The New Overtourism Debate–Travel Weekly
A great overview of how global travel destinations are creating new plans to fight overtourism–whether by ending mass-market marketing campaigns, curtailing short-terms rentals, or by banning cruise ships. The new tourism vision revolves around bringing in high-yield tourists, but the challenge will be how to not erect new travel barriers for the non-rich while keeping the numbers and destruction down.
Should Some of the World’s Endangered Places Be Off-limits to Tourists?–National Geographic
An in-depth piece with tourism experts explaining the different models now being launched to address overtourism. National parks, overrun by pandemic travelers seeking remote nature, are rolling out lottery systems and requiring that people buy tickets for specific times. Destinations such as Hawaii and New Zealand require that travelers sign a pledge that they will protect nature and respect the local culture. Explores how complex striking a balance can be, such as in Africa where tourism underwrites conservation, and how without it their wild places and wildlife would disappear.
Why Are These Popular Destinations Saying No to Tourists?–EuroNews
A snapshot of what some different global destinations are doing to discourage the hordes of badly behaved tourists–from Amsterdam’s Mayor pushing for a ban on cannabis tourism by ending the sale of all marijuana products to tourists to destinations flat out asking tourists to stay away, such as Cornwall in the UK (after a COVID spike).
Who Needs a Whirlwind Trip When You Can Take It Slow?–New York Times
Written by the trend author, Elaine Glusac, who explores how the slow travel movement has really come into its own during the pandemic, with more people rejecting the old, manic, bucket–list travel in favor of more thoughtful, slower, longer forms of exploring–taking in far fewer places and traveling “at the speed of humans,” whether by train, bike, foot or canoe. Slow tourism is an overtourism fighter and tour companies are answering the call, such as Sojrn, which recently launched month–long trips in one destination: you’re immersed in philosophy in Athens or wine in Italy.