A push for sustainable travel access to high-demand destinations like Venice and Barcelona
Aug 7, 2025
Booking.com CEO Glenn Fogel has suggested using a lottery system combined with higher travel costs to help reduce overtourism in heavily visited cities. His proposal emphasizes collaboration with governments and aims to balance sustainability with equitable access.
Key takeaways
- Lottery system concept: Fogel proposes a lottery system to fairly allocate access to overvisited destinations like Venice or Barcelona.
- Not just for the wealthy: The approach is designed to prevent exclusive access by higher-income travelers, keeping iconic places accessible to all.
- Partnering with governments: Booking.com sees its role as supporting policymakers in designing sustainable tourism strategies.
- Examples already exist: Similar systems are already in place in places like US National Parks, Japan’s cultural events, and the Glastonbury Festival.
- Focus on ‘honeypot’ destinations: Cities under pressure from excessive tourism would be the primary focus of such measures.
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