Tourism is one of the main economic activities worldwide and its contribution to national wealth is fundamental in many countries, although in several of them voices against overcrowding are beginning to be heard.
Noises, crowds, excess of tourist facilities, expulsion of the local population from the center of highly visited cities, price increases... the list of complaints grows in the countries that receive the most visitors, both foreign and domestic.
In Europe, measures against excesses are being considered, fueled by the rejection generated by tourist overcrowding, while in Latin America the relationship with the phenomenon varies significantly between countries, depending largely on the importance of this activity for their economies.
Venice, charge for entry
France, Spain and the United States are the countries that receive the most tourists, but in the world there are places and cities that are especially overcrowded. One of them is Venice.
The city of canals has been charging an entrance fee of 5 euros to tourists for a month, an initiative that is in the testing phase and with which the City Council intends to reduce mass tourism that turned the place into an "amusement park", according to the complaints of its increasingly fewer residents.
The problems of the leading country
In France there are about 800,000 homes transformed for tourist rental. The Senate has recently approved a bill so that municipalities can better regulate this sector if it ends up damaging the traditional rental market.
The cliffs of Etretat (Normandy) or the Calanques National Park (next to Marseille) are some of the places that have limited the number of visitors or accessible areas to avoid further environmental damage from the excess of tourists.
The Asian boom
Japan is one of the countries that is experiencing a tourist boom. Overcrowding leads to rejection of the behavior of certain groups and has led to measures.
Thus, Kyoto has prohibited access to certain streets in the traditional Gion neighborhood after the signs that it has been installing in its vicinity have not dissuaded those nicknamed 'geisha paparazzi' from ceasing the harassment of these professionals, whom they chase to take photographs.
In Fujikawaguchiko, in the center of the territory, tarpaulins have been installed to cover a photogenic view of Mount Fuji that caused an excessive influx of tourists.
In Southeast Asia, where tourism is one of the main economic engines, timid critical voices are beginning to emerge due to the massive arrival of visitors, although the different governments have so far limited themselves to applying entry fees.
The Indonesian island of Bali, with more than 5.2 million international visitors in 2023, has been applying a tourist tax of 150,000 Indonesian rupiahs (about 10 dollars) since February, the funds of which are used to preserve the local culture.
Thailand, which reached 28 million arrivals in 2023 and is the most visited country in the region, is also considering applying a tax to all arrivals, although the country is still seeking to increase the number of visitors, which before the pandemic was close to 40 million.
Mount Everest, cut back to survive
The growing popularity of Everest, and the concern about the overcrowding of mountaineers on the highest peak in the world, with its burden of garbage and ecological damage, has led the Government of Nepal in recent years to impose measures aimed at curbing the queues to the summit and the high volumes of waste generated.
One of the main ones is to raise the price of the climbing permit for the summit of Everest to 15,000 dollars per person for foreigners, an increase of 4,000 dollars compared to the current ones that could be implemented from 2025.
Europe, from German desire to Nordic containment
There are countries that want more tourism, and not only those with little wealth. In Germany, a 2023 study by the Tourism Research Institute found that its acceptance among the population is high and most localities would like to attract more visitors.
On the contrary, among the Nordic countries, the Norwegian Government has been working for months on a law to introduce pilot projects in several coastal municipalities that include the payment of some type of fee for tourists.
And in the Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory of Denmark, they approved a few days ago a law that establishes the payment of a fee of 20 Danish crowns (about 2.5 euros) per day to access hiking trails, with the aim of protecting the fragile ecosystem of this North Atlantic archipelago.
In Portugal there have been no major demonstrations against mass tourism, but there have been some protests focused on its impact on the housing crisis affecting the country, especially in cities like Lisbon and Porto, where tourist accommodation has proliferated in the last decade.
In the case of Spain, the problems caused by the overcrowding of tourism, such as the increase in the price of housing rentals due to the proliferation of apartments for tourist use, led thousands of people to demonstrate in the Canary Islands last April, one of the main destinations in Spain.
The Spanish Government wants to limit tourist accommodation in stressed areas. All this with controversies such as in Seville, where it is proposed to close the Plaza de España, one of its main tourist attractions and charge visitors an entrance fee, or the prohibition in San Sebastián of groups of more than 25 tourists circulating through the city with guides using megaphones.
And in Greece, the beginning of the summer tourist season will put to the test the law that sanctions the illegal occupation of public beaches and the destruction of the natural ecosystem by bars.
The rule, approved in February, contemplates fines of up to 60,000 euros for the owners of premises that occupy more beach area than has been granted to them, a common practice, especially in the most touristy islands.
The Latin American variety
In Mexico, despite the growing tourist activity, protests against overcrowding do not have great relevance at the national level. This is partly due to the importance of the sector, which represents 8.5% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).
In Brazil, destinations such as Rio de Janeiro and the Amazon face challenges related to mass tourism. In Rio, local residents complain about the impact on their quality of life and in the Amazon, tourism without adequate regulation threatens biodiversity and indigenous communities.
Known for its focus on ecotourism, Costa Rica faces tensions due to the massive influx of people to national parks and nature reserves, with its problems of conservation and overload of local infrastructure, despite efforts to maintain sustainable practices. In Central America there is agreement that the objective is to attract tourists.
In the Dominican Republic, coastal communities are beginning to express their concern about the pressure on ecosystems and the displacement of local populations due to the development of large resorts, but the importance of tourism in the country's GDP means that these voices do not dominate the public discourse.
In Peru, the impact of tourism on sites such as Machu Picchu worries local residents and conservationists. The growing influx of tourists has led to measures to limit access and protect cultural and natural heritage.
Meanwhile, in Colombia there is a division of opinions between those who consider that the sector contributes significantly to the economy, and those concerned about gentrification and the impact on local communities.
In cities like Buenos Aires, mass tourism has been received with less resistance compared to other countries, but in Chilean destinations such as San Pedro de Atacama and Patagonia there are tensions due to the pressure on natural resources and local infrastructure.
In Uruguay, cruise tourism has not caused problems as in other destinations. In Punta del Este, efforts are being made to ensure that no more than two or three cruises converge at the same time and it is not considered necessary to implement tourist taxes for now.
