Tourism numbers are surging worldwide: Despite a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations Tourism Data Dashboard shows that global tourism numbers have risen sharply in recent years.
Tourism brings in significant revenue for both governments and local residents, but something different has happened this year: Residents of popular destinations in Spain, Italy and Mexico have begun protesting the increasing number of tourists flocking to their areas. The unsustainable influx of tourists is starting to cause problems.
For example, residents of Spain’s Canary Islands protested the construction of two new hotels that allegedly violated environmental regulations. Protesters felt that such construction to accommodate growing numbers of tourists would increase their housing costs. Slogans and graffiti such as “Tourists go home” and “My misery, your paradise” reflected their sentiments.
Similarly, tourists crowding Venice’s narrow streets impacts on the lives of residents during peak seasons.
Residents of the Mexican state of Oaxaca have protested against the so-called “Disneylandization” of their city and criticized the gentrification of their land due to overtourism. Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets in Oaxaca to protest against the crisis caused by the high cost of living, migration and the scarcity of public resources brought about by overtourism.
Countries are trying different ways to curb tourist crowds. Greek authorities introduced restrictions limiting the number of tourists in Athens to 20,000 per day. Italy introduced a trial €5 fee for day trips to Venice. Japan has had to erect barriers blocking views of Mount Fuji to stop people taking selfies at certain spots. Austria, also concerned about tourist overcrowding, has erected barriers blocking views of the lake in the town of Hallstatt. Amsterdam city council passed a resolution to ban cruise ships from docking in the city center to reduce crowding and environmental damage.
With summer upon us and the tourist season of the year, is there any management plan?
Overtourism is also a problem in Pakistan. However, we seem to be unaware of the disastrous effects of overtourism in ecologically fragile areas. In recent years, there has been a rise in exoticization of mountainous areas, especially in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). There is no harm in promoting the beautiful valleys and tourist spots of the region, but the problem lies in the lack of proper policies and ignorance about the dangers of overtourism. Moreover, the infrastructure required for tourism is substandard. Many of these scenic spots are without electricity for most of the day. Even drinking water is in short supply. Has any government seriously worked on improving these areas before promoting tourism?
Our tourism “policy” – building asphalt roads and hotels without following regulations, rather than creating green and sustainable infrastructure – is having a devastating effect on the environment. The result is thousands of people flocking to the mountains every year. Indeed, in areas such as GB, annual tourist numbers are now in the millions. Although it provides income to struggling locals, over-tourism is having a devastating effect on ecosystems. These under-resourced areas simply cannot accommodate millions of tourists every year.
Overtourism comes at a high cost. Unfortunately, poor local communities are paying the price. Fragile mountain areas face rising temperatures, reduced snowfall, melting glaciers, flash floods, and changes in crop patterns and water. The carbon footprint of millions of tourists and thousands of vehicles is huge. Luxury hotels built without any consideration for the environment are proliferating. Sewerage and waste disposal systems are putting enormous pressure on or depleting natural resources and destroying the landscape. These hotels are being built in areas where power and water are already scarce. In Hunza, there is growing resentment among local residents over the huge concrete infrastructure.
While such mass tourism in Pakistan may bring short-term financial benefits, it has proven to have devastating effects on natural resources and ecosystems in the long term.
Overtourism also puts human lives at risk. Accidents are common, especially on the Karakoram Highway, due to rising traffic and lack of road safety and traffic regulations. And we cannot forget the Murli tragedy of 2022, which raised serious questions about the state of disaster preparedness in Pakistan’s tourist destinations. Thousands of vehicles got stranded due to snowfall, and precious lives were lost as vehicles remained trapped for hours.
Summer is here and so is the tourist season. Do you have a management plan? Are there awareness centers for tourists? Are your efficient emergency response teams equipped with the tools they need to keep everything running smoothly?
It is not important to reduce the number of tourists as many people are involved in the tourism industry and it is their livelihood. The alternative is to promote sustainable tourism, discourage cars and jeeps, make the hotel industry follow regulations, raise awareness about ecotourism and implement viable environmentally friendly policies. In fact, the best solution is to move from overtourism to ecotourism, which means responsible travel, environmental protection and enhancement of biocultural diversity.
This will also bring economic benefits to local communities through capacity building and sustain their well-being. These communities have already made some efforts but they are limited. It should be the responsibility of the state to empower local governments and communities and introduce ecotourism practices. The greed to maximize profits must stop. It is time to involve local stakeholders in policy making, develop their capacities and invest in energy efficient and environmentally friendly infrastructure. Such a change will certainly not happen overnight but the authorities concerned need to work sincerely and efficiently towards ecotourism before they lose what is left.
The author is Assistant Professor and Research Fellow at IBA Centre for Business and Economic Research, Karachi.
X: translator
Published in Dawn on June 22, 2024