Anti-Tourist Sentiment and Local Responses

Anti-Tourist Sentiment Rising

• Locals in popular tourist destinations are increasingly vocal about the type of tourists they want.
• Protests are emerging in various locations, including the Canary Islands, Barcelona, Athens, and Málaga.
• Tourists who respect local traditions, boost the local economy, and behave respectfully are welcomed.
• Tourists who misbehave, disrespect traditions, and negatively impact local lifestyles are unwelcome.

Local Responses to Overtourism

• Local authorities are implementing measures to address unwanted tourist behaviors.
• Barcelona removed a bus route from Google Maps to reduce tourist crowding.
• Bali introduced a tourism levy to address disrespectful visitor behavior.
• Destinations are implementing stricter tourism management policies.

Sustainable Tourism Practices

• Destinations are employing various methods to shape tourist behavior.
• "Tourism pledges" are being introduced (e.g., Iceland and Palau) which outline acceptable tourist conduct.
• Tourism taxes are used, ranging from small daily fees (e.g., Barcelona) to substantial daily charges (e.g.,Bhutan).
• Capacity limits on tourism (e.g., Amsterdam limiting bed availability) are emerging as management tools.

Experts' Perspectives

• Expert Sebastian Zenker argues that the key is to ensure local people benefit from tourism, not just tourists.
• This involves allowing locals to profit from the industry and ensuring infrastructure improvements benefit locals.
• Antje Martins emphasizes the importance of sustainable tourism practices, noting that destinations will only survive and have a product to offer if managed responsibly.