WTTC warns: Overtourism endangers our travel destinations and jobs!

WTTC warns: Overtourism endangers our travel destinations and jobs!

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has published the report "Managing Destination Overcrowding" today, which calls for a systematic approach to overloading popular travel destinations. The report emphasizes that not only high number of visitors, but also structural defects such as inadequate infrastructure and lack of data lead to tensions in tourist places. These problems affect both the residents and the guests and endanger the long -term acceptance of tourism.

WTTC President Julia Simpson made it clear in her statement how important it is to control tourism wisely in order to ensure the economic and social value of the industry. The tourism sector, which constitutes almost 10% of the economic output worldwide and that every tenth workplace is connected to it, could be severely impaired by disproportionate measures such as flat -rate visitor limits.

strategic measures to combat overtourism

The report suggests strategic approaches to combat overtourism. A central point is the strengthening of planning and promoting targeted investments. This should be supplemented by close cooperation between all actors involved. WTTC expressly emphasizes the need for targeted investments in the infrastructure and the integration of the locals into the process.

A specific catalog of measures contains, among other things, the establishment of Taskforces that bring relevant actors together. In addition, the development of a common mission statement with concrete goals and a comprehensive data collection for data analyzes is considered essential. Early warning systems and continuous monitoring are also central components of the proposed approach.

economic effects and best practice examples

The WTTC warns of the possible economic consequences of an unregulated number of visitors. An example in the report shows that a limited number of tourists in eleven European metropolises could lead to a loss of around $ 245 billion in economic output and almost three million jobs. Differentiated approaches are therefore necessary, as are already being implemented in cities such as Barcelona, ​​Flanders and Dubrovnik.

WTTC also collects and analyzes data on the economic, social and environmental effects of travel and tourism worldwide. This happens through surveys and interviews with members and other managers, which contributes to better understanding the challenges in the sector and developing recommendations for the private sector and governments in order to increase competitiveness. Further insights and reports are available in the research hub of the WTTC at wttc.org .

In an increasingly competitive market, it is essential for the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector to recognize and implement best practice examples. The report of the WTTC rejects a simple solution and instead demands innovative and robust strategies to cope with the challenges associated with the continued growth of tourism.

More information and details on the required measures can be found on aviation.direct .