How to avoid being part of the overtourism problem the next time you travel
- Places like Barcelona, Spain and Athens, Greece have been overrun by tourists and forced to implement measures to protect their cities and monuments
- Travel to lesser-known destinations and avoid ‘must-see’ sights so you don’t contribute to the problem
The Acropolis in Greece is the latest “must-see” tourist destination to implement travel curbs in an attempt to fight overtourism. Photo: APSeemingly not a day goes by without a story about overtourism showing up in the news.
Just last week, the Acropolis in Athens became the latest place to wave the white flag of surrender.
To prevent the global treasure from being overrun beyond recognition, the Greek government has announced that they will now institute a range of new actions aimed at curbing the crowds.
The importance of responsible tourism
These measures include rolling out new e-tickets, entry time slots, special entrance zones aimed at reducing bottlenecks and new access lanes intended to accelerate the movement of tour groups.
The Acropolis joins Amsterdam, Barcelona, Venice, Hawai’i and scores more places that have been pushed to the brink of being “loved to death” by (mostly) well-meaning travellers.
So what should we do? Here are a few strategies you can implement to avoid being part of the overtourism problem.
Expand your travel map
At its most basic, overtourism is simply just the phenomenon of too many people being in the same place at the same time. So it goes to figure that if we expand the list of destinations that we desire to visit, then some of the worst bucket list bottlenecks will ebb.
Simply being open-minded to new places is half the battle. When it comes to finding those new, less crowded spots, scour the local bookstore for travel memoirs and watch as many shows and films with a travel theme as you can. You’re bound to see a surprise name land on your radar.
Taking your hobbies on holiday with you and seeking out ways to experience them while on a trip will also lead you to different destinations.
UN World Heritage sites in danger due to climate change and overtourism
Find lesser-known attractions
Cities around the world are home to hundreds of attractions, but most folks just stick to the “Top 5.” Wander away from the “Must-See” sights to the “Probably Should See” places and you’ll be shocked at how thin the crowds get.
And when it comes to picking attractions, always remind yourself to try to do things that genuinely excite and interest you, as opposed to doing them just because you feel like you’re “supposed” to do them. This may lead you away from the typical tourist trail.
Simply sitting at a table in Paris watching the world go by might prove as memorable of a travel experience as elbowing others out of the way at the Louvre. The same goes for watching locals play a game in the park or watching a sunset. These little moments of bliss that can be enjoyed far from tourist hotspots can end up being the highlights of your trip.
Take a chance
Rolling the dice on a new destination can be a bit scary, but it’s also rewarding. The surprises can often be the highlight of the trip.
It’s almost universally true that a destination that comes with a tonne of hype around it is ripe for being a letdown. One with no expectations? Well, that’s a recipe for a pleasant surprise.
2 out of 3 isn’t bad
Last but not least, why not pencil in a policy that says for every two destinations you go to that are “world famous,” you balance that out with a place that’s off the beaten path.
If everyone did this, then we just might start seeing some real progress.