A newly coined term, overtourism is wreaking havoc on a number of popular cities around the world. Now, the most in-demand and overcrowded cities in Europe have had enough. Read on to find out what measures they’re taking to fight back against overtourism.
Venice Separates Tourists And Locals
Venice is of the most popular cities in Europe and is constantly flooded with tourists. It’s the type of destination where mass tourism is a nuisance for the locals and the authenticity of the culture has been lost to gimmicks and sky-high prices. But now, the city of Venice is fighting back against overtourism by taking a number of measures, including separating locals and tourists.
According to Forbes, the government has experimented with setting out separate areas of the city so tourists can be directed towards the popular attractions and landmarks. Locals hope this will stop them from wandering too close too residential areas. Although these restrictions are part of an experiment, there is the potential for them to become permanent.
Venice has also planned a new dock located further away from the city zone to stop cruise ships from coming so close. There are also strict rules for tourists in Venice, and behaviors such as sitting down in front of historic landmarks and shop fronts, walking around the city shirtless, and swimming in the canals, are all prohibited.
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Dutch Officials Are Promoting Cities Besides Amsterdam
For many international travelers, Amsterdam is the most sought-after city in the Netherlands. The capital city is home to several historic monuments and is also a hub of culture and art, making it extremely popular with almost every kind of traveler.
Now, Dutch officials are making a move to curb overtourism by pointing tourists towards other cities instead of Amsterdam. They have announced a plan to cease promoting Amsterdam in the travel scene and instead direct travelers to other destinations in the country, including Rotterdam and Utrecht.
Amsterdam also plans to focus on destination management instead of destination promotion in the hopes that they will attract “quality tourists”. As part of the plan, officials have raised fines for even minor offenses that tourists are known to engage in, such as littering. From April 2020, tours of the city’s red-light districts will be banned, with those caught breaking the rules subject to hefty fines.
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Santorini Has Put A Limit On The Amount Of Tourists That Visit On Cruise Ships
Between 2012 and 2017, the number of visitors to Santorini increased by 66 percent, CNN reports. The tiny Greek island is now fighting back against the mass tourism that is threatening to compromise life for locals in a number of ways. The Mayor has imposed restrictions on the amounts of tourists allowed to disembark cruise liners and enter Santorini per day, with n more than 8,000 now permitted.
This move is intended to not only reduce the amounts of tourists flooding the island but also to combat the levels of pollution that have come about due to the cruise liners that dock in Santorini’s famous caldera.
In an effort to battle overtourism, Santorini officials are now planning to promote other areas of Greece instead, particularly those that tend to fly under the radar of most tourists. There are also plans in place to advertise Santorini as a year-round destination to prevent tourist numbers from sky-rocketing at certain times of the year.
Paris No Longer Wants Tourist Buses
The City of Lights will always be popular among the world’s travelers, with tourists flocking from every nation to see attractions such as the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées, and, of course, the Eiffel Tower. But like many other major European cities, Paris is taking action against overtourism.
The French capital has stopped welcoming tourist buses, with the Deputy Mayor instead asking visitors to use public transport, walk, or even cycle to the landmarks they’re visiting. In addition to adding to Paris’s carbon footprint, tourist buses also disrupt the traffic in the city (that is already fairly hectic) and are a nuisance to locals.
It’s possible that we may also see the temporary closure of some of Paris’s most famous landmarks in the future. The Louvre had already experienced a forced closure after employees complained of overcrowding.
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