【Sightseeing English-13】How popular travel destinations are dealing with Overtourism (因應過度旅遊)

How popular travel destinations are dealing with overtourism With summer travel soaring to record levels, some popular destinations are now trying to slow the surge of tourists. Yeah, it's summer, but since when have you seen it even this bad? Look at America's national parks. National parks are like the Disneyland of the outdoors. They are super packed and super touristy. More parks are having to require timed entry reservations this summer to ease congestion, like Mount Rainier, which saw a 40% increase in visitation over the past decade. As overtourism has become a growing challenge across the country, residents in iconic destinations pushing back. It gets busier, earlier and earlier every single year. It's all part of a larger travel boom. Travelers in the U.S. spent $1.3 trillion in 2023, producing an economic footprint of nearly three trillion bucks. And the impact of the pandemic on overtourism was to accentuate it because frankly, we want to travel now more than ever. A boost that in some cases comes at a cost. Recently, thousands of protesters in Spain called out mass tourism and its impact on local affordable housing. At Japan's magnificent Mount Fuji, there's a new fee and visitor cap. And even Venice, Italy, a tourist mainstay... St. Mark's Square is super crowded. It is now charging day trippers to help thin out throngs of sightseers. Every major country in the world is staring down the barrel of this issue. Too many tourists in the same place at the same time. And perhaps unsurprisingly, experts say one of the biggest drivers of overtourism is social media. Many vacationers flock to popular photo and video spots to snap that perfect selfie. But I'll say this, I think that's so true because I get ideas from social media - Exactly, so pros and cons to it.
References (optional) Venice: A Tourist's Dream, a Local's Nightmare Walking around in Venice can be a challenge and no wonder. The city gets about 30 million tourists every year. No space. Long lines. As a result, fewer and fewer locals live in the historic center of the city, which is packed with travelers. Venice is trying to improve the situation with some creative ideas. But is the city doing enough? We asked the locals. (Speaking in Italian) As a Venetian citizen, in my opinion, the city is becoming a little too crowded. The tourism here is mass tourism that's grab and go. It is no longer the nice kind of tourism that existed before. I'm very mortified because it is no longer my Venice. It's Venice with just a few Venetians. In Venice, we have no space. We are in trouble, but also the tourists are in trouble. Venice is one of the most visited cities in Italy thanks to its magnificent architecture, centuries of history, and of course its many canals. But over-tourism is an everyday problem. The city has come up with some ideas to tackle the influx of travelers. Venetian tour guide Giuseppina Giudice explains. In Venice, in the last few years, there's been a lot of new restrictions. This year, they will start again this experiment that started last year to make, and pay people to enter physically in town. It's done more for people who come for the day, hoping to reduce the amount of daily visitors. From April 2025, tourists visiting for the day must pay an entrance fee that can reach 10 euros on certain high-season days. But it's unclear if the sum will really stop people from visiting Venice. In 2024, the city also introduced size limits on tour groups. The tour guides have to be together with other 24 people. So together with the guide, you have to be in 25. Before this, we could be in many, many more people, up to 50. I've seen huge groups. This will affect a bit some agencies because, of course, if you have 50 people now, you need two guides. And those are not the only tourism-related restrictions. In 2021, Venice banned large cruise ships from docking in the lagoon. But do such restrictions actually stop tourists from visiting? As a tourist, I believe the environment is very important. So if you can cover it up with a fee, that's a good idea. I'm okay. I'm not coming every day. An extra fee is probably a very good thing, and hopefully, it can be used towards the conservation and protection of heritage and architecture. (Speaking in a foreign language) I think it is convenient to pay, but not that much. More tourists means more income for the city. To bring awareness to the problem of over-tourism, Venetians are taking to the streets to protest and proposing their own solutions. Jane D'Amosto from the organization We Are Here Venice thinks the entrance fee is not the way to go. The entry ticket is symptomatic of thinking of Venice purely as a tourist destination and how to get money from tourists. What Venice needs is an approach to looking after the city centered on the well-being of its residents. The issue for Venice isn't mass tourism. The issue for Venice is the dying resident population. Activists from venetia.com put a monitor in the city center that displays the current number of residents in Venice's historic center. The figure has dropped in recent decades from 100,000 to less than 50,000 people. When people talk about Venice losing its residents, they say, you know, we need more housing. Together with the housing, we also need job prospects and restoration of the lagoon system can be a really important source of jobs and also quality livelihoods. Through different projects around the lagoon, the organization We Are Here Venice not only restores the ecosystem affected by over-tourism but also creates job opportunities. Abandoned buildings are also being repurposed in the hope of bringing new opportunities to the local community. Jacopo Galli of the Venice Sustainability Foundation explains. This area was the port area of the city of Venice with the cruise ships coming in. You might have seen the images of these huge ships, seven, eight, and nine floors of ships arriving in Venice. Now for a few years, the ships are not entering the city anymore. And so today, most of the parts are abandoned. Now this area, it can be an area devoted to student life, it can be an area devoted to culture, it can be an area for a new type of economy for the city. Matteo Secchi, an activist from Venezia.com and creator of the monitor, counting Venice residents has spent years calling for an end to mass tourism. Our solution is to stop the entrance of Venice. On the busiest days in Venice, there are too many people. I'm sorry, we like the tourists, we like the visitors, but some days you can't survive. So you can stop at the entrance. Discussions about how Venice can preserve its identity while staying open to the world continue. What do you think about the restrictions on tourism taking place? Do you know other cities that are trying to tackle over-tourism like Venice? Overtourism is sometimes simply a case of numbers: there are too many people in a particular place at a particular time. But in some cases, taking a more responsible approach to tourism can mitigate the negative effects. Links What's the problem with overtourism? Overtourism - What is it, and how can we avoid it? Discussion Questions (Travel) (1) What do you like most about traveling? (2) What is the purpose of travel for you? (3) What different kinds of traveling are there? (4) What’s the best place you’ve ever been to? (5) Would you like to go traveling for a few years non-stop? (6) What are the good and bad things about traveling? (7) Where do you want to travel to before you die (your travel bucket list)? (8) Would you ever consider a digital nomad 'travel blogger' lifestyle? (9) Lin Yutang said: "No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow." Do you agree? (10) Elizabeth Drew said: "Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation." What does this mean? Do you agree? (11) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘travel’? (12) Are you a traveler? (13) Is travel an education? (14) Would you like to travel in space or to the moon? (15) Would you like to work in the travel industry? (16) What are the pros and cons of traveling first class and backpacking? (17) Is travel helping the world? (18) What would make you wiser – traveling around the world for ten years or reading 10,000 books? (19) Mason Cooley said: "Travelers never think that they are the foreigners." Do you agree? (20) St. Augustine said: "The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." What does this mean? Do you agree? Discussion Questions (Hiking) When was the last time you went on a hike? Do you hike regularly or spontaneously? Are there good conditions to go hiking in the place you are from? Is hiking popular in your country? What gear do you need for a one-day hike? When you are hiking, do you prefer staying overnight outdoors in a tent or do you book sleeping in a cottage? What equipment do you need if you want to stay outdoors overnight? Can hiking be dangerous? Do you always have travel insurance when you go hiking? Have you ever hiked any high mountains like the Himalayas or the Alps? How would you characterize hikers as people? Do you read any books, magazines, or blogs about hiking? Are you going to hike a mountain soon? Discussion Questions (Backpacking) (1) Have you ever been backpacking?
(2) What are the advantages of backpacking?
(3) Is backpacking better than taking a package holiday?
(4) What do you think when you see backpackers in your country?
(5) Have you ever stayed at a backpackers' or similar budget accommodation?
(6) Is backpacking generally something for younger people?
(7) Do you think backpacking is done only by those with little money?
(8) How do you think backpacking around the world would change a person?
(9) Is it better to go backpacking alone or with friends?
(10) Do you think backpackers are similar to hippies? (11) Which is better, a backpack or a suitcase?
(12) What are the negative points or dangers of backpacking?
(13) What are the essential items to put in a backpack?
(14) What is your image of backpackers?
(15) Who would you choose to go backpacking with?
(16) Would you prefer to go on a two-week luxury cruise or go backpacking for six months?
(17) In which countries would you most and least like to go backpacking?
(18) Is it OK for old people to go backpacking?
(19) Would you like to go backpacking around your own country?
(20) Why is it called ‘backpacking’ and not ‘rucksacking’? Discussion Questions (Walking) (1) What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘walking’?
(2) Do you like walking around your town?
(3) Is walking very good for your health?
(4) How much walking do you do every day?
(5) What useful things could you do while you are walking?
(6) What do you think of your walking style?
(7) Do you prefer walking on the beach, in the mountains, in the desert, or in the countryside?
(8) Would you like to go on a walking holiday?
(9) Raymond Inmon said: "If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk." What does this quote mean? Do you agree?(10) Carrie Latet wrote: "Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise." Do you agree? (11) What do you think of walking?
(12) Are you glad we walk on two legs instead of four?
(13) What’s the longest distance you’ve ever walked in a day?
(14) What do you think of tightrope walking?
(15) Do you like walking around barefoot?
(16) What should happen on International Walking Day?
(17) Who do you like to go for a walk with?
(18) How would your town change if the center was walking only – no cars?
(19) Steven Wright said: "Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time." What does this quote mean? Do you agree?
(20) St. Jerome said: "To solve a problem, walk around." Do you agree?