Overtourism has become an issue in many places throughout the world. With regions getting overrun by visitors as more people visit, locals are left to contend with the negative effects of mass tourism, which causes pollution and damage to places and landmarks. Several countries and cities are implementing measures against this.
No More Hotels
The most recent to join the list of countries taking steps towards sustainable tourism is the Spanish city of San Sebastian, which intends to prohibit the construction of new hotels and vacation rentals. The regulation to promote a more sustainable tourist strategy may go into effect as early as next year.
Designated the European Capital of Culture 2016 and featured by over 100 travel guides and media outlets across the world, San Sebastian is known for ancient Basque culture, the beauty of La Concha Bay, and innovative cuisine that has made it famous across the world, and a wide range of festivals.
Saturated By Tourists
La Pate Vieja, the old part of the city, is the area hardest hit by tourism. San Sebastian's City Council calls it a "saturated tourism area." So much so that locals protested against the overtourism in San Sebastian in 2018, claiming that it had forced them out of their homes and into surrounding villages.
According to reports, San Sebastian's mayor, Eneko Goia, commented on the decision, saying that specific districts of the city will be categorised as "saturated," despite the fact that there is already an abundance of holiday accommodations for tourists.
According to The General Urban Planning Plan, a report on the city's status, the high amount of tourists has had negative repercussions, such as a decrease in the quality of both local cuisine and culture.
Ban On Airbnb
Palma de Mallorca, a Spanish city, became the first in Spain to ban Airbnb in 2018 as part of tourist containment efforts. Similar measures have been applied in other European destinations.
Venice And Cruise Ships
Venice made headlines for taking many initiatives to conserve its delicate ecosystem and stunning heritage architecture. For example, it has banned cruise ships from its lagoon and built sea walls to keep away strong tides. The ban came in the wake of a UNESCO warning that the international organisation was contemplating putting Venice on the endangered heritage list if the Italian government did not issue a permanent ban on cruise ships entering the lagoon city.