist or faintly touristy spot.

Spare a thought for people living in such area as their daily life has been affected drastically due to this uncontrolled influx.

[Fuldagap]

The thread reminds me of a small walk few years back. I was with a colleague aged approx 20 years more than me. We walked alongside the Jhelum for a couple of hours and reached a rather abandoned park. I walked a little more to a shop in the adjacent village to fetch some eatables and water to drink.

We sat at a bench for an hour or so alongside the river enjoying the peace and serene beauty of the place. My colleague confidently threw his trash in the river. There was no way or point in correcting him so I let it be. While I kept my trash with me. When it was time to go, I asked him to spend a few minutes more to find a dustbin to throw my trash.

He was astonished at my idea but went ahead with me. The park was huge and there were a couple of dustbins there, though placed quite far from each other. We went to each to only find they were remanants of destroyed dustbins, not having a base to hold any trash. The colleague was getting uncomfortable with my useless attempt to throw trash in a proper dustbin instead of just throwing it in the Jhelum or anywhere else in the park.

When we couldn't find any, I proposed to just walk back to our place and I'd throw the trash whenever I'd find one. We were crossing a foot bridge over the Jhelum when my colleague couldn't hold it anymore, he suddenly snatched all my trash and threw it in the Jhelum. Then he exclaimed "problem solved, your trash will be collected at a further point many kilometers ahead where proper mechanism is in place to trap trash and other unwanted items of the river just before the river enters the dam for production of electricity". He was quite happy & certain that my persistence of finding a dustbin for such a small amount of trash was illogical, futile and counter productive.

I looked at him with no thoughts to share, we laughed and went ahead with out walk back. It was a 22 kms walk to & fro, many years have passed and this is the only thing that I remember of it now.

[RGK]

Originally Posted by rajivr1612

For this very reason, I visit tourist spots during off-season. I have visited both Ooty and Kodaikanal in January. Also I mostly plan my trips on weekdays.

Originally Posted by arunphilip

I've been in the Nilgiris with my parents for the past year or so. As a popular tourist destination during the summer, it attracts crowds from Bangalore, TN (esp. Coimbatore), and parts of Kerala.

It's surprising to observe this news .

I am quite astonished by the unrest occurring in Europe, which is, of course, the hub of tourism. As has been accurately noted, budget airlines and platforms like Airbnb play significant roles in this issue.

The mindset of today's traveller has shifted to one that emphasizes, "I want to explore whenever and wherever I please, but prefer to avoid large crowds.".

Kodaikanal and Ooty are severely impacted by excessive tourism. As Arun pointed out, the TN government recently implemented an E-Pass system for travelers. It has been observed that vehicles are backed up for several kilometers, often without any available parking, and it’s clear that many drivers are inexperienced with the winding mountain roads, as indicated by the burning odor from their clutches. Additionally, alcohol consumption poses a significant problem in these areas.

These days, crowds gather almost every weekend. For local residents, this can be quite bothersome. Back in the 90s, I often rode my bike in casual clothes with hardly anyone around for miles, but that has changed significantly now.

Chocolate factories have expanded in both Ooty and Kodai, leading to a decrease in forest coverage due to new constructions. I believe the TN government ought to develop a creative strategy to manage tourist numbers, enhancing the experience for both visitors and local residents.

[turbowhistle]

Great thread and I agree with most of the members here. This sentiment has been growing for a while and Barcelona isn't the only city facing this or working on it actively. Hallstatt has been facing the same thing and they are also trying to curb it by different methods.

Including one such photo from the news link:


Link to the news:

https://www.businessinsider.com/hall...photos-2023-10


This is also one of the main reasons I have yet not visited Greece or Swiss despite being in EU for a good 5-6 years now.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

Great thread and I agree with most of the members here. This sentiment has been growing for a while and Barcelona isn't the only city facing this or working on it actively. Hallstatt has been facing the same thing and they are also trying to curb it by different methods.

Didn't the Japanese do something similar over at Mt Fuji?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mount-f...es-in-barrier/

[14000rpm]

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

Hallstatt has been facing the same thing and they are also trying to curb it by different methods.
.

There is no Wooden board now in Hallstat. I was there last year. This is what it looked like.





Has it changed? Don't know. Are the locals less irritated now? I doubt. The sheer number of people thronging a narrow street is one thing but the loud talking, shouting and cackling are what's bringing in rage with the locals.

[Theyota]

Here is a picture I took in Venice last week. Talk about a romantic Gondola ride in a Venice canal with your pretty lady paying 90 Euros for 25 minutes!

I had heard a lot about over tourism in Venice, so I had no particular interest in visiting it. But I had 15 hour drive passing by near Venice and I had to take an overnight break somewhere. So decided to take it in Venice and be a tourist for a day in Venice. All my apprehensions came true. It is beautiful but over exploited. It will crumble badly if the earnings from tourism are not invested back in its upkeep. The economy seems to have become so dependent on tourism putting the local people in a catch 22 situation.

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by RGK

I believe the TN government ought to develop a creative strategy to manage tourist numbers, enhancing the experience for both visitors and local residents.

I think banning photos/videos and selfies from scenic spots could be one such measure. Its part of the experience, but is now a nuisance for each concerned, including the one taking it. The other i think to myself sometimes is putting a ban on eatables and eateries around scenic spots, a start can be made from the high mountain passes.

[Earthroamer]

The fundamental reason for this backlash is governments total reliance on "growth" factors offered by tourism which results in inflation and the subsequent gentrification of the tourist spots. Locals face this wrath of inflation and gentrification and will put a resistance. Locals in Ayodhya and Varanasi are also raising the same issues like locals in Barcelona.

[ads11]

Timely article from the Economist: Which cities have the worst overtourism problem?

Archived link for those without a sub


Table charting the top cities with most tourist arrivals per resident and the amount said arrivals spend

In the blue column you can see the impact of Dubai's push to become a tourist trap - just look at how much they rake in = $29b! Unsurprising it's the usual suspects at the top positions of this list. You can also see the delicate balancing act govt's have to play with assuaging local stakeholders whilst also recognising the opportunity to exploit tourism as a growth driver.

Adding in another article from the Economist (funny how both land in my inbox just as this thread kicks off): What the war on tourism gets wrong

The holiday sector relies on lots of poorly paid workers whose productivity grows only slowly—meaning it would be a particularly bad business for developing countries to get stuck in.

A quote from the article that stood out to me.

[14000rpm]

Originally Posted by Theyota

Here is a picture I took in Venice last week. Talk about a romantic Gondola ride in a Venice canal with your pretty lady paying 90 Euros for 25 minutes!

Wow. What a stark difference.

This Pic is from 15th July 2024. 2 weeks before yours.



The only difference I can imagine is that UK schools started their summer vacations in the beginning of Aug. I mostly saw American tourists when I went who, I suspect, were all cruise crowd.

[clutchNgo]

Just my opinion (maybe a bit of rant)

It all revolves around social media: the likes, the reels, the comments, more followers, FOMO even.

Everything must be captured on the phone, because who wants to live and be in the present moment? That sweet dopamine hit you get when you post a picture of yourself at a famous spot. Oh I remember when my friend got so happy when he decided to make a reel showing compilation of various places he's been to, and his followers shot up. And it's not just India: I've seen this phenomenon spread like a disease in other countries as well.

Dopamine is one addictive drug. It makes people think inward instead of outward.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by androdev

The politically incorrect way of saying it is that a society with equitable distribution of wealth and a society without borders, etc. can ruin the planet :-)

You, Sir, have brought about a huge point that I often keep mentioning within our family debates and no one appreciates. This is happening because a large chunk of people have moved up the pyramid. Even our domestic help has taken guided tours of Varanasi etc.
I remember when BBQ Nation was launched in Pune, for a few years , the crowd was mostly the upper-tier (economically), metro type. Today, it has mostly mass-affordable customers.

[benbsb29]

Perfect Catch 22, isnt it?

On one side are the locals who are dependent on income from tourists, on the other side are locals who complain either because life is now more competitive with resources or maybe because they don't get to benefit from the economics of this boom.

Needless to say, overtourism is an issue anywhere if uncontrolled. When a new shopping mall opens in Bangalore, half the city congregates there leading to frustration for all who live around the area. The same folks also benefit from the advantages of having convenient access to facilities from this mall during off-peak times.

When Australia went into a ban on international visitors following the Covid outbreak, a lot of sectors which depended on income from tourists got hit hard, to the point where the government was forced to stimulate local travel from residents by way of vouchers and incentives to promote tourism.

There has to be a balance, which is key. Blaming visitors alone won't help either side.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by ads11

]Which cities have the worst overtourism problem?[/url]

[.

As Amsterdam, the Netherlands, tops the list, and I was born, raised and went to Naval College, let me share a few observations.

Amsterdam, the inner centre, has changed beyond recognition due to tourism. One of the big visible changes, apart from the many tourists out on the streets is its shops. All the shops cater for tourists. You would be hard pressed to find a regular baker, butcher and so on. There are endless shops selling mobile phones, little plastic ducks (yes, that is a tourist thing), fast food and so on.

Yes, tourist brings in money, but it is a very limited number of people that actually benefits from it. Mainly, only those working in the tourist industry. Everybody else, which happens to be the vast majority of folks, only get the negative side effects.

This sort of mass tourism affects all social fabrics and changes towns for the worst. From a town catering to the needs of its permanent residents, it becomes a town that caters for tourists.

Cruise ships are the worst! They dump thousands of people into a town for just a few hours, a day at best.

So Amsterdam has decided to relocate the cruise ship terminal outside of the city centre. Which makes it a lot less attractive, because people are going to need to take a bus to get to the centre. Not sure what all those busses will do, to the already pretty congested inner city.

There are also strict rules enforced on AirB&B properties. You are only allowed to rent out rooms a limited number of weeks. The Amsterdam council has also initiated a campaign, known as “stay away” to address the problems from UK youths.

https://youtu.be/X-q7V_0OkcI?si=_KhgqnXK_rZgj3oE

Sex, drugs and alcohol remains a big attraction for the weak of mind.

As Jeremy Clarkson once said about the Netherlands, “The Dutch, all they do is smoke pot and watch porn”.

Jeroen