Post-covid Overtourism: The Struggles Of Popular Destinations Like Barcelona, Bali, Venice And More

Thursday, July 31, 2025

The world tourism manufacture is recovering from nan effects of nan Covid-19 pandemic, but this resurgence comes pinch a caller group of challenges—chief among them being overtourism. Cities and regions that were erstwhile reliant connected a dependable travel of world visitors are now grappling pinch nan unintended consequences of this revival. The likes of Barcelona, Venice, Bali, and different celebrated tourer destinations are facing overcrowding, biology degradation, and rising tensions betwixt residents and tourists.

In 2024, Europe saw a staggering 747 cardinal world arrivals, pinch confederate and occidental regions, including Spain and Italy, seeing nan largest influx. As nan numbers of world travelers grow, truthful excessively does nan strain connected section infrastructure, nan environment, and nan mundane lives of residents. The arena of “revenge tourism,” wherever travelers activity to dress up for mislaid clip during nan pandemic, has amplified nan issue. The return of wide tourism has created a stark opposition betwixt nan booming tourism system and nan discomfort of section communities, who are often near to carnivore nan brunt of this influx.

Barcelona: A Case Study of Overtourism’s Impact

Barcelona, a metropolis that saw much than 15 cardinal world visitors successful 2024, has go a premier illustration of really overtourism tin effect some residents and tourists. With a organization of conscionable 5 cardinal successful its greater metropolitan area, nan metropolis has been overwhelmed by a flood of visitors who flock to its iconic sights for illustration La Sagrada Família and nan beaches on nan Mediterranean. While tourism has brought important economical benefits to nan city, it has besides driven up lodging prices, led to overcrowded nationalist spaces, and accrued discarded successful nationalist areas.

One of nan astir important challenges for Barcelona is nan emergence of short-term rental properties, for illustration those listed connected platforms specified arsenic Airbnb. Mayor Jaume Collboni has openly stated that nan maturation of entrepreneurial vacation homes is nan “biggest problem” nan metropolis faces. With 10,000 short-term rental apartments catering to tourists, section residents are uncovering it progressively difficult to unafraid affordable housing. Additionally, nan influx of visitors has made it harder for locals to bask their ain city, arsenic their favourite restaurants, shops, and nationalist spaces are often overrun pinch travelers.

Venice and nan Fight Against Mass Tourism

Venice, possibly nan astir iconic unfortunate of overtourism, has agelong struggled pinch nan pressures of wide tourism. The city, pinch its organization of astir 260,000, welcomed complete 30 cardinal visitors successful caller years earlier nan pandemic. The effect of this connected nan vulnerable metropolis has been profound. Venice’s canals, historical architecture, and taste practice are nether changeless threat from nan biology toll of tourism, pinch rising oversea levels and contamination exacerbated by nan monolithic number of visitors.

In response, section authorities person implemented measures specified arsenic limiting nan number of visitors allowed to sojourn definite areas and introducing introduction fees to thief modulate nan travel of visitors. Despite these efforts, nan metropolis continues to look an uphill conflict successful preserving its taste and biology integrity. Residents, galore of whom person been forced retired by rising surviving costs and a deficiency of affordable housing, person voiced their vexation astatine nan inability of authorities to find a equilibrium betwixt welcoming visitors and protecting nan city’s heritage.

Bali: A Tourist Paradise Facing Environmental Destruction

Bali, a tropical paradise that attracts millions of visitors each year, is different destination grappling pinch nan antagonistic effects of overtourism. The island’s beaches, atom terraces, and taste landmarks person made it a apical destination for travelers from astir nan world. However, nan accelerated emergence successful tourism has brought pinch it a big of biology and societal issues. Plastic waste, overcrowded beaches, and wastewater contamination person go important problems, pinch immoderate beaches successful Bali being temporarily unopen down for cleaning.

The Indonesian authorities has responded by imposing a moratorium connected caller edifice and villa constructions successful Bali, aiming to sphere nan island’s indigenous civilization and environment. Local authorities person besides introduced regulations to limit nan number of visitors visiting definite areas, specified arsenic Ubud and Kuta, successful an effort to protect nan island’s earthy resources and forestall further degradation. While these measures are a measurement successful nan correct direction, nan land continues to look challenges successful balancing tourism pinch biology sustainability.

The Role of Local Communities successful Taking Back Power

As overtourism continues to beryllium a awesome issue, section communities are progressively uncovering ways to return backmost control. In Fujikawaguchiko, a mini municipality successful Japan known for its stunning views of Mount Fuji, residents took drastic action to combat nan antagonistic effect of tourism. In a bid to artifact nan celebrated tourer position of nan mountain, which had go a hotspot for selfies, they erected a ample achromatic screen. This move, while temporary, sent a clear connection to visitors that nan town’s residents were nary longer consenting to tolerate nan disruption caused by wide tourism.

Similarly, successful different destinations for illustration Barcelona and Venice, section residents are voicing their concerns and pushing for stricter regulations to negociate nan travel of tourists. Efforts to modulate short-term rentals, specified arsenic nan measures introduced by nan City of Barcelona to limit Airbnb listings, bespeak a increasing nickname of nan request to equilibrium nan economical benefits of tourism pinch nan well-being of section communities. These actions item nan increasing domiciled of residents successful advocating for sustainable tourism practices that respect some nan situation and nan section measurement of life.

New Zealand’s Proactive Approach to Overtourism

Unlike galore destinations that person waited until overtourism has caused irreversible damage, New Zealand has taken a proactive attack to managing its tourism industry. The state precocious tripled its International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) to NZ$100 per head, a move that is aimed astatine preserving nan country’s earthy landscapes and indigenous culture. While this levy whitethorn discourage immoderate fund travelers, it is seen arsenic a basal measurement by conservationists, who reason that nan semipermanent sustainability of tourism successful New Zealand depends connected investing successful nan protection of its earthy resources.

The preamble of nan IVL is portion of a broader strategy to beforehand “slow travel” alternatively than wide tourism, encouraging travelers to enactment longer successful less locations and prosecute much meaningfully pinch nan section culture. This attack contrasts pinch nan accepted “bucket-list” mentality that leads travelers to unreserved from 1 awesome attraction to nan next, contributing to overcrowding and biology degradation.

The Future of Overtourism: A Need for Sustainable Solutions

The rumor of overtourism is not going distant anytime soon. As world tourism continues to recover, nan unit connected celebrated destinations will only increase. However, pinch nan correct policies and a attraction connected sustainable practices, it is imaginable for destinations to negociate tourism successful a measurement that benefits some travelers and section communities.

Solutions specified arsenic limiting nan number of tourists, promoting off-season travel, and encouraging responsible tourism practices tin thief trim nan antagonistic impacts of overtourism. Local communities, governments, and nan tourism manufacture must activity together to guarantee that tourism remains a unit for good, supporting section economies without compromising nan situation aliases nan value of life for residents.