Europe mobilizes against the massive influx of tourism

August 18, 2019
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This article was written and published in Spanish and has been translated into English via Google Translate. Click here to read the original article.

The constant increase in tourist flows is now perceived in some metropolitan areas as a threat to the quality of life. In Venice, Barcelona or London, the authorities are taking measures to limit the influx of visitors, trying to prioritize quality over quantity, while preserving financial gains.

The objective is no longer to attract more visitors, but to limit an influx that has been experienced as a threat to the sustainability of cities. Among the measures is to introduce quotas for the most popular sites, limit the duration of rentals of tourist accommodation between individuals or regulating the arrival of cruise ships. In other parts of the world, such as Thailand and the Philippines, the authorities have taken radical measures closing some beaches for several months.

Venice protects its ecosystem

In 2017, the development of new hotels in the city center was banned, with a quota of 20,000 participants in the Plaza de San Marcos during the carnival and some holidays, and it was decided to close some streets and berths. In addition, a main tax between 2.50 and 5 euros, up to 10 euros in high season, is expected to be introduced next January. This tax should contribute between 40 and 50 million euros, which will finance the maintenance services of the city.

Sardinia establishes the 'numerus clausus'

Like Venice, Florence or Rome, they are also worried about mass tourism in Sardinia. In all three cities, fines have been increased to preserve monuments and clean streets. Swimming in the Grand Canal, in one of the sources of the Eternal City or having a picnic on the stairs of the Duomo costs at least 500 euros. The authorities also reserve the right to prohibit attendance at sporting events.

It's not just the cities that are under attack and feel threatened. In Sardinia, many beaches have established a 'numerus clausus' of between 300 and 1,000 people a day that must pay a ticket of between 1 and 10 euros, depending on whether they are on foot or by car.

Italy, which receives around 60 million visitors each year, is the fifth most popular tourist destination in the world. The country's authorities have promised to do more to combat the uncontrolled influx of tourists without giving up the financial mana they generate.

According to Bankitalia figures, last year it amounted to almost 42,000 million euros, higher than 5.7%, while the growth of the Italian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 0.85% in 2018 and is likely to be void in 2019. Now it's about prioritizing quality over quantity.

Anger rumbles in Barcelona

In Spain, it is Barcelona that is rebelling against the tourist overdose. "Tourism kills the city." This is how the banner was placed at the beginning of July in the heart of the city, on the facade of La Pedrera, one of the most emblematic buildings of Antoni Gaudí.

The second largest destination in the world, Spain, received 82.6 million visitors last year and tourism, which generates 14.6% of GDP, is perceived as a beneficial source of income. "The problems are mediated but very localized, they are less related to the number of tourists than to the friction with the local populations forced to share a congested space," says consultant Bruno Hallé, Head of the Hospitality section of Cushman & Wakefield. It shows that in Benidorm or in all the crowded seaside resorts of the Mediterranean coast, where urban planning is adapted, the large number of tourists is not a problem.

Palma supervises the tourist accommodation

Palma multiplies the initiatives in an attempt to modulate the flows, reduce hotel pressure on the saturated areas of the city center, order the arrival of cruise ships and fight against the uncivility of low-cost tourism. In this battle, one of the sensitive points is the fight against rental accommodation platforms such as Airbnb. The objective is to control and supervise tourist apartments, while avoiding excessively restrictive legislation leading to an increase in illegal rentals.

London tries to manage visitor flows

In the United Kingdom, London is trying to manage visitor flows. As a sign of a true awareness of the problem in the country, the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment of the House of Commons launched on July 18 a survey on sustainable tourism to examine the impacts on the environment and how to limit them.

It will publish a report at the beginning of next year, which will analyze how the Government can promote sustainable tourism in the United Kingdom and whether it should be more involved in limiting the negative effects of British tourism abroad. It will also assess whether the UK tourism industry is adequately managing the impacts of mass tourism with respect to the sustainable development goals set in its internal or external market. Meanwhile, the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, wishes to impose a tourist tax of £ 2 per room per night during the first week of stay on all reservations, including Airbnb. Supported in January by 90% of the inhabitants and 51% of the accommodation providers, and then voted in February by the city council, the project could contribute between 11.6 and 14.6 million pounds per year. However, it will not apply until the Scottish Parliament legislates on the issue to allow cities to introduce such taxes. This should not happen until next year.

The initiatives multiply in other parts of Europe. Last spring, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, it limited the rental of accommodation to tourists to 30 days a year, and prohibited the opening of new souvenir shops, as well as requiring tourist boats to dock at the ports outside of the city, and the tourist vehicles circulate outside the historic center. While in Dubrovnik, Croatia, they had to introduce daily visitor fees, increasing their popularity after filming, among its walls, of the successful Game of Thrones series. In Greece, the arrival of passengers to the island of Santorini has been limited.

Forbidden beaches in Thailand or the Philippines

In 2018, the Philippines had to close the island of Boracay, a small piece of paradise transformed into a septic tank for six months, according to the country's president, as a result of mass tourism.

In Thailand, the country's authorities announced that Maya Bay Beach on Ko Phi Phi Leh Island, closed in 2018, will not reopen until 2021. Five thousand tourists come to the place every day, made famous in 2000 for the movie La Playa.

This article was written and published in Spanish and has been translated into English via Google Translate. Click here to read the original article.

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August 18, 2019

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