As the pandemic remains in the rearview mirror of history, part of an increasingly distant memory, in Europe and elsewhere around the world we turn to one of our greatest passions: tourist. We travel. Too much. Increasingly. The UN expects international tourism flows to return to pre-COVID levels in 2024 and even predicts a slight but significant recovery of 2% compared to 2019. We even said goodbye to 2023 in Spain with a historical record. In terms of foreign influx, with more than 85 million visitors.

The problem is, more isn’t always better.

And in more and more places, voices are rising against “bad tourists.”

Question about numbers. There are few industries that COVID will hit as hard as tourism. But four years later, his memory begins to be just that: a memory. The UN estimates that international tourist flows reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the first three months of this year. And if their forecasts prove correct, the year will close with even a very slight recovery of 2% compared to 2019, which improves the pre-crisis scenario.

We didn’t have to wait that long to see a full recovery in some major international destinations. In 2023, Spain exceeded the 85 million foreign visitor mark for the first time, and Japan hosted over three million foreign visitors for two months, where the desire to continue traveling was added to the weakness of the yen. This leads officials to predict that a record could be reached in inflows and spending this year.

Does more always equal better? This has been the biggest question on the international tourism board’s agenda for some time. Although institutions often present each new visitor record as an economic success (which is what Moncloa did with its 2023 record, for example), there are signs that the debate is growing in recent months, both in Spain and other countries. We begin to focus on how and who rather than how much and historical figures.

The reason is simple: as tourism increases, their counterparts become more visible to locals, especially in the busiest places. Among these, there are also those related to touristic activities; for example, the observed impact of tourist apartments on the housing market in many cities; and others that have more direct relevance to the visitors’ profile. The BBC network outlined this in a report on increasingly frequent protests not against tourist activities, but against “bad tourists”.

Question about numbers? “Travelers have always been seen as outsiders,” Carina Rein, tourism researcher and professor at Aalborg University, explains to the British network: “Whenever we travel, there is a cultural encounter where we exchange ideas and collide. This was true for decades.” The same was true for mass tourism in the past. Something different is happening now: the volume of tourists is not getting worse, there are just more tourists.

From theory… To the touristic reality that has already left behind some cities or regions that have decided to resist mass tourism and move away from a certain visitor profile. Perhaps the most obvious (and most used by the media) example is Amsterdam.

In addition to imposing restrictions on themselves and limiting supply, the Dutch capital’s authorities have also made it clear that they do not want to continue accepting tourists who come for sex, drugs and partying. And very clearly. In 2023, he launched a campaign aimed primarily at Brits, with a tone that sparked little comment: “Coming for a wild night? Stay away.”

More cases for collection. As if that wasn’t enough, authorities decided to be more restrictive on marijuana consumption, visits to the popular red light district, or the docking of large cruise ships. And this is not the only case. Japan, which is experiencing a real tourist “boom”, has also become stricter, with visits to Kyoto’s geisha district or thousands of hikers climbing Mount Fuji.

Japanese authorities have gone so far as to install a 20-metre-tall “anti-tourist” fence to block one of the best views of the iconic mountain from Fujikawaguchiko. The reason was that visitors disturbed the residents and polluted the street. In Venice, another important destination, a new fee has started to be charged to prevent avalanches. Tired of disrespectful tourists, Bali also opted for a similar measure and implemented a new tax.

“Tourist: respect my land!” Spain is no stranger to this trend. “Canary Islands are sold out” or “Tourist: respect my land!” to overcrowding in the Canary Islands in April. Mass protests were recorded, where declarations such as these could be read.

Mobilization against excessive tourist crowding has also been launched in Ibiza and Mallorca. According to the estimates of the Government Delegation, approximately 10,000 people took to the streets with the slogan “Mallorca is not for sale, let’s say enough.” They have taken action to stop “extremism tourism” and drunkenness in the Balearic Islands, which has even led them to resort to sanctions that can reach 1,500 euros; In Tenerife, they are already considering charging for access to Teide.

In Barcelona, ​​where similar activity was recorded, they went so far as to delete a bus line from Google Maps to prevent tourists from consuming it to the detriment of local residents. And the prospect of Cantabria hosting a major tourist destination that would make it the “Ibiza of the North” caused between 3,000 and 8,000 protesters to take to the streets a few weeks ago.

Approach problem? The subject is complex enough and has enough edges that not everyone approaches it the same way. According to Sebastian Zenker, a mass tourism expert affiliated with the Copenhagen Business School, “the debate is not really about the right type of tourists, but how to ensure that local people benefit from tourism.”

He told the BBC: “If locals can make a good living from this, if they can see that the infrastructure they can benefit from is being built, perhaps at a lower price than tourists, then there can be healthy coexistence.” The example of the Canary Islands. According to Antje Martins of the World Sustainable Tourism Council, something else is also important: how the sector is focused. “When locals blame tourists for their bad behavior, it’s not about the tourists. It’s a sign that management has failed,” he emphasizes.

In search of ‘good tourism’. In the background of discussions on the tourist profile in the post-pandemic tourism board, there are not only campaigns such as the famous “Stay Away” in Amsterdam, which aim to keep away visitors who leave their countries in search of sex and alcohol. and excesses There are initiatives in the opposite direction aimed at attracting high-profile tourists and contributing to their regions. Two good examples of this are “Pure New Zealand” or “Visit Iceland.”

Magaluf in Mallorca, which has for years been associated with tourism of excess and drunkenness and is punctuated by controversy, has made a move in Spain where businessmen and its management are now working to revamp its service offering and image. tourism familiar.

Cover image | Chris (Flickr)

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