7 creative ways hot destinations are combating overtourism, from obstructing views to etiquette violation fines
Local governments from Europe to Japan are blocking Instagram hot spots and fining tourists for etiquette violations.
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- Popular vacation spots are actively deterring tourists to combat overtourism.
- Local governments are issuing tourist curfews and blocking Instagram hot spots.
- Locals are protesting mass tourism and creating street art with messaging to keep tourists away.
Too many tourists visit the world's hottest destinations, from Italy to Amsterdam and Barcelona. As a result, locals regularly endure massive crowds, traffic jams, and increased living costs.
Travel sustainability experts previously told Business Insider that overtourism negatively impacts destinations. People love to visit historic cities in Europe and popular national parks around the US, but these places simply weren't built to serve the millions of travelers going there during peak seasons.
It's gotten so bad that popular vacation spots are actively trying to deter visitors rather than attract them.
Destinations use several tactics to curb tourists, from charging fees and limiting visitors to implementing reservation systems and banning large cruise ships.
However, local governments and residents of some hot spots have incorporated more unique strategies to keep tourists away.
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Barcelona locals and activism groups took to the streets earlier this month to protest overtourism in their city, which had 15.6 million tourists last year, according to the Barcelona Tourism Observatory. They marched and chanted with signs telling tourists to go home, blocked hotels and restaurants with tape, and sprayed water guns at travelers in public spaces.
In October 2023, a similar protest took place in Hallstatt, Austria, a village many believe inspired Disney's "Frozen." BI previously reported that locals held up signs while blocking a tunnel on the town's main road. Though there are just 700 residents, BBC reported that the destination sees up to 10,000 tourists daily during the busy season.
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Some protesters in Barcelona created street art and graffiti to deter tourists, the Huffington Post reported on July 11. Messages like "It's Tourist Hunting Season" are scattered in public spaces, from stickers on light posts to spray paint on building facades.
And they're not the only ones.
In Nice, France, an anonymous artist who goes by TooLate creates unique sculptures to deter tourists in public spaces, they told Business Insider in an Instagram message.
For example, in 2023, TooLate created a gigantic mouse trap with an ice-cream cone to attract tourists' attention and placed it on Nice's Promenade des Anglais, as seen on the artist's Instagram.
The purpose of the art is "to raise awareness among passers-by and challenge the authorities," TooLate told BI. "Overtourism on the Mediterranean coast is a real scourge for the environment, not to mention pollution, overconsumption of water, lack of housing for locals — the list is long."
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On the Spanish island of Mallorca, locals are frustrated with the millions of tourists who visit each year — particularly regarding how they dress off the beach.
Since some tourists tend to stroll through the towns in nothing but bathing suits, the municipality issues fines of up to 500 euros, or about $650, for being shirtless in the streets, the Daily Mail reported in May.
In June 2023, The Standard reported that in Portugal, where locals were annoyed by visitors blasting music at beaches, the National Maritime Authority banned speakers at popular coastlines.
According to the outlet, disrupted beachgoers were encouraged to contact local authorities, and violators who were by themselves faced fines between 200 and 4,000 euros, or about $220 to $4,350. Group fines ranged from 2,000 to 36,000 euros, or about $2,180 to $39,200 (you read that right).
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Italian governments have measures in place to mitigate tourist crowds. In 2017, Rome banned eating near public fountains. Two years later, the city began issuing fines of up to 400 euros, or about $440, for sitting, eating, or drinking on the Spanish Steps.
Florence also issues fines for eating outside near shops of 500 euros, or about $545, BI previously reported.
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Destinations have been discouraging visitors from stopping to take photos for years. Instagramable hot spots are often crowded with tourists waiting to get their selfies while blocking traffic.
Last summer, Portofino, Italy, started fining people up to 275 euros, or about $300, for stopping to take selfies in designated "no-wait zones" at crowded attractions, BBC reported.
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After taking a selfie in front of a particular convenience store with a jaw-dropping view of Mount Fuji gained traction on social media, the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Japan, put up a barrier to block the view and deter tourists, BI reported in April.
It's not the first time local governments have taken such a drastic measure. In Austria's "Frozen" village, Hallstatt, a temporary wall went up last summer to obstruct a popular tourist photo stop and ultimately curb tourists. It's unclear if the wall was still in place as of Friday.
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In South Korea, Seoul set a curfew specifically for non-residents in Bukchon Hanok Village, a tourist hot spot with only 6,000 locals and thousands of daily visitors, CNN reported on July 11.
Beginning in October, tourists will have a curfew from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m.
In Spain, the town of Binibeca Vell on Menorca has 1,000 residents, who, according to Euro News, have to deal with the island's 800,000 annual tourists crowding the streets, entering their homes, and leaving trash in public spaces.
While the town's government has not enacted a curfew, a local homeowners association representing 195 households began requesting in May that tourists stay away between 8 p.m. and 11 a.m.
These unique strategies, from local activism to government regulation, show how mass tourism drastically overwhelms the world's favorite destinations.