Ga onbeperkt met Magzter GOLD

Ga onbeperkt met Magzter GOLD

Krijg onbeperkte toegang tot meer dan 9000 tijdschriften, kranten en Premium-verhalen voor slechts

$149.99
 
$74.99/Jaar
The Perfect Holiday Gift Gift Now

As traveller numbers ramp up, destinations fight overtourism

The Observer

|

July 20, 2025

Popular spots have introduced measures to curb visitors, but many economies rely on tourism, writes Fred Harter

- Fred Harter

Japan has set up a new administrative body to dampen the effects of overtourism after it welcomed a record 36.8 million visitors in 2024.

So what?

Reports of the death of mass international tourism were greatly exaggerated. Traveller numbers plummeted to nearly zero during the pandemic, a trend some thought was there to stay. But in 2024 some 1.4 billion tourists ventured abroad, roughly the same as in 2019.

Old woes

Locals who saw their town centres drained of tourists during Covid are now grumbling about congestion again, and politicians eager to curry favour with voters are listening. A slew of destinations that once welcomed visitors with open arms have introduced measures to curb the number of tourists.

◆ Venice has limited tour groups to 25 people, put up gates at the entrance of popular streets and slapped a €5 tax on day trippers.

◆ Amsterdam has moved its cruise ship terminal away from the city centre, reduced the number of hotel rooms and ramped up hotel taxes.

• At Mount Fuji a fence has been erected to spoil a famous view of its snow-capped peak.

Agitators

Spain has seen the biggest backlash to tourism this summer. In June protesters in Barcelona squirted tourists with water pistols and told them to go home. Similar demonstrations have taken place there before. The city has 1.6 million inhabitants but received 26 million tourists last year. Locals say they can't find places to live because of the proliferation of Airbnb rentals.

Common theme

These complaints are shared by residents of other hotspots.

People in Athens have held funerals for their "dead" neighbourhoods, for example. In general, those who want fewer tourists say they:

MEER VERHALEN VAN The Observer

The Observer

Dear Keir*

Ho Hullo Britain! Keir here, wishing you Christmas cheer.

time to read

3 mins

December 21, 2025

The Observer

Charlie's angel is on a mission from God to deliver the White House to JD Vance

Now leading Charlie Kirk’s conservative organisation, his widow Erika plans to help elect the next Maga president

time to read

6 mins

December 21, 2025

The Observer

Robin

Bah!Humbug! This isn’t the time to get soppy about the warm and generous world we live in.

time to read

2 mins

December 21, 2025

The Observer

How will I cope with the holiday? By disregarding it

As a carer, the way to get through the festive season is to have a low bar, says Melanie Reid

time to read

2 mins

December 21, 2025

The Observer

The outlook for British business isn't as bad as you might think

From low growth to soaring debt, many reports have painted a gloomy economic picture for next year. Richard Lambert takes a closer look at ten misconceptions

time to read

3 mins

December 21, 2025

The Observer

The best gift for our jobless young is a return to Europe

These days the principal economic policy obsession is with growth, or the lack of it.

time to read

3 mins

December 21, 2025

The Observer

The Observer

When free speech becomes weaponised and tribal, everybody loses

“Globalise the intifada” It’s a phrase that could now land you in jail. “Words and chants ... have real world consequences”, warned Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, and Stephen Watson, chief constable of Greater Manchester, in a joint statement last week.

time to read

4 mins

December 21, 2025

The Observer

How will I cope with the holiday? By disregarding it

As a carer, the way to get through the festive season is to have a low bar, says Melanie Reid

time to read

2 mins

December 21, 2025

The Observer

A week after Bondi, is there anywhere Jewish people can feel safe?

Bondi is almost exactly how you imagine it to be.

time to read

3 mins

December 21, 2025

The Observer

UK tech firms point way to a prosperous new year

The year 2025 is likely to go down as a difficult 12 months for Britain but gloom about the wider economy is overdone.

time to read

3 mins

December 21, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size

Holiday offer front
Holiday offer back