WTTC warns: Overtourism endangers our travel destinations and jobs!

WTTC warns: Overtourism endangers our travel destinations and jobs!

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today released the “Managing Destination Overcrowding” report, which calls for a systematic approach to overcrowding in popular travel destinations. The report emphasizes that not only high visitor numbers, but also structural deficiencies such as inadequate infrastructure and lack of data lead to tensions in tourist locations. These problems affect both residents and guests and jeopardize the long-term acceptance of tourism.

In her statement, WTTC President Julia Simpson made it clear how important it is to manage tourism wisely in order to secure the economic and social value of the industry. The tourism sector, which accounts for almost 10% of global economic output and one in ten jobs is associated with it, could be severely affected by disproportionate measures such as blanket visitor limits.

Strategic measures to combat overtourism

The report proposes strategic approaches to combat overtourism. A key point is strengthening planning and promoting targeted investments. This should be complemented by close cooperation between all stakeholders involved. WTTC explicitly emphasizes the need for targeted investment in infrastructure and the involvement of locals in the process.

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

Economic impacts and best practice examples

The WTTC warns of the possible economic consequences of an unregulated limit on the number of visitors. An example in the report shows that a limited number of tourists in eleven European cities 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 impacts of travel and tourism worldwide. This is done through surveys and interviews with members and other leaders, which helps to better understand the challenges in the sector and develop recommendations for the private sector and governments to increase competitiveness. Further insights and reports are available on the WTTC Research Hub at wttc.org.

In an increasingly competitive market, identifying and implementing best practices is essential for the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector. The WTTC report rejects a simple solution and instead calls for innovative and robust strategies to address the challenges associated with the continued growth of tourism.

You can find more information and details about the required measures at aviation.direct.