After COVID-19 there has been a spike in travel around the world. However, once popular tourist populations are calling out tourists, governments and tourism companies as they fear the effects of tourism will destroy the cultural heritage of their land.
In the Canary Islands, one of Spain’s most popular tourist attractions, over 50,000 people protested against the tourism sector. In 2023, 13.9 million people visited the islands, almost 7 times the resident population. As a result of mass tourism, the region’s natural and financial resources are being depleted, with 33.8% of the population risking poverty due to the high cost of living, and more and more residents finding water restrictions intolerable. Those involved in the protest argued for the halting of tourism infrastructure and restrictions on the quantity of tourists. Additionally, it sparked a new movement calling for sustainable tourism throughout Spain and the rest of Europe.
(Above): Residents in Barcelona taking things into their own hands squirting water guns as they protest; many tourists got caught in the crossfire.
The need of sustainable tourism is becoming dire as more and more cultural sites are lost and life for residents becomes unbearable. The question is, what can be done?
Legislature is the biggest and most effective method at immediately stopping the problem. For example, in Venice, legislature has come into effect that bans loudspeakers, tour groups over 25 people and large cruise ships from docking in the area. This, though only introduced as early as 2 years ago has seen Venice change from a deadly, suffocating city, to one of artistic brilliance, for both tourists and residents alike. However, even so, there is still more work to be done, as the Venetians attempt to master the balance between tourism and preservation.
Another example of how sustainable tourism can change a region, is the Galápagos Islands where they introduced strict accessibility rules, limited access to tourists on the islands, ecofriendly certifications for tourism operators and education to the public. This has seen the preservation of the natural environment and biodiversity of the islands; protecting it for the future.
(Below): Galápagos Islands
Lastly, education and awareness about cultural significance and historical heritage can cause fundamental changes within a community that are long-term. Though this method does not affect places saturated with tourists, it has proven effective for regions affected by ‘imbecile tourists’, such as in Lombardy (Italy) when a group of British tourists climbed on a 150-year-old statue and broke it, despite the many warning signs. Education about ‘being a good tourist’ is vital in ensuring situations like this do not happen again, and can contribute to an overall better holiday experience.
