First used on Twitter as #overtourism back in August 2012, the word is widely used… as it conveys the sense that the quality of the residents’ life, or the visitor experience has declined; often both occur concurrently…
— from “Overtourism: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment” by Harold Goodwin, Director of Responsible Tourism at Manchester Metropolitan University.
We don’t need a professor to tell us the causes and symptoms. But the treatment… that’s the central issue.
On Friday in Part Two, we discussed a few ways that certain communities, struggling with ‘overtourism’, are taking steps to discourage the worst effects of “too many visitors” — or at the very least, collecting additional taxes or fees from the visitors.
I also mentioned an article by travel writer Rachel Dixon, posted in The Guardian last month:
Be a better tourist! 28 ways to have a fantastic holiday – without infuriating the locals…
This title (and the associated article) suggests another approach to combating overtourism. Instead of using government controls and penalties to reduce the pain, we can theoretically shift the responsibility to the tourists themselves, and ask them to voluntarily change their behavior.
Good luck with that one.
I’m not sure why Ms. Dixon decided to share 28 ways to improve your tourist behavior. If I were trying to be a better tourist, I could easily get by with four or five ways; 28 ways seems a little excessive. But some journalists get paid based on the number of words submitted.
If you really want 28 ways, read Ms. Dixon’s article here. I’ve quickly summarized 10 ways to be a better tourist, from her list.
We touched on #1 on Friday: Think experience first.
Ms. Dixon wants tourists to consider the idea that they will enjoy their experience more, if they are thoughtful about how, when and where they choose to vacation. This makes sense… especially to the unfortunate local residents suffering the brunt of overtourism.
Here are nine more possible ways to “be a better tourist”:
2. Local is best
Hire a local guide who knows the community.
3. Show respect
Learn a few phrases of the local language, and make yourself familiar with local customs and manners.
4. Explore through food
Pay attention to local ingredients and dishes on menus; visit markets, food festivals and farms; consider a cooking class.
5. Time it right
Ms. Dixon suggests that you avoid peak season. This pretty much goes without saying, if you dislike crowds. But consider also that the locals look forward to having their town back, during the off-season. So it’s kind of a toss-up, if you’re trying to be a good tourist.
6. Be a slow tourist
‘Slow tourism’ is about spending more time in a destination, engaging in the local culture and getting to know local people.
7. Don’t be a ‘last chance’ tourist
Avoid the temptation to “visit now before the the attraction disappears.” Huge numbers of tourists are descending on places that are not designed for such numbers, to see them “before it’s too late”. The Galápagos Islands, coral reefs, glaciers, Antarctica… Don’t be one of them.
8. Visit national parks
A simple way to support nature is to visit a national park, staying on the paths and paying any entry fees. Your money will help conservation efforts and support livelihoods.
9. Boycott cruise ships
Sustainability expert can’t find a good word to say about cruise ships. Cruise ships are the most carbon-intense way of traveling. They burn dirty fuel; the sulfur emissions of Europe’s 218 cruise ships are equivalent to 1 billion cars. Staff often experience poor conditions, and have few employment rights. And then there’s the overtourism aspect, as several hundred people descending on a place all at once, without spending much money because they eat and sleep onboard.
10. Rediscover home
If you are tight on time or money, rediscover your own region.
I have to admit, number 10 is my favorite, and not simply because I’m a thrifty traveler.
But we have a very human problem here. Tourists don’t typically have a strong interest in improving their behavior.
When someone decides to visit a scenic resort town (like, say, Pagosa Springs) they might coordinate the visit with their sister’s family, or with adult children… but even if the entourage involves a dozen people, they understand their family, by itself, is having a relatively small impact on the place they’re visiting. After all, they’re only a dozen people, hardly noticeable among the herd of tourists.
The social and environmental damage doesn’t come from one single family; it comes from a thousand families all showing up during the same week.
It’s all those other tourists who create the problem. At least, that’s what it feels like. As a result, tourists will keep coming, until the crowds finally make the whole experience unpleasant. Sure, a journalist can recommend 28 ways to be a better tourist. But an individual family is probably going to behave in whatever way suits their needs and desires.
So we have to look to community-based solutions.
During my family’s reunion in Juneau, Alaska, last week, we pretty much avoided downtown, due to the tourists crowds. Each day, up to five large cruise ships were tied up at the docks, or anchored in the Gastineau Channel.
A new agreement, finalized last week between the city government and major cruise lines seeks to cap the daily number of cruise ship passengers arriving in Juneau, starting in 2026. The agreement mentions a daily limit of 16,000 cruise passengers Sundays through Fridays, and 12,000 on Saturdays.
More than 1.6 million cruise ship passengers landed in Juneau last year, causing tension between the businesses that rely on tourism and residents who are fed up with tour bus traffic, crowded hiking trails, and the noise of helicopters and float planes flying over the glaciers.
Alexandra Pierce, Juneau’s visitor industry director, said Tuesday that the aim with the current agreement is to hold cruise passenger numbers roughly steady, in the 1.6 million range.
But a group of disgruntled residents have been circulating a ballot proposal that would prohibit cruise ships on Saturdays and July 4. The signature-review process for the proposed measure is underway, and if the measure is certified, it could appear on the October ballot.