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Overtourism is becoming an issue in many popular travel destinations. But why has it become a problem and how can you avoid contributing to it while still seeing the world?
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By Helen Foster
The definition of overtourism is where so many people visit a place it starts to have a negative impact on that destination, or the people who live within it. And right now, it seems to have reached boiling point with protest marches being seen in some popular European tourism destinations like Barcelona. But why now?
Talking to Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management at the University of South Australia, her passion for tackling overtourism is clear and she comes up with numerous reasons why local residents might also be frustrated – governments wanting to increase tourism income without improving infrastructure to support this; social media creating a situation of ‘tick box’ tourism where people all want to visit the same places, and COVID.
“We’re still reacting to the pent-up need for travel triggered by our closed borders,” she explains. “But, on the other side of this, local communities that were previously used to overtourism got a sense of what it was like when the tourists couldn’t come.
“Venice locals enjoyed being able to walk the plazas with ease, for example and there was also a lot of ecological recovery during that time. Seeing this has increased perception of the negative impact of tourism potentially outweighing the benefits.”
Nowhere are these negative impacts potentially more obvious than one of the most popular destinations to visit for WA residents – Bali, where visitor numbers hit a record 6.33 million in 2024 - 20 per cent up from 2023.
Here the previously pristine beaches groan under the weight of strewn rubbish. Local clean up group the Gili Eco Trust say they collect between 12-20 tonnes of plastic waste every day on nearby Gili Island. Roads regularly become gridlocked polluting local neighbourhoods and previously sacred sites like the Gates of Heaven, now have queues of people waiting to take social media selfies.
Even here in Australia, overtourism is making its mark. The 200 residents of Kennet River on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, for example, are outnumbered daily by busloads of tourists arriving after social media named it as one of the best places to see wild koalas in Australia (a reputation locals say isn’t even true anymore), while Byron Bay locals say they are being priced out of housing as more investors buy properties to let out as short-term rentals to the two million visitors arriving each year.
The result is not just protests and negative feeling, but the imposition of new rules, limits and charges affecting tourism businesses and visitors. It’s just been announced that new hotel development will be paused in six of the less developed areas of Bali, while Santorini is capping the number of visitors from cruise ships to 8000 a day. Venice, Greece, Paris, Thailand and Japan’s Kyoto are among destinations either introducing, increasing, or proposing tourist taxes. Usually these are small, but in Kyoto a figure of up to 10,000 yen (around AU$100) per night for those staying in high-end properties could be on the cards.
For an inquisitive world traveller, it all sounds kind of depressing, but other places are using carrots rather than sticks to try and change things.
“One of my favourite initiatives is the Palau Pledge,” says Dr Higgins-Desbiolles. This has seen the country’s immigration stamp turned into a code of conduct that travellers are asked to sign upon entering the island nation – and 96 per cent of travellers stated it did change how they behaved on their trip.
“Other countries are going further and gamifying such pledges,” says Dr Higgins-Desbiolles.
“Copenhagen now has a system called Copenpay during peak season where, if tourists carry out responsible tourist behaviours like using bikes or taking part in park clean ups during their stay, they get rewards like free meals, wine tastings or entry to museums.”
It’s not that countries don’t want tourists, it’s more that they’d like us to fit more naturally into their eco systems. Part of the responsibility of this lies with local government investing in infrastructure. But we can also play a part as travellers, too. “The converse of overtourism is regenerative tourism where you visit in a way that means a place actually benefits from you being there,” says Dr Higgins-Desbiolles. So, how can you make that happen? Here are some ideas.
Create a sense of JOMO
The issue isn’t so much that people are travelling, it’s that we’re all going to the same places, in the same way at the same time. We need to reframe how we travel. We need to stop experiencing FOMO (the fear of missing out) which leads to us ticking off the same places as everyone else and instead develop a mindset of JOMO - the joy of missing out. Find places where you’re not sharing things with millions of others, where you can have a richer, more rewarding experience. There are so many places around the world that still offer that.
Travel in off season
This can really help if you are going somewhere popular as it reduces crowds in high season, and brings in funds when they may be low. “For example, the Balearic islands of Spain are a tourism dependent economy so you don’t want to turn off tourists completely, but, going in the off season helps spread the load,” says Dr Higgins-Desbiolles. This is also something that Northern Territory tourism is encouraging here in Australia suggesting that visiting popular sites like Uluru during the quieter months of October to April offers a more intimate experience that’s kinder to the area.
Contribute to the community
Let’s be honest, the main benefit of tourism to a location is financial but if you’re, for example, arriving by cruise ship, or staying in an internationally owned all-inclusive resort, your impact on a place likely outweighs your contribution. This doesn’t mean you can’t do either of those things, “but also try and spend money locally during your visit – book a local walking tour or eat lunch in a restaurant rather than back on the ship or at your resort,” says Alyse Race from website The Invisible Tourist that encourages more responsible travel in popular regions.
“When you’re staying in a destination, try and book locally owned hotels and services rather than those with global ownership – and stay longer. Don’t just rush around trying to see everything.”
Assess the impact of your choices
A recent social media hack of using the cheap traghetti (local boats) in Venice rather than paying for an official gondola ride, might sound like smart, budget behaviour but it has locals fuming as they rely on the boats to get around the city.
“It’s really important to be informed about the conditions, life, and ways in the local community you’re visiting and be respectful of how you impact on these,” says Dr Higgins-Desbiolles.
“So that might mean being cautious of water use, thinking about how you get around, or choosing to support businesses that help more vulnerable members of the community.”
Speak like a local
Even just learning to say hello in the local language helps buffer some of the negative feeling toward mass tourism. In the Northern Territory, tourism authorities are suggesting that using the local word palya, which has many meanings, shows respect and softens the impact.
An important part of travelling more responsibly in the world of over tourism is to consider avoiding overcrowded destinations and instead visiting places that actively want more tourists. But, where might you consider?
In Japan Skip the obvious Golden Route of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. There are so many beautiful towns in Japan with a similar feel to Kyoto. Takayama and Kanazawa, for example, get a fraction of the tourists. If cities are more your thing, tour group InsideJapan suggest Nagoya, Nagasaki or Toyama, and the regions around them, as under-visited destinations.
In Bali While the South of the country suffers over tourism, other areas see fewer visitors. Bajo, the port town on the tip of west Flores and gateway to the Komodo dragons, is Indonesia’s next big destination. If you’re looking for chilled vibes, glamorous rooftop bars with panoramic sunsets, island hopping and of course Komodo dragons…then this is your place. Lombok or Java are als9 great alternatives.
In Italy Consider Portugal’s Alentejo Coast as a replacement for the Amalfi Coast and replace Cinque Terre for Albania’s coastal sights. Gorgeous little villages like Himarë and Vuno offer incredible scenery, food and culture, but without the squeeze.
In Ireland Overall tourism numbers in Ireland are down – but it’s a clear example of a place where too many people visit the same things – most notably, The Cliffs of Moher which had to close trails in 2025 due to overuse. So break away from Dublin and the surrounds. Sliabh Liag in Donegal are actually the highest sea cliffs in Europe accessible by land, and Donegal has just as many Guinness-pouring pubs.
Instead of mainland Greece or Turkey Consider the ‘Stans’ – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan etc. There is a real sense of authentic hospitality. You can do homestays and visit family-run restaurants that are so small they’re actually in people’s houses. Visiting these makes a positive impact on people’s lives and that’s good tourism.
