Overtourism: Are We Loving Our Travel Destinations to Death?
There is an ugly paradox about modern tourism. We travelers love the places we visit so much that we end up killing them.
2024 was the year of overtourism — massive crowds pouring into the world’s most popular destinations with residents and local regulators fighting back.
Truth is, real change won’t happen unless travelers take matters into their own hands.
The solution isn’t to stop traveling, in fact, we need to keep traveling because it’s one of the greatest things a person can do in their lifetime.
This video dives deep into the phenomena of overtourism and how it’s affecting tourist spots worldwide. We’ll also talk about how you can still explore the world by embracing sustainable tourism practices.
Blogs referenced in this video:
What Is Culture and Heritage Tourism — https://earthtoeditorial.com/what-is-culture-and-heritage-travel/culture-travel/
How To Use Airbnb Ethically — https://earthtoeditorial.com/is-airbnb-unethical-tips-for-traveling-ethically/culture-travel/
Eatwith: Eating Locally While Traveling — https://earthtoeditorial.com/what-is-eatwith/food-and-wine/
Sources Referenced in this video:
https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/consumption/transport-and-tourism/negative-environmental-impacts-of-tourism
https://toumali.org/en/tourism-and-marine-litter#:~:text=Tourism%20Marine%20Litter&text=About%2085%20%25%20of%20floating%20marine,generated%20within%20the%20tourism%20industry
6 Comments
Very wonderful and informative video! keep it up! 👍👍
as an Asian i rather u guys dont come.
u guys are loud, obnoxious and now there are this real life streamers causing havoc and disturbances in our societies for content!
u guys come and never try to understand that Asian logic and Western logic arent the same!
seriously as locals, we hate tourists!!!
only u guys think that u guys are doing us a favor! learn some manners!
Great video! Thanks for the tips! 🙌
Well done…statistics were staggering. It reminds me of the town of Pomfret,VT that has banned influencers in fall. I love how you presented a challenge and suggested solutions and alternatives. Some of my best travel experiences were off the beaten path. 🤩
Good point about learning some of the language. Definitely makes a difference (and it's fun). In Croatia, our efforts were rewarded with drinks on the house and a warm welcome when we returned. In Turkey, we played backgammon with the barman, and he gave us a set when we were leaving. Special memories. On our first trip to Croatia, we didn't take any photos, just wanting to be there and not be constantly on the look-out for a great shot. It's also about the finding alternatives to the major attractions. In Vancouver, the Capilano Suspension Bridge is heavily advertised and very busy. Instead, we went to Lynn Canyon, a smaller suspension bridge that is less busy and more magical because of it.
I traveled a lot in the early 2000s and without the ability to book a lot via the internet, I think it was a lot less accessible – we arrived and booked hotels/hostels via telephone. Social media wasn't really a thing, but we still took photos. We still wanted the photo to show we had been there but we maybe took 20 photos rather than 100s.
Edited to say that even things like train ticket purchase meant you needed to struggle with another language at a ticket wicket with no Google translate 😂