๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ.
Lately, my feed is full of posts about overtourism:
Crowds. High prices. Locals being pushed out by short-term rentals.
Angry signs in Venice. Protests in Barcelona.
The tone is clear: ๐ก๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
And while I understand the frustration – and I believe redistribution of tourism and better local planning are essential – I want to offer a different perspective.
Itโs easy to talk about โfewer touristsโ after youโve already travelled the world.
To say โless is moreโ once youโve taken your own photos in Santorini or wandered the streets of Florence.
But letโs not forget:
๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐.
For most of history, the average person couldnโt afford to see the world.
The rise of affordable travel was not just an economic shift – it was a social one.
A chance for more people to explore, connect, and understand cultures beyond their own.
So when we start calling for fewer visitors and higher prices, letโs be honest:
Weโre calling for tourism to become exclusive again.
Not less damaging – just less accessible.
Yes, mass tourism has consequences.
Yes, some places are overwhelmed.
But letโs not blame people for finally having access to something that used to be reserved for the elite.
Tourists didnโt invent plastic.
They didnโt design city zoning laws that allow investors to buy dozens of short-term rental apartments.
They didnโt decide that hotel chains should pay less tax than local businesses.
Tourists are not the ones releasing sewage into the sea or monopolizing land – ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐.
And when we talk about sustainability, letโs also talk about something few people mention:
๐๐ง๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ.
Because while local nature, cities, and infrastructure carry the burden of mass tourism – a huge portion of the profit is captured by a handful of global players.
This is true in wealthy countries and developing ones alike.
So before we say, โwe need fewer tourists,โ maybe we should be saying:
โWe need stronger policies.โ
โWe need more local ownership.โ
โWe need governments that arenโt afraid to regulate big business – not just individual behaviour.โ
๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐ฌ.
And until we balance that equation, tourists will follow the system theyโre given – not the one we wish they would.
