The True Cost of Overtourism: What We Can Do About It

Overtourism describes the tipping point at which visitor numbers exceed a destination's capacity to host them responsibly. Venice now welcomes around 20 million tourists a year—more than 400 visitors for every local resident—while Barcelona counted 32 million overnight stays in 2023. The result is congested historic quarters, rising living costs, and fragile ecosystems under stress. Yet travelers who understand the issue can help destinations thrive instead of merely enduring the crowds.

At Revoyager, we build itineraries that exit the tourist funnel, center local knowledge, and pace trips so that communities and landscapes actually benefit. This guide explains why overtourism matters, what it looks like on the ground, and the practical decisions every traveler can make to become part of the solution.

What overtourism really costs destinations

When arrivals spike beyond resident capacity, cities and natural areas shoulder tangible costs. Waste systems overflow, narrow streets clog, and housing converts into short-term rentals. Cultural rituals can shift to performative spectacles and biodiversity is degraded as trails erode or wildlife retreats. Left unchecked, destinations risk losing the authentic character visitors came to experience in the first place.

Environmental strain

Cruise ships, coach tours, and short-hop flights add significant carbon and particulate pollution. Heavy footfall compacts soil, damages reefs, and pushes wildlife away from feeding grounds. In destinations such as Thailand’s Maya Bay or the Faroe Islands, closures and visitor caps have become necessary to let ecosystems recover.

Cultural and economic disruption

Surging demand can turn city centers into souvenir corridors and price residents out of their own neighborhoods. Seasonal service jobs replace year-round livelihoods, and heritage crafts risk becoming staged demonstrations. A thoughtful visitor economy must therefore redistribute benefits and keep cultural agency in local hands.

Smart travel strategies that ease pressure

Conscious travelers can dramatically lower their footprint without sacrificing experience. A few decisive choices—timing, pacing, spending, and storytelling—shift demand to where it is needed most and protect the places everyone cherishes.

Travel when and where locals welcome it

Swap peak-season weekends for shoulder months or mid-week stays. Extend your trip beyond the headline neighborhood: hillside villages outside Cinque Terre or river towns beyond Siem Reap often deliver deeper cultural exchange while spreading revenue beyond saturated hubs.

Spend like a local ally

Choose owner-operated hotels, cooperative restaurants, and certified local guides. Ask where your money goes and prioritize businesses investing in apprenticeships, conservation funds, or cultural preservation. Your budget is a vote for the version of the destination you want to see flourish.

Move slowly and light

Trains, regional ferries, and electric car shares lighten emissions while revealing the everyday rhythm of a place. Packing a capsule wardrobe, reusable bottle, and small gifts from home also keeps waste low and creates space for locally made items worth bringing back.

Ready to design a journey that respects carrying capacity and elevates the communities you visit? Our team would love to co-create an itinerary that aligns with your values, curiosity, and pace.