Over-tourism and its effects

[Canal archive]

I know this is not a report about Europes rivers but it could be in the very near future if the effects of tourism either to much or to little

is not addressed.

Málaga tourism: 'People feel the city is collapsing' https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyn5l20z72o

 

Discuss!

[Nippy Sweetie]

Very much the same here in central Edinburgh over the summer but also during the winter 'festivals'. Everyone hoping the tourist tax will help to improve the city infrastructure currently under threat from overuse.

[Canal archive]

Wow didn’t realise that Edinburgh had a challenge. We sold our Scottish hideaway at the end of last year DH found it just a tad tiring to drive every year having reach the grand - shhh he refuses to realise that 80 is getting on just a bit. And yes the Highlands are getting just a tad overused. 

[JordanF]

There are so many more people in the world than there used to be, and also so many more people who can afford to travel than there used to be.  But, places like Venice and Santorini are the same size they have always been.  Tourist taxes and other regulations (such as limiting the number of cruise ships in port at any given time) are probably going to become more common.  I was a tourist in Martha's Vineyard speaking to a local about this once, and he said (probably not originally), "Tourists: can't live with them, can't live without them."  Here I am, contributing to tourism, and over-tourism, in Santorini ten years ago.  These places are popular for a reason!

 

 

 

[UDChE89]

This is something that Bar Harbor, ME has been struggling with.  It’s a small town that gets very crowded with folks visiting Acadia National Park then the cruise ships.

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, UDChE89 said:

This is something that Bar Harbor, ME has been struggling with.  It’s a small town that gets very crowded with folks visiting Acadia National Park then the cruise ships.

As an Acadia summer visitor for over 40 years, I can see the problem.  We book a locally-owned cottage for two weeks and dine in restaurants every evening – lots of money into the local economy.  Cruise ship passengers have breakfast onboard and take the cruise ship tender into town, take an excursion into the Park [from one major vendor] or spend time shopping in town, and then tender back to the ship for their next major meal.  The upshot is a lot of bodies clogging everywhere but very little income except for the increasingly-ubiquitous tee-shirt shops that have driven out the funky local businesses we used to love.

When we first started going to BH the only cruise ships you saw were the 100-passenger US coastal lines [tied up right at the town pier] and the occasional Cunard liner anchored in the fog.  The recent port calendar, even with the first round of restrictions, shows mega ships several days a week [and the poor US coastal lines have been forced out at anchor too, since laws have to be uniform...]

And Bar Harbor really doesn't need the cruise ships any more because there has been a huge expansion of motels on Route 3 entering town.  Those folks spend more money in town and spread their dollars around more local businesses.

 

It's no wonder that cities around the world prefer hotel visitors to cruise ships.

[TRLD]

There are two main components to over tourism. The first is the over crowding and its impact upon the experience for both tourists and locals. The second is the impact of AirBnB and similar businesses that have made it easy to convert housing units to vacation rentals. 

[TRLD]

17 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

As an Acadia summer visitor for over 40 years, I can see the problem.  We book a locally-owned cottage for two weeks and dine in restaurants every evening – lots of money into the local economy.  Cruise ship passengers have breakfast onboard and take the cruise ship tender into town, take an excursion into the Park [from one major vendor] or spend time shopping in town, and then tender back to the ship for their next major meal.  The upshot is a lot of bodies clogging everywhere but very little income except for the increasingly-ubiquitous tee-shirt shops that have driven out the funky local businesses we used to love.

When we first started going to BH the only cruise ships you saw were the 100-passenger US coastal lines [tied up right at the town pier] and the occasional Cunard liner anchored in the fog.  The recent port calendar, even with the first round of restrictions, shows mega ships several days a week [and the poor US coastal lines have been forced out at anchor too, since laws have to be uniform...]

 

And Bar Harbor really doesn't need the cruise ships any more because there has been a huge expansion of motels on Route 3 entering town.  Those folks spend more money in town and spread their dollars around more local businesses.

 

It's no wonder that cities around the world prefer hotel visitors to cruise ships.

I expect hotel visitors yes, not necessarily vacation rentals converted from previously local full time housing.

 

Using key west as an example, pre covid  50% of their visitors were from cruise ships, 50% were land visitors. The 50% from cruise ships made up 15% of tourist spend, the 50% of land visitors made up 85%.

 

However housing conversion to vacation rentals has been a problem there. Not to the degree has other places because the city has taken steps to limit it.

Edited September 4 by TRLD

[CPT Trips]

And add Trevi Fountain to the list of sites considering limiting access for visitors. 
https://www.afar.com/magazine/rome-considering-paid-reservation-system-for-trevi-fountain?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=091124CopenhagensOldestHotelJustGotaMajorRefresh&utm_content=C&utm_term=Daily Wander Newsletter Updated 1/23/24

[Canal archive]

TRLD of all the places we’ve visited in the US I absolutely loved Key West but we were there at least 30/40 years ago so nearly no cruise ships. Does everyone still applaud when the sun goes down? DH said when they did what happens if it pops up again? He got drinks free for the rest of the evening and for some reason his white full moustache was a great hit people didn’t believe he was English. Great part of the world.

[Planning to cruise]

Losing local housing stock to holiday use is a problem in popular, usually coastal and or rural parts, of the UK.  Second home purchases have reduced supply of homes for locals and pushed the prices out of their reach.  In places, such houses have recently attracted much higher taxes than non holidaybstock, to the protest of those owners.   

 

These areas attract large numbers of visitors and get very overcrowded in high season with traffic and people congestion without necessarily creating economic benefits.  

[Canal archive]

Absolutely agree!

[Host Jazzbeau]

10 hours ago, Planning to cruise said:

In places, such houses have recently attracted much higher taxes than non holidaybstock, to the protest of those owners.

We have a concept in the US called the "homestead" exemption, which reduces property taxes on a primary residence (in some places).