is mass tourism good or bad

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For diverse perspectives on sustainable tourism & responsible travel ... because travel & tourism is everyone's business., what is ‘mass tourism’ and what’s the problem.

What is ‘mass tour­ism’? How do we think about it and talk about it? Do we con­sider all of its con­texts, costs, and benefits?

Does mass tour­ism con­trib­ute to good lives? Or do ‘the masses’ only rep­res­ent threat?

Does leis­ure travel for the many have its place in a ‘green’ future for us all? Or will it remain the priv­ilege of a few?

Vil­helmi­ina Vain­ikka shared this “Good Tour­ism” Insight at the invit­a­tion of Tour­is­m’s Hori­zon: Travel for the Mil­lions , a “GT” Part­ner. (You too can write a “GT” Insight .)

Table of contents

What is ‘mass tourism’ .

Why would any­one ask such a ques­tion? Isn’t the answer obvious? 

Pre­sum­ably every­one using the term — in industry, aca­demia, and in gen­er­al — has some idea of what mass tour­ism might be. After all, it’s likely we have been tour­ists ourselves, many of us live in places that attract tour­ists, and many work in tourism. 

Mass tour­ism is integ­ral to our cul­ture. But, as Ray­mond Wil­li­ams argued in rela­tion to the term ’cul­ture’ itself, its ubi­quity masks a range of con­tested understandings. 

Don’t miss oth­er “GT” posts tagged ‘Car­ry­ing capa­city, mass tour­ism, & overtourism’

Research­ers of tour­ism have prob­ably had to define mass tour­ism in their pub­lic­a­tions. Tour­ism stu­dents have prob­ably had to learn one or more defin­i­tions. We can say that most people — aca­dem­ics too, des­pite claimed expert­ise and author­ity — hold socially-con­struc­ted views of mass tourism. 

There are many dif­fer­ent defin­i­tions of and per­spect­ives on mass tour­ism. My own doc­tor­al research con­cen­trated on the dif­fer­ent ways pro­fes­sion­als — aca­dem­ic research­ers, pack­age tour agents, and tour guides — think of mass tourism. 

What is ‘mass tourism’? Quantitative vs qualitative definitions

When we define some­thing, we are sim­ul­tan­eously part of cre­at­ing that phe­nomen­on. Lan­guage con­veys mean­ing, but also con­structs it. Defin­i­tions make some­thing an under­stand­able entity, draw­ing lines where it ends and some­thing else begins. 

One way to define mass tour­ism is as a quant­it­at­ive notion. ‘Mass’ implies a large scale, involving many people (in rela­tion to the glob­al, region­al, or loc­al con­text in which mass tour­ism is perceived). 

This quant­it­at­ive notion is often tied to qual­it­at­ive char­ac­ter­ist­ics. Large num­bers of tour­ists may be under­stood in a pos­it­ive, neut­ral, or neg­at­ive way. Today it is often under­stood as prob­lem­at­ic, for example in the debates on ’over­tour­ism’.

Mass tour­ism can also be approached in oth­er, more qual­it­at­ive ways:

• It can refer to a mode of production/consumption . So, for example, we might think of Ford­ist mass pro­duc­tion, or eco­nom­ies of scale of mass production. 
• It can refer to spa­tial spe­cial­isa­tion . The resort as a space for mass tour­ism is an example of this. 
• It can also carry a strong asso­ci­ation with demo­crat­isa­tion , such as access to tour­ism by sec­tions of soci­ety; by social class , for example. 

All of the cat­egor­ies men­tioned above have changed — none are stat­ic — adding to the real­ity that mass tour­ism really needs think­ing through. 

Equally, mass tour­ism can also be under­stood as a ’super-umbrella term’ for tour­ism for ’the masses’, which com­bines the afore­men­tioned per­spect­ives. This sug­gests that num­bers of tour­ists, the mode of pro­duc­tion, the polit­ics of con­sump­tion, phys­ic­al mani­fest­a­tions such as the resort, and demo­crat­isa­tion, are all part of a wider ideo­lo­gic­al and polit­ic­al infra­struc­ture that we might call ’mass soci­ety’ or ’mass culture’. 

The super-umbrella approach con­nects tour­ism to all of its his­tor­ic­al, eco­nom­ic, and polit­ic­al con­texts: the devel­op­ment of indus­tri­al soci­ety, polit­ic­al change, growth, (in)equality, tech­no­lo­gic­al advances, and infrastructures. 

Not­ably in this fram­ing, the niche modes of tour­ism (eco­tour­ism, for example), which are often aes­thet­ic­ally and cul­tur­ally coun­ter­posed to mass tour­ism, can be seen as being part of the mass phe­nomen­on of tour­ism, just like the resort. This under­lines the com­plex­ity of the phe­nomen­on today.

Also read Sudip­ta K Sarkar’s “Good Tour­ism” Insight ‘Eco­tour­ism for the masses, not the elite classes!’

Contexts for mass tourism: The ‘good life’

Con­text is import­ant. Mass tour­ism is con­tex­tu­al­ised on spa­tial, tem­por­al, and scal­ar terms; we exper­i­ence it in space, time, and at a scale. There­fore, it is neces­sary to zoom in on dif­fer­ent loc­al, region­al, and nation­al con­texts in which mass tour­ism is tak­ing place. The his­tor­ies of dif­fer­ent com­munit­ies with mass tour­ism, wheth­er as des­tin­a­tions or as sources of tour­ists, are mean­ing­ful in under­stand­ing con­tem­por­ary life­styles and ideas of what con­sti­tutes a ’good life’.

Is mass tourism a singularity or a plurality?

The ‘mass’ in mass tour­ism is both a sin­gu­lar and a plur­al . The rela­tion­ship between the two is key. In dis­cus­sions of mass tour­ism, char­ac­ter­isa­tions of the sin­gu­lar mass, or ’the masses’, can obscure the plur­al­ity of indi­vidu­als, and indi­vidu­al­ity itself. 

I have argued in my research that the use­ful­ness of mass tour­ism as a concept is embed­ded in address­ing this very rela­tion; reflect­ing on what the ‘mass’ sym­bol­ises and what con­sequences it has for how we see our fel­low humans. 

Erik Cohen has urged more research on mass tour­ist exper­i­ences and under­lined the pos­sib­il­ity for both col­lect­ive and indi­vidu­al exper­i­ences. We should allow space for both the sin­gu­lar­ity and the plur­al­ity in the dis­cus­sions we have of mass tourism.

Are the masses a threat?

See­ing large num­bers of people as a threat is not new, nor is it only a fea­ture of debates about tour­ism. Chris­ti­an Borch noted that crowds have often been per­ceived more as a threat than a solu­tion in soci­ety .  

Clas­sic­al crowd the­or­ies hold that indi­vidu­al agency and indi­vidu­al­ity are lost in the mass mind, and that crowds threaten the social order. These the­or­ies emerged in part as an elite fear of unrest among the urb­an work­ing masses. One could argue that these fears are sus­tained through con­tem­por­ary prejudices. 

Also read Jim Butcher­’s “GT” Insight ‘Was this the European sum­mer of ter­rible tour­ists? Give us a break, media!’

These ideas, and their mod­ern mani­fest­a­tion, are often reduct­ive. Rather than threat­en­ing, the crowd can be the very thing that is attract­ive about tour­ism exper­i­ences. For example, Jill­ian Rickly reminds us that part of the appeal in tour­ism are the events in which crowds gath­er and cre­ate an authen­t­ic experience. 

Cer­tainly, tour­ism is a form of com­pet­it­ive con­sump­tion. Often we wish there were no oth­er tour­ists, and cer­tainly no crowds, at the places we wish to admire and enjoy. But equally, in oth­er con­texts, crowds can be excit­ing, fun, human; the very essence of what anthro­po­lo­gists refer to as com­munitas .

Let’s talk about mass tourism … deterministically or flexibly?

Wheth­er we are research­ers, author­it­ies, or tour­ism industry pro­fes­sion­als, it mat­ters how we dis­cuss mass tour­ism . If we use a determ­in­ist­ic dis­course, we liken mass tour­ism to a mould. Into that mould we pour the exper­i­ences of mil­lions, but turn out a single, uni­form entity: ste­reo­typ­ic­al mass tourism. 

How­ever, if we use a flex­ible dis­course on mass tour­ism, we recog­nise that the phe­nomen­on, includ­ing its pro­duc­tion and con­sump­tion, changes over time and as tech­no­lo­gies and know­ledge are developed. This acknow­ledge­ment requires us to take a more dynam­ic con­cep­tu­al­isa­tion and wider per­spect­ive on mass tour­ism. As a res­ult, we get a more real­ist­ic por­tray­al of the phe­nomen­on, which can lead to more fruit­ful dis­cus­sions on its status and future.

Mass tourism vs the green transition

When we fol­low the dis­cus­sion on the green trans­ition for a sus­tain­able future, we are chal­lenged by the issue of ’qual­ity over quant­ity’; a bet­ter type of tour­ism . It sounds reas­on­able because, of course, we wish tour­ism stand­ards to be high in rela­tion to the envir­on­ment and loc­al communities. 

But as des­tin­a­tions seek to optim­ise bene­fits from tour­ism, ’qual­ity over quant­ity’ can mean in prac­tice ’the upper classes versus the masses’; ’qual­ity’ tour­ism for the rich and bet­ter edu­cated; ’quant­ity’ for the less enlightened ’mass tour­ist’ stereotype.

Also read Peter Smith’s “GT” Insight ‘For the sake of the world’s poor, might the risk of over­tour­ism be worth it?’

Per­haps we should invest more in find­ing ways to accom­mod­ate as many as pos­sible, while con­sid­er­ing that tour­ism could be some­thing dif­fer­ent from what we have prac­ticed so far. This may also make it easi­er to win sup­port from ‘the masses’ — indi­vidu­als seek­ing their own ver­sions of the ‘good life’ — for redu­cing car­bon emis­sions and address­ing envir­on­ment­al concerns. 

Ulti­mately, the masses vote, pro­duce, and con­sume. Pro­gress­ive, sus­tain­able change needs to come through them. Cari­ca­tures of mass tour­ism are unlikely to win friends and influ­ence people.

Mass mobilities

Finally, research­ers have begun to invest­ig­ate how cli­mate change influ­ences the mobil­it­ies of people, nam­ing it ‘ cli­mate mobil­it­ies ’. It is likely that we will face a blur­ring of the pre­vi­ous cat­egor­ies of mobility.

Cli­mate change, and the impacts it has on dif­fer­ent places, will likely increase migra­tion and affect tour­ism. Cat­egor­ies of travel — voluntary/involuntary, leisure/residential, migration/refugee, short-ter­m/long-term, etc — will be fur­ther complicated. 

There­fore, we need to dis­cuss how soci­et­ies and mobil­it­ies will be con­struc­ted and for whom. Through it all we should remem­ber that ‘the masses’ are the ’we’ and the ’us’; the ‘you’ and ‘I’; the pro­spect­ive bene­fi­ciar­ies of true sus­tain­able development.

What do you think? 

What is ‘mass tour­ism’ to you? Share your own thoughts   in a com­ment below. Or  write a deep­er “GT” Insight .  The “Good Tour­ism” Blog  wel­comes diversity of opin­ion and per­spect­ive about travel & tour­ism, because travel & tour­ism is everyone’s busi­ness .

“GT” is where free thought travels.

About the author

Vil­helmi­ina Vain­ikka is a post-doc­tor­al research fel­low at Tampere Uni­ver­sity , Fin­land. She is work­ing on the HUMANE-CLIMATE pro­ject (2022 – 2026), “the civic poten­tial of cli­mate mobil­ity”, which is fun­ded by the Academy of Finland.

Dr Vain­ikka con­trib­uted this “Good Tour­ism” Insight at the invit­a­tion of  Tourism’s Hori­zon: Travel for the Mil­lions , a “GT” Partner.

Featured image (top of post)

What is ‘mass tour­ism’? Is it, as this graf­fiti asserts, “human pol­lu­tion”? Image by Mark de Jong (CC0) via Unsplash . “GT” cropped the image and added the dangling ‘?’.

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The Unsustainability of Mass Tourism

Mass tourism as a social phenomenon is relatively new, with its numbers rising dramatically in recent years.  Originating in the early 20th Century, the phenomenon experienced its first growth boost in the 1930s . Today, people make over one billion international trips a year, double those made 20 years ago. The exponential increase is linked with overall greater global prosperity, cheaper air travel, and an increased availability of hotels and accommodation services worldwide. The rise of websites such as Airbnb , and vacation packages that include air travel and accommodation, have made it both easier and more financially accessible for diverse social groups to visit popular international locations. While travelling used to be an experience for the privileged few that could afford it, tourism has now become accessible to a larger portion of the population. Although, the industry has brought large revenues to the tourist harboring countries, the constant yearly influx of millions of people has become largely unsustainable. Mass tourism is responsible for environmental problems, cultural commodification, and a general decline in the living standards of the locals.

Tourism on a large scale has been shown to increase pollution and be generally detrimental to the local natural environment. To support the presence of large numbers of people, roads, hotels, and parking lots need to be built to enable the transportation and accommodation of tourists. This development is clearly positive for urban development; however, it is often done at the expense of natural habitats such as forests. This has been happening in the Alps , for example, where climate change is foreseen to increase the frequency of droughts and heavy rainfall. High levels of carbon emissions result from the frequent and increased use of cars, trains, and airplanes. In 2013, Carbon Dioxide emissions increased by 2.9 ppm , which has been the largest annual increase since 1984. Moreover, airlines do not pay taxes on fuel and avoid carbon footprint-related charges thus further pushing down flight prices and incentivizing ecologically harmful tourism.

Culture commodification is an unfortunately common consequence of mass tourism. The availability of a variety of vacation packages to choose from results is the artificial idea that one package is equivalent to another, in terms of holiday experiences. This, as a result, commodifies the countries in question. Moroccan writer Marie-Françoise Lanfant states that “when tourism increases, culture declines.”

Mass tourism also results in a decline of living standards of local residents.  Higher demand for basic items such as food, water, infrastructure and housing due to tourism causes an increase in the prices for locals, as well; for example, in Venice house prices have risen to the point that local Venetians can no longer afford to live there. Moreover, foreign tourist agencies, which bring groups of their citizens for tourism, keep much of the economic profit. Lastly, when vast numbers of tourists visit simultaneously, local living spaces become crowded, thus reducing the general wellbeing of the local residents. Venice, which has a population of 55,000 residents, received 28 million tourists in 2017. Caberlotto, a 25-year-old masters student in Venice who lives in an apartment with his parents, explains that “the city’s population is now shrinking by about 1,000 people a year as property prices and rents soar.” Such a level of mass tourism negatively affects the day-to-day lives of local Venetians.

The influx of tourists at any one time should be regulated. The government of the tourist harboring country should act to limit the number of people who can enter, and set a limit to protect the well-being of the environment and the locals. This could be done by increasing permanence taxes, and actively regulating the number of people that can enter the country and use transport systems. More importantly, however, tourists should revise their view of travelling. Rather than regarding their trip simply as vacation experiences and adventures, tourists should be more conscious of their impact as visitors, and should be more appreciative of the cultural and natural heritage they are witnessing.

About the Author

Anna Corradi '20 is the Associate Section Manager for the Culture Section of the Brown Political Review. Anna can be reached at [email protected]

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The exponential increase is linked with overall greater global prosperity, cheaper air travel, and an increased availability of hotels and accommodation services worldwide.

Excellent information you are Providing, I’m inquisitively waiting for new ones. I wish you could write more. Thank you so much, keep it up

What we gain from mass tourism

Visitors taking photos on May 4, 2022, in Venice, Italy. LAETITIA VANCON/The New York Times News Service

Mass tourism, we are often told, is bad, bad, bad. Bad for local communities swamped by throngs of sweaty foreigners. Bad for a planet choking on jet fumes. Bad even for the tourists themselves, who tromp in the thousands through crowded museums and onto packed tour buses, seeing everything and learning nothing.

Is this indictment really fair? I am not so sure.

I am part of the travelling horde myself right now, visiting Portugal and Spain. Both welcome millions of visitors every year.

After decades of being a little off the main track for international tourism, Portugal is enjoying a huge boom just now. Everyone seems to be going.

In Lisbon, they pile onto riverboats for tours up the Tagus, oohing and aahing at sights like the Belém Tower, the 16th-century folly that greeted Portuguese explorers when they returned from epic voyages. In Porto, they line up to see a gorgeous old bookstore or pile out of their buses to visit cavernous port cellars and ponder whether they prefer tawny, ruby or white.

Global tourism has come roaring back since the pandemic began to ease. Close to a billion people travelled outside their home countries in the first nine months of last year, up by more than a third from 2022. After the dark days of COVID-19, when borders closed and many tour operators went out of business, guides, restaurateurs and handicraft sellers are in clover again.

With the returning masses has come a familiar inventory of complaints about their impact. Venetians complain that they clog the city’s narrow streets and lanes, scattering trash in their wake. This month authorities will start asking visitors to pay a €5 fee to enter the city on busy days.

Hong Kongers look down their noses at the herds of tourists from mainland China who arrive on budget tours to march around the shopping districts and crowd into noisy dim sum restaurants. Citizen groups in the Canary Islands are planning protests over a tide of holidaymakers they blame for overcrowding and soaring rents. One of them has adopted the slogan Canarias se exhausta (the Canary Islands are exhausted).

But against the troubles and annoyances that arise from mass tourism must be placed the undoubted benefits. Bloomberg reports that tourism will add a record US$11-trillion to the global economy in 2024. That will rise to US$16-trillion 10 years from now. One person out of 10 has a job somehow related to tourism.

It is not just rich-world destinations such as London, Rome or Paris that are making hay. Poorer places such as Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and Mexico are drawing rising numbers of visitors with their cultural and natural wonders.

Porto was once a rather shabby industrial city with a glorious past. Tourism has allowed it to spruce itself up. The proceeds help pay for the renewal, restoration and maintenance of its splendid parks and grand monuments.

Exactly 50 years after the fall of its long-ruling dictatorship, Portugal is enjoying a renaissance. It has many splendours to show the world. Why sneer at those who come to see them?

One argument against mass tourism is that it is mainly a privilege of the well-to-do. That is no longer the case. Middle-income countries with hundreds of millions of newly middle-class people are part of what is driving the phenomenon. Chinese, Indians, Brazilians, Poles – they all want to go up the Eiffel Tower and take a boat ride along the Grand Canal. They have every right.

It is too easy to dismiss modern tourists as a vulgar mob. Many of them simply want to see the world. If they are more interested in posting a selfie at the Trevi Fountain than exploring Roman history, so be it. They may learn something despite themselves.

They may develop a new admiration for other nationalities and what they have done to advance human civilization. They may learn that today’s world is the result of endless mixing (and often conflict) between peoples and cultures, a lesson impossible to miss in the Iberian Peninsula. They may realize that they are not actually that different from people who come from other countries, despite the current trend toward division and conflict.

Everyone wants a gelato break. Everyone loves looking at the light pour through the circular opening in the dome of the Pantheon. Everyone wonders how on Earth it was possible to build something like the Great Wall by hand. Whether you are travelling from Santiago or Winnipeg or Cape Town, it is a pain to have a bored teenager or a cranky toddler on your hands – but a delight to see the teenager stop to gaze at a portrait by Rembrandt or watch the toddler chase soap bubbles through a sunny European plaza.

One tour group we joined in Granada included visitors from Switzerland, Belgium, Florida, Denmark, France and Greece. Everyone seemed equally awed by the Alhambra. All that beauty. All that cruelty. The duality of humankind expressed in stone.

Today’s mass tourism is often described as an invasion. It is better to think of it as a pilgrimage. Instead of travelling to the tomb of a saint, most 21st-century tourists travel to marvel at the glories of our world, both ancient and modern. It would be a shame to see a snobbish backlash rob them of the experience.

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Over seven million people visit "La Joconde," or the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo Da Vinci at the Louvre Museum in Paris each year.

Overtourism: too much of a good thing

The global tourism boom isn’t slowing down. What can travelers do to keep things in balance and aid in sustainability?

Reykjavík isn’t what it used to be. The Icelandic capital’s main shopping street, Laugavegur, now belongs to tourism. Shops bill themselves in English, not Icelandic: Icemart, Chuck Norris Grill, a “Woolcano” gift shop. A lone hardware store has survived the wave of touristification.

The term “ overtourism ”—too many tourists—has been moving from travel-industry jargon into the mainstream, propelled by such flash points as Venice , Amsterdam , and Barcelona , where exasperated locals unfurled “TOURIST GO HOME” banners in 2017.

The phenomenon is global and has even reached chilly, expensive Iceland—a relative newcomer to travelers’ bucket lists. Travel media have affixed the overtourism label not just to Reykjavík but to the whole country. So when I arrive after eight years away, I am apprehensive. How bad will it be? And how can travelers be part of the solution, not part of the problem? [Find amazing alternatives to destinations experiencing overtourism.]

I first explored Iceland as a recent college grad in 1973, entranced by vast scenery, the modern culture with its Old Norse language, and the in-your-face volcanic geology. I kept coming back, making my previous visit in 2010, right before the tourism boom. By 2017, Iceland was drawing over two million visitors annually—six times its national population.

The Blue Lagoon may be one of Iceland’s most popular attractions, but author Jonathan Tourtellot says it’s actually the one place in Iceland he’s not worried about. “It’s entirely artificial, well managed, handy to the airport, and expensive,” he says.

When does such a fast-rising tide become an unacceptable tsunami? For Icelanders who are not making money from tourism—and even for those who are—overtourism means disruption to their lives and their city. “The Reykjavík center is all hotels and Airbnbs now,” says my friend Ingibjörg Eliasdóttir. “Downtown is out of hand. Real estate prices have gone up so high that students can’t afford to live here anymore.”

The tourism flood would have arrived sooner or later. The number of international trips taken each year worldwide has gone from some 25 million in the 1950s, right before the commercial jet age began, to 1.3 billion in 2017. International arrivals are projected to reach a possible three billion by 2050. Yet the sights and places all these people visit remain the same size.

Causes of the tourism surge reportedly range from easier border crossings and cheap regional carriers to subsidized airline fuel and Airbnb, which increases a destination’s accommodations capacity. Look deeper, though, and you find three powerful trends. First, Earth’s population has nearly tripled since the 1950s, when mass tourism was just getting started. Second, affluence is growing even faster, with the world’s middle class expected to reach 4.2 billion by 2022. Third, technological changes from GPS and social media to wide-body jets and towering cruise ships carrying town-size populations have revolutionized travel.

I once complained to the CEO of a major cruise line about how each ship disgorges thousands of passengers into the confined medieval streets of Dubrovnik , Croatia . “Don’t people have a right to visit Dubrovnik?” he countered. Perhaps, but when people keep arriving in groups of 3,000, it profoundly changes a place.

Airlines can boost heavy traffic as well. Icelandair’s free-stopover offers put hundreds of tourists daily on the accessible Golden Circle route, which takes in the historic site of Thingvellir, the Gullfoss waterfall, and geothermal Geysir. The first two are large enough to handle several hundred visitors, but compact Geysir shows signs of overtourism—trash, overcrowding, and a tourist-trap sprawl mall right across the road.

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This fast-growing mass travel poses real threats to natural and cultural treasures. Wear and tear on fragile sites is one issue. So is cultural disruption for local people. And visitors receive a degraded experience. [Discover 6 ways to be a more sustainable traveler.]

Pressure for change comes less from tourists than from locals and preservationists. Officials in Barcelona, one of the world’s busiest cruise ports, have promised tighter controls on mass tourism, short-term apartment rentals, hotel development, and other challenges. Dubrovnik has plans to restrict the number of ships that can dock. Italy ’s Cinque Terre has put limits on hikers. Amsterdam is focusing on tourist redistribution techniques. In Asia , where tourism growth is rampant, governments have closed entire islands to allow recovery, such as on overbuilt Boracay in the Philippines and overtrodden Koh Tachai in Thailand . As for Iceland, the government has launched a Tourist Site Protection Fund, and Reykjavík has banned permits for new hotel construction downtown.

The low sun casts long shadows, revealing the magnitude of the crowd size around the Strokkur Geyser in Iceland.

Destination stakeholders are not the only ones who can take action. What can a smart traveler do?

Adopt a wise-travel mindset.

When you arrive in a place, you become part of that place. Where you go, what you do, how you spend, whom you talk to: It all makes a difference. Try to get out of the tourist bubble and see how locals live. Treat every purchase as a vote. In Iceland, María Reynisdóttir of the national tourism bureau suggests looking for the official quality label Vakinn when buying souvenirs or booking lodgings.

Avoid peak times.

Hit museums and sights early, before crowds arrive. Avoid peak seasons as well. [Visit the world's best museums.]

Stay in homes.

Booking an Airbnb listing with a friendly host can add depth to your stay, but avoid hosts who peddle multiple units bought just for short-term rentals. That practice can boost property values beyond what locals can afford.

Tell tourism authorities what you think. They worry about reputation. Post online reviews about whether you think the destination is doing a good job of managing tourism.

Earth is a big place, and much of it is still undervisited. In Iceland this past August, my wife and I headed north to see where a sign-posted route called the Arctic Coast Way will open in June 2019. Here, far from Reykjavík and well beyond the tour buses relentlessly plying Route 1, we drive past fjords touched by fingers of fog and mountainsides laced with waterfalls.

Just short of the Arctic Circle we stop at the Guest-house Gimbur, empty except for us. “Mid-August is the end of the season,” explains our hostess, Sjöfn Guðmundsdóttir. Relaxing in her hot tub, watching a lingering sunset at the southernmost reaches of the Arctic Ocean, I reflect on something else she said: “Slow tourism is my motto.” It can be yours too.

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The mass tourism industry EXPLAINED

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

Mass tourism is a prominent part of the tourism industry. Associated with the traditional package holiday, well-known holiday resorts and famous tourist attractions, many areas both benefit and suffer at the hands of mass tourism. But what exactly is mass tourism and how does it impact the wider tourism industry?

In this article I will explain what mass tourism is, with some useful definitions. I will then outline the characteristics of mass tourism, the evolution of mass tourism and the positive and negative impacts of mass tourism. Lastly, I will provide some examples off destinations that are known for their mass tourism industries.

What is mass tourism?

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Well, the clue is in the title!

Mass tourism is essentially tourism that involves ‘the masses’.

So, what is a mass? Well, this is not exactly clear. But lets just say its usually a lot- like thousands or tens of thousands or more.

Mass tourism can occur in a variety of tourism situations. It could be a coastal resort, such as Benidorm. It could be an area that is home to a major tourist attractions, such as the Great Wall of China . It could be a picturesque village or remote island.

Wherever mass tourism occurs, it relies on the same concept- there are large amounts of tourists , often filling or exceeding capacity, in a given location at one time.

For decades, mass tourism has been a widely used term in tourism literature as well as in wider society. Yet, to this day there has never been a clearly agreed definition and content.

According to Poon (1993), mass tourism refers to the movement of a large number of organised tourists to popular holiday destinations for recreational purposes. It is a phenomenon which is characterised by the use of standardised package products and mass consumption. Conceptually, this type of tourism features standardized leisure products and experiences packaged for mass tourists.

Hilallali (2003) describes mass tourism as ‘an offspring of industrialisation and democracy, good student of consumption and globalisation .

As noted by Dehoorne et Theng in 2015, Mass tourism is the epitome of aggressively large-scale sold standardized packages stands in stark opposition to elite or luxury tourism.

Naumov and Green (2016) state that mass tourism refers to the movement of a large number of organised tourists to popular holiday destinations for recreational purposes.

Whilst these definitions are useful, I personally feel that they are all missing some important detail. These definitions quite rightly acknowledge the fact that organised packaged tourism products are significant facilitators of mass tourism. But they fail to acknowledge the growing dynamic independent tourist.

In today’s world, consumers are more independent than ever. We can find a cheaper deal online ourselves than what the travel agent is offering. We can plan our own itinerary using the information presented by travel blogs. We don’t need a guide when we can download the information we need on our phones. But just because we are not part of a mass organised group, does not mean that we are not mass tourists.

Thousands of tourists flock to Santorini’s picturesque white streets each July. Thousands of people line the streets of Shanghai to get a look at the light show on the Bund each evening. People struggle to get a photo without the crowds of tourists behind them at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Are all of these people on an organised package holiday? I very much doubt it.

In reality, most attempts to define the concept of mass tourism are indeed outdated, failing to take into account post-modern tourist motivations and behaviours. In light of this, I have developed my own definition of mass tourism below…

Mass tourism can be defined as ‘extreme concentrations of tourists in any one place, resulting in saturation of the place’. Mass tourism cannot be characterised by specific numbers or values, because every destination has different carrying capacities. Rather, mass tourism occurs when there are too many tourists for a destination to comfortably accommodate.

Characteristics of mass tourism

OK, so now we have defined mass tourism, what are the identifying characteristics? The most notable characteristics of mass tourism include: extreme concentrations of tourists; the saturation of a destination, travel in organised groups, good accessibility to a destination, media influence, the stage of consolidation and tourists who are described as psychocentric.

I will explain what each of these means below.

The most obviously characteristic of mass tourism is that there are a lot of tourists. What is a lot, I hear you say? Well, I can’t quite answer that question-sorry.

Each type of tourist destination is different. Some places are big, others are small. In fact, what is a destination? Well, this isn’t entirely clear either.

In the context of mass tourism, a destination could be a city, a holiday resort or the area surrounding a popular tourist attraction. The size of the destination doesn’t actually matter though. The important fact is that there are more tourists that come to the area at a given time than the destination can comfortably cope with.

OK, so here comes another subjective term- what does ‘comfortably cope’ mean? Well, what I mean by this, is that if the tourism has adverse effects as a result of the visitor numbers, it is no longer ‘comfortably coping’. This could include environmental degradation, gentrification or adverse social impacts, for example.

So the major characteristic associated with mass tourism is that there are too many tourists in a given area, big or small.

Having too many tourists leads to saturation of a tourist destination.

If a tourist destination is saturated, there are likely to be more tourists than members of the local community. Revenue from tourism-related activities is likely to dominate the economy. Many of the negative economic , environmental and social impacts of tourism are notable.

Mass tourism is generally associated with the concept of overtourism . Overtourism refers to the issue of having too many visitors in a given time in a given place, which impacts negatively on the tourist experience, the host community and environment.

Overtourism is a growing problem that can only be resolved by adopting principles of sustainable tourism management.

Mass tourism is associated with organised and packaged tourism.

Whilst not all mass tourists are package tourists, there is definitely a linear relationship between the two.

By default, group organised holidays bring large amounts of tourists to a destination at the same time. Whether this by via a coach tour, a day trip or through a tour operator, travel in organised groups brings large amounts of tourists together in one place at one time.

Group tourism is usually organised in a place because it has some particular value to the tourist. For example, there are many tours to visit the famous Abu Simbel attraction in Aswan, Egypt. Likewise, Sharm el Sheikh is a popular destination for package holidays and enclave tourism .

Mass tourism is directly associated with good accessibility.

The advent of the low cost airline largely fuelled the growth of the mass tourism industry. Airlines such as easyJet and Wizz Air put new tourist destinations on the map and helped to transport more tourists to existing tourist destinations than areas could [can] comfortable cope with.

Cheap flights has meant that many areas have become saturated with tourism. Cheap flights means that more people can afford to go on holiday, more often.

But accessibility isn’t just about price. The past two decades have seen the number of available flights increase exponentially. This has meant that destinations are more accessible to tourists.

Likewise, many destinations have become more accessible because they have developed their transport infrastructure. New airports, new roadways and improved rail infrastructure has meant that more tourists can reach more destinations around the world than ever before.

If we don’t know about a place then we don’t go to a place.

The media has placed a significant role in the growth of tourism to particular areas. From episodes of Karl Pilkington’s Idiot Abroad to Travel Man, starring Richard Ayoade , to Leonardo Dicaprio’s famous film, The Beach , there are plenty of places that have made their way to fame through the media.

One of the most notable developments in the promotion of tourist destinations is the development of social media. Have you ever heard of Insta tourism ? Yep- it’s a an actual type of tourism !

Social media platforms have raised awareness of many tourist destinations around the world that had previously featured only deep in our guidebooks.

In particular, Instagram’s geotagging function enables social media influencers to display the exact location of where their photographs were taken. This has resulted in tourists flocking to areas around the world that had previously experienced little or no tourism.

Butler, in his Tourism Area Life Cycle model , outlines the way in which a destination grows and evolves. In his model, there is a clear point at which tourist numbers are at their highest. This is the time when tourism is fully developed and is starting to the negative experience impacts associated with overtourism .

When tourism reaches the stage of consolidation in a destination, it is likely that it is also experiencing the concept of mass tourism.

Similarly to Butler, Plog looked at tourist motivations, mapping them to particular times during a destination’s development in his model of allocentricity and psychocentricity .

Plog demonstrated in his typological assessment, that when a tourist is classified as a psychometric tourist, they are likely to pertain to mass tourism as their primary choice of holiday type.

Psychocentric tourists typically travel in organised groups. Their holidays are typically organised for them by their  travel agent . These travellers seek the familiar. They are happy in the knowledge that their holiday resort will provide them with their home comforts. These tourists enjoy holiday resorts and  all inclusive packages . They are components of  enclave tourism , meaning that they are likely to stay put in their hotel for the majority of the duration of their holiday. These are often repeat tourists, who choose to visit the same destination year-on-year.

The history of tourism is a long one and mass tourism plays a key role in the growth and development of the tourism industry .

The origins of mass tourism can be traced back to 1851, when Thomas Cook led his first organised group of tourists to the Great Exhibition in London. While his business model did change and adapt over the years, the concept remained the same- organised group travel.

Over time, more and more people were able to travel. After World War ii, people began to have more disposable income and new legislation was brought in to ensure that workers had paid holidays each year.

At the same time, destinations became more developed. They developed their transport infrastructure, promoted their destination for tourism and built the facilities and amenities that tourists required.

Mass tourism notably developed in Western societies since the 1950s. This was the result of a period of strong economic growth. Mass tourism was first seen in Western Europe, North America and Japan as these countries had strong economies and thus the general public were wealthier overall.

Globalisation has also fuelled the mass tourism industry. People can find the familiar on their travels. There are less surprises than there once was. We can research our trip on the Internet and watch travel shows to familiarise ourselves before we travel.

The mass tourism industry really started to boom with the advent of the low cost carrier . The average UK outbound tourist went from having one two week holiday per year to taking a big holiday and a couple of short breaks. People who couldn’t afford to go on holiday before, were now being brought into the market.

Types of mass tourism

Although many people associate mass tourism predominantly with the traditional package holiday model, there are in fact many different types of mass tourism.

Examples of enclave tourism destinations : Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt ; Kusadasi, Turkey; Costa Blanca, Spain.

Mass tourism is commonly associated with enclave tourism .

Enclave tourism is essentially tourism that takes place in a space that is segregated from the community outside. It is in its own ‘bubble’, so to speak.

Enclave tourism implies a conscious decision to segregate tourists from the general population . This is usually in the context of an all-inclusive environment such as a cruise ship, hotel or resort complex.

Enclaves are enclosed and self-contained physically, socially, and economically. This means that tourists have hardly any reasons to leave the enclave.

Examples of mass tourism beach destinations: Benidorm, Spain; Phuket, Thailand; Kuta, Bali .

There are many beach areas where the destinations have become overdeveloped. These are most commonly located in Western Europe, although they are found all around the world. It is these overdeveloped beach areas that are most commonly associated with mass tourism.

Mass tourism beach holidays have traditionally been the bread and butter for travel agents . Up until this day, high street travel agents are filled with holidays brochures boasting photo after photo of beautiful beaches and swimming pools.

With the lack of British sunshine and seemingly endless rainy days, it is no surprise that Brits, amongst other nationalities, seek warmer climes. Thomas Cook’s products were among the first to provide British holiday makers with the typical sun, sea and sand experience, but there have since been many more players enter the market.

Examples of mass ski destinations: Andorra, Italy ; Chamonix, France; Breckonridge, USA.

There are many ski resorts that have developed to such a stage that they can now be classified as mass tourism destinations.

Popular throughout the winter months, many tourists flock to ski destinations for their holiday. This is especially popular in the Alps in Europe and the Rockies in the USA and Canada.

Ski holidays are also often sold as a packaged product by travel agents, composing of flights, transfers, accommodation and ski rental/lessons.

Examples of mass tourism in theme parks: Universal Studios Florida , USA; Alton Towers, UK; Disney Shanghai, China.

Theme parks attract large amounts of tourists.

Disney Land, Paris attracts around 15 million tourists each year, Disney Land in Tokyo has approximately 18 million visitors and Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney Florida has more than 20 million tourists each year! Wow, that’s a lot!

People who visit theme parks also often provide a tourism boost for local areas too. People may choose to eat at nearby restaurants or stay in nearby hotels.

Mass tourism events: Hogmonay, Edinburgh, UK; Rio Carnival, Brazil; San Fermin , Spain.

Mass tourism occurs when large numbers of people undertake tourism-related activities in the same place at the same time. This is often the case with major events.

From the Olympics to the Day of the Dead Festival in Mexico, events attract tourists all over the world.

Mass tourism caused from events can out a strain on locals areas, which may not be equipped to deal with the influx of visitors.

Examples of major tourist attractions attracting the masses: The Eiffel Tower, France ; The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt; The Great Wall, China.

Many tourists will travel to an area to visit a particular tourist attraction. Whether this is a museum in Paris, a war memorial in Washington or an underground cave in Jeju , South Korea, tourist attractions are often the main appeal of a tourist destination .

Major tourist attractions can attract masses of tourists, who then spend time in the surrounding area, thus making the area a mass tourism destination.

Examples of mass tourism cruise areas: The Caribbean; the Mediterranean.

Cruise tourism is one of the most popular types of tourism .

Cruises come in all shapes and sizes and the smaller ones are obviously not examples of mass tourism. However, some cruise ships are so big that they are the size of a small city!

The largest cruise ships in the world have a capacity of more than 5000 tourists. These tourists will disembark en mass when the ship docks at various locations, causing an influx of tourists to said destinations over a short period of time.

Examples of mountain climbing where tourist numbers exceed capacity: Mount Everest; Mount Kilimanjaro.

Mass tourism when climbing a mountain? Surely not? Well actually- yes.

OK so you are not getting thousands of tourists like you might on a cruise ship or in a beach resort, but like I explained earlier, mass tourism is not about specific numbers- it is when the numbers exceed capacity.

Sadly, there have been many stories in recent years of capacity issues when climbing mountains. The most notable is on Mount Everest, where tourists have dies as a result of queuing at high altitude.

Whilst mass tourism is most commonly discussed because of its negative impacts, there are actually some positive impacts of mass tourism too.

Mass tourism makes money. That’s the number one motivator for all destinations who allow areas to evolve into mass tourism destinations (not sure what I mean? Take a look at Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle model ). After all, money is what makes the world go round, right?

Mass tourism brings lots of tourists. Lots of tourists spend lots of money. This supports economic growth in the local area and enables the destination to spend or reinvest the money that is made in a way that is appropriate for that particular area. Some destinations may build more hotels. Other may make financial investments. Some may spend more money on public health services or education.

However they choose to spend their money, it is money which is the motivation for tourism development.

Mass tourism creates many jobs. This also helps to boost the local economy as well as supporting livelihoods. Jobs can be directly related to tourism (i.e. a hotel waiter or a holiday representative) or they can be indirectly related to tourism (i.e. the fisherman who supplies fish to the hotels).

You can read more about the positive economic impacts of tourism here .

Mass tourism has gained a pretty bad reputation in recent years. If you Google the term ‘mass tourism’ you will be largely greeted with articles that discuss the negative impacts on the environment and society.

Mass tourism creates intense environmental pressures due to the fact that such activity involves a large number of tourists in small areas. The environmental impacts of tourism include aspects such as littering, erosion, displacement of animals, damage to flora and fauna and reduction in air quality, to name but a few.

Mass tourism can also cause significant social impacts . Gentrification, increases in crime, loss of culture and authenticity and cultural ignorance are just some of the ways that large amount of tourists in a given area can negatively effect the local society.

The other major problem is economic leakage . Whilst mass tourism creates significant revenue, not all of this money remains in the destination. In fact, because mass tourism is closely associated with all inclusive holidays and enclave tourism, it experiences more economic leakage than other areas of the tourism industry.

Economic leakage is when the money raised leaks out of the area. This is largely due to multinational chains operating within the tourism system .

If you eat McDonalds, most of your money goes back to America.

If you buy a can of Coke, most of your money goes back to America.

If you stay in a Hilton Hotel, most of your money goes back to America.

Get the picture?

The key to managing mass tourism in a sustainable way is to minimise visitor numbers. OK, so that sounds counterintuitive, right? Wrong.

Yes, mass tourism is great because it brings in lots of money. BUT the problem is that it is not sustainable. Destinations cannot continue to exceed their capacity indefinitely.

As I explained above, there are generally more negative impacts associated with mass tourism than there are positive. But that doesn’t mean that mass tourism doesn’t have to stop altogether. There are many methods to manage tourism destinations in a more sustainable manner.

One way to manage mass tourism better is to provide incentives to help distribute tourists evenly throughout the year and to avoid the peaks and troughs that come with seasonality. Instead of having the majority of tourists arrive in July and August, for example, a destination could put caps on visitor numbers during this time and instead offer discounted rates at other times of the year.

A destination could temporarily close to allow for some of the environmental damage caused by mass tourism to be repaired. This has been done at Maya Bay in Thailand and on the island of Borocay in the Philippines in recent years, with positive outcomes.

Another way to manage mass tourism in a more sustainable way is to introduce smart tourism techniques. These can help to better manage tourist flows, monitor tourist activity and accurately analyse tourist patterns and behaviours. This allows tourism stakeholders to more easily and more accurately implement sustainable tourism principles where possible.

Ultimately, however, sustainable tourism and mass tourism are contradictory terms. Mass tourism is generally viewed as the antithesis of sustainability, due to the large amount of negative impacts that are widely known and documented. That isn’t to say that sustainable mass tourism is impossible, it just requires some very careful tourism planning and management.

There are many destinations around the world that are classed at mass tourism destinations. Some are resorts, others are major tourist attractions. Some destinations have suffered at the hands of the mass tourism industry for many years and others are new to the scene. In some cases, Governments have [are] implementing changes to better manage tourism or to remove themselves from the mass tourism market.

As much as I would love to discuss each of the mass tourism destinations below, this article is already almost 4000 words long, and I don’t want to bore you! Instead, I will provide a list of mass tourism destinations and if you are interested, you can research these more yourself!

Mass tourism destinations include:

• Eifell Tower
• Val-d’Isere
• Côte d’Azur
• Mont St Michael
• San Sebastian
• Vatican City
• Coloseum, Rome
• Cinque Terre
• Neuschwanstein, Germany
• Hallstatt, Austria
• Oktoberfest, Munich
• Stonehenge, UK
• Lake Lucerne, Switzerland
• Great Wall of China
• The Bund, Shanghai
• Terracotta Warriors, Xian
• Islands of Thailand
• Mount Everest
• Great Barrier Reef
• Macchu Picchu
• Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
• The Caribbean islands
• Several US National Parks
• Pyramids of Giza, Cairo

Mass tourism is big business, quite literally. Mass tourism isn’t new, but our awareness of many of the negative impacts that it causes is relatively new. It is only in recent years that we have really started to understand the impacts of our actions and think in a more sustainable way.

As you can see, there are many mass tourism destinations all over the world. Are these destinations and the practices that they are adopting sustainable? Probably not.

It is imperative that we plan and manage our tourism industries in order to keep them alive. To learn more about how we can do this and about the importance of the mass tourism industry, I suggest that you consult the texts below.

• Overtourism – This book examines the evolution of the phenomenon and explores the genesis of overtourism and the system dynamics underlining it.
• Overtourism: Tourism Management and Solutions – Questioning the causes of this phenomenon, such as increased prosperity and mobility, technological development, issues of security and stigma for certain parts of the world and so on, this book supposes that better visitor management strategies and distribution of tourists can offset the negative impacts of ‘overtourism’.
• The Challenge of Overtourism – Working paper outlining the concept by Harold Goodwin.
• How to be a highly Sustainable Tourist: A Guidebook for the Conscientious Traveller – a great guide with tips on how to travel sustainably
• The Intrepid Traveler: The ultimate guide to responsible, ecological, and personal-growth travel and tourism – Leading travel expert Adam Rogers draws upon 40 years of experience exploring more than 130 countries in every region on Earth to share the smartest ways to travel in this tip-filled guide
• Outdoor Recreation: Environmental Impacts and Management – an academic text discussing the sustainability of outdoor pursuits
• Sustainable and Responsible Tourism: Trends, Practices and Cases – Sustainable tourism case studies from around the world
• Responsible Tourism: Using tourism for sustainable development – a textbook addressing the concept of sustainability in terms in development

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Mass Tourism: History, Types, Advantages & Disadvantages, Destinations and Its Impacts

Mass tourism is a form of tourism that involves the movement of large numbers of people to popular holiday destinations. It is often associated with package holidays, all-inclusive resorts, and organized tours. Mass tourism aims to provide travellers with a hassle-free vacation experience, where everything from transportation to accommodation and activities is planned and delivered by a single operator.

While mass tourism has been a boon for many destinations, it has also been criticized for its negative impact on local cultures, economies, and environments. The sheer number of tourists can overwhelm local infrastructure and resources, leading to overcrowding, pollution, and strain on natural resources. In addition, mass tourism can also lead to the commodification of local cultures, where traditional practices and customs are adapted to suit the needs and expectations of tourists. This can result in the loss of cultural authenticity and homogenization of local cultures.

Despite its drawbacks, mass tourism remains a popular form of travel for many people. It offers convenience, affordability, and the opportunity to visit popular destinations without worrying about the logistics of planning a trip. However, it is essential to consider the impact of mass tourism on local communities and the environment and to make responsible travel choices whenever possible.

Table of Contents

History of mass tourism.

Mass tourism has a long and exciting history from the 19th century. The growth of leisure travel and its importance resulted from increased spending power, personal mobility, the development of public transport, and internationalization in modern communities.

Mass tourism began in 1851 when Thomas Cook led a mass of tourists to the Great Exhibition in London. A British entrepreneur, Cook is the father of modern tourism. He organized the first package tour , which involved people travelling together on a pre-planned itinerary. Cook’s innovation made travel affordable and accessible to the masses and quickly became popular.

The introduction of paid holidays in the early 20th century further fueled the growth of mass tourism. Workers were given time off from work to travel and explore new destinations. The concept of paid holidays was first introduced in the UK in 1938, and it quickly spread to other parts of the world. This increased the number of people travelling, creating a new market for the tourism industry .

The post-World War II period saw a significant increase in mass tourism. The airline industry’s growth , the development of new destinations, and the introduction of new technologies, such as the jet engine, made travel faster, cheaper, and more comfortable. This led to an explosion in the number of people travelling, creating a new industry that catered explicitly to mass tourism.

In conclusion, mass tourism has a rich and fascinating history that dates back to the 19th century. The growth of leisure travel, the introduction of paid holidays, and the development of new technologies have all contributed to the growth of mass tourism. Today, mass tourism is a significant industry that generates billions of dollars in revenue and employs millions worldwide.

Types of Mass Tourism

Mass tourism refers to the movement of a large number of organized tourists to popular holiday destinations for recreational purposes. It is a phenomenon which is characterized by the use of standardized package products and mass consumption. Here are some types of mass tourism:

• Cultural Tourism : This type of mass tourism involves visiting historical and cultural sites, museums, art galleries, and other places of cultural significance. Cultural tourism is popular among tourists who want to learn about a particular region or country’s history, traditions, and customs.
• Adventure Tourism : This type of mass tourism involves activities such as trekking, hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing, and other outdoor activities. Adventure tourism is popular among tourists seeking excitement and thrill during their holidays.
• Beach Tourism : This type of mass tourism involves visiting coastal areas, beaches, and islands. Beach tourism is popular among tourists who want to relax, sunbathe, swim, and engage in water sports.
• Ecotourism : This type of mass tourism involves visiting natural areas, wildlife reserves, and national parks. Ecotourism is popular among tourists who want to experience nature, observe wildlife, and learn about conservation efforts.
• Medical Tourism : This type of mass tourism involves travelling to another country for medical treatment. Medical tourism is popular among tourists who want to access medical treatments that are not available in their home country or are too expensive.
• Sports Tourism : This type of mass tourism involves travelling to attend or participate in sports events such as football matches, cricket matches, tennis tournaments, and other sporting events.
• Cruise Tourism : This type of mass tourism involves travelling on a cruise ship to visit multiple destinations. Cruise tourism is popular among tourists who want to relax, socialize, and enjoy onboard entertainment while visiting various destinations.

Mass tourism has positive and negative impacts on the environment, economy, and society. It is important to manage mass tourism sustainably and responsibly to minimize its negative effects and maximize its benefits.

Advantages of Mass Tourism

Mass tourism has several advantages, making it an essential part of the tourism industry. Here are some of the benefits of mass tourism:

Boosts Local Economy

Mass tourism can significantly boost the local economy of a tourist destination. It generates much revenue for local businesses, such as hotels , restaurants, and souvenir shops. This, in turn, creates job opportunities for the locals and helps improve their living standards. Mass tourism can also contribute to infrastructure development, such as roads, airports, and public transportation, which can benefit the local community even after the tourists have left.

Increases Cultural Exchange

Mass tourism can increase cultural exchange between tourists and locals. Tourists can learn about the local customs, traditions, and way of life, while locals can learn about the visitors’ culture. This cultural exchange can help to promote understanding and tolerance between different cultures and can also help to preserve the local culture by promoting it to a wider audience.

Provides Affordable Travel Options

Mass tourism provides affordable travel options for people who may not have the means to travel otherwise. The package deals offered by mass tourism companies can be significantly cheaper than individual travel arrangements. This makes travel more accessible to a wider range of people, including those on a budget.

Supports Conservation Efforts

Mass tourism can also support conservation efforts in tourist destinations. The revenue generated by mass tourism can be used to fund conservation projects, such as wildlife conservation and habitat restoration. This can help preserve the destination’s natural beauty and protect it for future generations.

Mass tourism has several advantages, making it an important part of the tourism industry. It can boost the local economy, increase cultural exchange, provide affordable travel options, and support conservation efforts. However, it is important to balance the advantages of mass tourism with its potential negative impacts, such as overcrowding, environmental degradation, and cultural homogenization.

Disadvantages of Mass Tourism

Mass tourism has become increasingly popular in recent years but has drawbacks. Here are some of the disadvantages of mass tourism:

1. Environmental Impact

One of the most significant disadvantages of mass tourism is the environmental impact. Mass tourism can lead to pollution, degradation of natural resources, and damage to ecosystems. The large number of tourists can put a strain on local resources, such as water and energy, and contribute to climate change.

2. Overcrowding

Mass tourism can lead to overcrowding in popular tourist destinations, which can cause inconvenience and discomfort for tourists and locals. Overcrowding can also lead to safety concerns and increase the risk of accidents and incidents.

3. Cultural Impact

Mass tourism can have a negative impact on local cultures and traditions. The influx of tourists can lead to a loss of cultural authenticity and homogenization of local cultures. This can also lead to losing traditional ways of life and displacement of local residents.

4. Economic Impact

While mass tourism can bring economic benefits to a destination, it can also have negative economic impacts. The reliance on tourism can lead to an unstable economy, and the profits from tourism may not benefit local communities. In some cases, tourism can also lead to inflation and increased living costs for locals.

5. Sustainability

Mass tourism is often unsustainable in the long term. The strain on local resources and ecosystems can lead to irreversible damage, and focusing on short-term profits can lead to neglecting long-term sustainability goals.

While mass tourism can bring economic benefits and opportunities for travellers, it is essential to consider its negative impacts on the environment, local communities, and cultures.

Mass Tourism Destinations

Mass tourism has become popular for people to explore new destinations and experience different cultures. The most popular mass tourism destinations include beaches, mountains, national parks, and historical sites. Here are some examples of popular mass tourism destinations:

Beaches are a popular destination for mass tourism. Some popular beaches include Goa in India, Santorini in Greece, and the Harbor Islands in Boston. These destinations offer beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, and a variety of activities for tourists to enjoy.

Mountains are another popular destination for mass tourism. Central Massachusetts and the Greater Merrimack Valley are popular destinations for tourists who want to experience the beauty of the mountains. These destinations offer breathtaking views, hiking trails, and other outdoor activities.

National Parks

National parks are also popular destinations for mass tourism. Cape Cod National Seashore is a popular destination for tourists who want to explore the area’s natural beauty. The park offers hiking trails, beaches, and other outdoor activities.

Historical Sites

Historical sites are also popular destinations for mass tourism. The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and the North of Boston are popular destinations for tourists who want to explore the history of the area. These destinations offer a glimpse into the past and a chance to learn about different cultures.

Overall, there are many popular mass tourism destinations for tourists to explore. Whether you are looking for a beach vacation, a mountain retreat, or a chance to explore historical sites, there is something for everyone.

Impact on Local Communities

Mass tourism significantly impacts local communities, and the effects can be positive and negative. While tourism can bring economic benefits to a region, it can also negatively impact the local culture, jobs, infrastructure, local businesses, gentrification, and over-tourism.

One of mass tourism’s most significant negative impacts on local communities is the erosion of local culture. As more tourists flock to a destination, the local culture can become homogenized, and the unique traditions and ways of life can be lost. This can lead to a loss of identity for the local community and a decline in cultural heritage.

Another negative impact of mass tourism is the effect on jobs. While tourism can create jobs in the hospitality and service industries, it can also lead to a decline in traditional industries. For example, in some regions, farming and fishing have been replaced by tourism, leading to a loss of traditional jobs and a decline in local economies.

Infrastructure can also be negatively impacted by mass tourism. As more tourists visit an area, the demand for infrastructure such as roads, airports, and hotels increases. This can lead to overcrowding, traffic congestion, and strain on local resources.

Local businesses can also be impacted by mass tourism. While some businesses may benefit from increased tourism, others may struggle to compete with larger international chains. This can lead to a decline in local businesses and a loss of economic diversity in the region.

Gentrification is another issue that can arise from mass tourism. As more tourists visit an area, property prices can rise, leading to the displacement of local residents. This can lead to social and economic inequality, as the local community is pushed out of its own neighbourhood.

Finally, mass tourism is a growing concern in many popular tourist destinations. When the number of tourists visiting a destination exceeds the region’s carrying capacity, it can lead to overcrowding, environmental degradation, and a decline in the quality of life for local residents.

In conclusion, while mass tourism can bring economic benefits to a region, it is essential to consider the impact on local communities. The negative impacts of mass tourism can be significant, and it is crucial to find a balance between economic growth and sustainable tourism practices.

Economic Aspects of Mass Tourism

Mass tourism can have a significant impact on the economy of a destination. It can generate income and create employment opportunities, but it can also put a strain on resources and infrastructure.

One of the main benefits of mass tourism is the income it generates for local economies. Tourists spend money on accommodation, food, transportation, and activities, which can contribute to the local economy. According to a report by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, travel expenditures in Massachusetts in 2018 generated over $24 billion in direct spending, which supported over 150,000 jobs and generated $1.6 billion in state and local taxes.

However, mass tourism can also put a strain on resources and infrastructure. Popular tourist destinations may struggle to accommodate the influx of visitors during peak season, leading to overcrowding and strain on local resources such as water and energy. Additionally, the increased demand for goods and services can drive up prices, making it harder for locals to afford basic necessities.

Another economic aspect of mass tourism is profit. Large tourism companies may benefit from the high volume of tourists by making significant profits. However, smaller local businesses may struggle to compete with larger companies, leading to a concentration of wealth in the hands of a few.

Overall, the economic impact of mass tourism is complex and multifaceted. While it can generate income and create employment opportunities, it can also strain resources and infrastructure and concentrate wealth in the hands of a few.

Tourist Behavior and Expectations

Tourist behaviour and expectations play a crucial role in the mass tourism industry. Tourists are individuals who travel to different places for leisure, business, or other purposes. They have certain expectations and requirements from their travel experience, which can influence their behaviour during their stay.

One of the primary expectations of tourists is to have a comfortable and enjoyable experience. They expect high-quality accommodations, transportation, food, and entertainment options. Tourists also expect to be treated with respect and hospitality by the locals and the service providers. They want to feel welcomed and appreciated during their stay.

Another important aspect of tourist behaviour is their spending habits. Tourists tend to spend significant money on their travel, which can boost the local economy. However, they also expect value for their money and are likely to avoid places that are overpriced or do not meet their expectations.

Family tourists are a significant segment of the mass tourism industry. They have unique expectations and requirements, such as child-friendly accommodations, entertainment options, and safety measures. Family tourists also tend to plan their trips well in advance and are likely to choose destinations that offer a variety of activities for all members of the family.

Responsible tourism is another emerging trend in the mass tourism industry. Responsible tourists are conscious of their impact on the environment and the local communities. They expect the destinations and service providers to follow sustainable practices and reduce their carbon footprint. Responsible tourists will likely choose eco-friendly accommodations, participate in local conservation efforts, and support local businesses.

Overall, understanding tourist behaviour and expectations is essential for the success of the mass tourism industry. Service providers and destinations that meet and exceed these expectations will likely attract more visitors and generate higher revenues.

Role of Media and Internet

The role of media and the internet has greatly influenced the rise of mass tourism. With the advent of social media platforms such as Instagram, travellers are constantly exposed to images of exotic destinations and experiences, which can influence their travel decisions. In fact, a study suggests that social media has a significant impact on tourists’ choices of travel components, with most studies focusing on the impact of social media on behavioural intention.

The media has also played a vital role in promoting tourism, especially in countries where tourism is a major source of revenue. The media is often used to showcase a destination’s natural beauty, culture, and attractions, which can attract tourists. For example, television shows such as Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown” and Samantha Brown’s “Places to Love” have helped to promote off-the-beaten-path destinations to a wider audience.

The internet has also revolutionized the way people plan and book their travel. Travellers can now easily research and book flights, accommodations, and activities through online travel agencies and booking platforms. This has led to increased independent travel, where travellers can plan their own itineraries and customize their travel experiences.

However, the internet has also brought about challenges for the tourism industry. With the ease of access to information, travellers are now more aware of the negative impacts of tourism, such as overcrowding, environmental degradation, and cultural commodification. This has led to a rise in sustainable and responsible tourism practices, where travellers seek to minimize their impact on the environment and local communities.

Overall, the role of media and the Internet in mass tourism cannot be overstated. While it has brought about challenges, it has also opened up new opportunities for travellers to explore the world and for destinations to promote themselves to a wider audience.

Tour Operators and Travel Agents

Tour operators and travel agents play a significant role in mass tourism. They are intermediaries between the tourists and the service providers, such as hotels, airlines, and transportation companies. Their main function is to package and sell tours to holiday destinations, including flights, accommodation, and other services.

Travel agents are professionals who provide travel-related services to clients. They offer advice on travel destinations, make reservations for flights, hotels, and other services, and provide information on travel insurance, visas, and other travel-related documents. They earn a commission from the service providers for the services they sell.

On the other hand, tour operators specialize in organizing and selling packaged tours to holiday destinations. They create tour packages that include transportation, accommodation, meals, and other services. They work with travel agents to sell their tour packages to clients. Tour operators profit by buying services from service providers at a discounted rate and selling them to clients at a higher price.

Mass tourism has led to the growth of travel agents and tour operators. They have become essential players in the tourism industry, providing clients with a wide range of services. They have also contributed to the growth of the tourism industry by promoting tourism destinations and creating new tourism products.

One of the main advantages of using travel agents and tour operators is convenience. They provide a one-stop shop for all travel-related services, making it easy for clients to plan their holidays. They also offer expert advice on travel destinations and provide assistance in case of any problems during the trip.

However, there are also some disadvantages to using travel agents and tour operators. One of the main disadvantages is the cost. Travel agents and tour operators charge a commission for their services, which can add up to a significant amount. Moreover, some travel agents and tour operators may not provide accurate information or may misrepresent the services they offer.

In conclusion, travel agents and tour operators are essential players in the mass tourism industry. They provide clients with a wide range of services, including packaged tours, flights, accommodation, and other travel-related services. While they offer convenience and expert advice, they also have disadvantages, such as cost and potential misrepresentation of services.

Environmental Concerns

Mass tourism has been associated with a wide range of environmental concerns. One of the most significant environmental concerns is the impact of tourism on the natural environment. The increase in tourist activities has resulted in a higher demand for natural resources, such as water, energy, and land. This has led to the degradation of natural habitats, deforestation, and soil erosion in some areas.

Another environmental concern is the amount of waste generated by mass tourism. Tourists generate significant waste, including plastic bottles, food packaging, and disposable items. This waste often ends up in landfills or littered in the environment, leading to pollution and negative impacts on wildlife.

Sustainable travel is an approach that seeks to minimize the negative impact of tourism on the environment. This includes promoting green tourism practices, such as using renewable energy sources, reducing waste, and conserving natural resources. Sustainable travel also involves educating tourists about the importance of responsible tourism practices and encouraging them to participate in environmentally friendly activities.

Carrying capacity is another important concept in mass tourism. It refers to the maximum number of tourists a destination can accommodate without causing negative impacts on the environment. When the number of tourists exceeds the carrying capacity of a destination, it can lead to overcrowding, pollution, and damage to natural habitats.

Finally, carbon emissions associated with transportation and accommodation significantly contribute to climate change. Mass tourism is responsible for significant carbon emissions contributing to global warming. Sustainable travel practices, such as using public transportation, choosing eco-friendly accommodations, and offsetting carbon emissions, can help reduce the impact of tourism on climate change.

Future of Mass Tourism

Mass tourism has been a significant contributor to the global economy for decades. However, recent events have highlighted the need for a more sustainable and responsible approach to tourism. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant decline in mass tourism, leading to the closure of many businesses and job losses. The future of mass tourism is uncertain, and it will likely require significant changes to adapt to the new reality.

One of the most significant challenges facing mass tourism is sustainability. The industry significantly impacts the environment, and there is a growing awareness of the need to reduce this impact. Governments and tourism organizations increasingly focus on sustainable tourism practices, such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and protecting natural resources. The future of mass tourism will depend on its ability to adapt to these new practices and become more sustainable.

Another challenge facing mass tourism is the changing preferences of travellers. Many people are now looking for more authentic and immersive travel experiences rather than traditional mass tourism offerings. This trend will likely continue, and mass tourism must adapt to meet these changing preferences.

Technology is also likely to play a significant role in the future of mass tourism. Advances in technology are making travel more accessible and convenient, and this trend will likely continue. For example, virtual reality technology is already used to provide immersive travel experiences, which will likely become more widespread.

In conclusion, the future of mass tourism is uncertain, but it is clear that significant changes will be required to adapt to the new reality. Sustainability, changing traveller preferences, and technology will likely be the key drivers of change in the industry. The industry’s challenge will be adapting to these changes while continuing to provide high-quality travel experiences for its customers.

In conclusion, mass tourism is a significant part of the tourism industry, associated with package holidays, popular tourist attractions, and well-known resorts. However, the growth of mass tourism has led to several challenges, including over-tourism, environmental degradation, and cultural homogenization.

The future of mass tourism is uncertain, with several factors influencing its growth and development. The rise of sustainable tourism, technological advancements, and changing consumer preferences will likely impact mass tourism’s future.

Despite the challenges, mass tourism continues to provide economic benefits to many destinations. However, balancing economic benefits with environmental and social sustainability is essential to ensure the industry’s long-term viability.

Overall, the future of mass tourism is complex and multifaceted, with several challenges and opportunities. It is crucial to adopt a holistic approach to tourism development, taking into account the economic, social, and environmental impacts of mass tourism.

Debating Matters

sixth-form debating competition

Tourism benefits the world

View a PDF version of this topic guide here .

INTRODUCTION

Tourism has traditionally been seen as a way of showing appreciation for different places, peoples and cultures, but mounting fears about the impact of mass tourism have led many to question whether tourists are actually ruining the places they love. A debate about the effects of tourism on tourist destinations has been going on for some time [Ref:  Telegraph ], leading to the rise of related ideas like ethical tourism [Ref:  Tourism Concern ] or eco-tourism [Ref:   International Ecotourism Society ].

Most recently, there has been a renewed focus on the impact that tourism has on major or historic cities. Scottish authors Ian Rankin [Ref:  Times ] and Val McDermid [Ref:  Edinburgh News ] have clashed on whether tourism is ‘killing’ Edinburgh. Barcelona is widely considered to have been ‘ruined’ by tourism [Ref:  The Guardian ], and Venice has considered taking radical steps including banning sitting down in key areas to alleviate the supposed problems of overtourism [Ref:  Telegraph ]. Moreover, the short-stay rental service Airbnb – used by many tourists – has been accused of driving up rents for locals, turning residential areas into unofficial hotels [Ref:  BBC ] and even robbing cities of their individuality [Ref:  The Verge ].

There has, however, been a backlash against the war on tourism, with renewed arguments for the economic and social benefits tourism brings. Critics detect snobbery against mass tourism, moral posturing and hypocrisy, with people bemoaning the effects of tourism while continuing to take full advantage of its many benefits. They ask on what basis people claim a right to tell others how to enjoy themselves. The overall impact of tourism therefore needs to be reassessed, and the question remains: is the holiday over for mass tourism?

DEBATE IN CONTEXT

This section provides a summary of the key issues in the debate, set in the context of recent discussions and the competing positions that have been adopted.

Does tourism ruin cities?  From the time that the father of mass tourism, Thomas Cook, organised the world’s first package tour in 1841, tourism has been more than the preserve of a privileged few [Ref:  Wikipedia ]. The postwar expansion of air travel started the era of international mass tourism, which today, with the increase in cheap flights, includes many more short breaks alongside annual summer holidays. Ever since this expansion, critics have accused masses of tourists of destroying picturesque towns and cities by littering and drinking but also by replacing businesses aimed at local needs with kitschy tourist-traps and foreign restaurants [Ref:  Independent ]. But has there always been an elitist undercurrent in such criticisms? [Ref:   Stuff Magazine ]. The same papers that carry criticisms of mass-tourism [Ref:  Guardian ] carry articles on the next ‘unspoilt’ destination for middle-class travellers to visit [Ref:  Guardian ]. Moreover, the criticism of mass-tourism and chain hotels has directly fed the popularity of Airbnb and the image of ‘living like a local’, the very thing critics are now decrying. But, when concerns about tourism come from locals, is it not wiser to listen?

Do the economic benefits outweigh the costs? Tourism is the world’s largest industry, a vitally important source of rapid development for many small developing countries [Ref:  Financial Times ], and a lifeline for those hit by crises [Ref:  NYT ]. However, many are concerned that money goes to companies abroad rather than local people [Ref:  Guardian ]. One side points to the benefits from employment and associated opportunities for small family businesses like cafes and handicrafts [Ref:  Medium ], while the other points to foreign companies creating resorts or excluding locals.

Does tourism damage or improve the environment? Environmentalists argue flying is the fastest growing cause of climate change, although it is currently responsible for only three per cent of global greenhouse-gas emissions [Ref:  The Conversation ]. There are calls, often successful, for increased taxes on aviation to discourage flying [Ref:   Financial Times ]. Budget airlines are a focus of criticism, but they argue that they are more efficient than other carriers. Furthermore, whilst the economic effects of tourism are benefiting historical sites and areas of natural beauty, the dramatic – and often unchecked – rise in the number of tourists goes hand in hand with increased damage, conservation and restoration issues, and the destruction of a way of life for ordinary people.

Whose city is it anyway? Locals in high tourism areas often feel that their city has been overrun by tourists who don’t care about local culture, but are more concerned with getting a selfie in front of a famous landmark [Ref:  Guardian ] or gaining the credibility on instagram from being seen in trendy Berlin clubs or Norwegian mountains [Ref:  Spiegel ;   National Geographic ]. Moreover, locals feel their rents are increasing and neighbourhoods are changing because of Airbnb [Ref:  Curbed ]. In response, they have organised protests and campaigned for new laws [Ref:  Guardian ]. Many cities now have restrictions on Airbnb [Ref:  BBC ], and Amsterdam is seeking to restrict the sale of marijuana to tourists in response to locals’ complaints about stoned and disoriented tourists [Ref:  Travel and Leisure ] . Yet, many locals feel that restrictions on tourists are restrictions on their own freedom: in Venice, locals organised a guerrilla campaign to destroy barriers and checkpoints designed to keep tourists to designated areas, saying that they ‘own the city, not the mayor or tourists’ [Ref:  Independent ].

Should we travel less?  After years of demonisation, travel seems very much to be in vogue again. Being ‘well travelled’ is social currency in an interconnected world that values cosmopolitanism, yet when such status is as much about avoiding ‘touristy’ areas or being seen in the ‘right’ cities like trendy Berlin [Ref:  NYMag ]  as it is about valuing travel as such [Ref:  CNN ], we are hardly seeing a defence of mass tourism. At any rate, it is relatively rare to see tourism defended on traditional terms such as the value of experiencing new cultures and engaging with great works of world civilisation [Ref:  NYT ]. Nonetheless, environmental concerns have not gone away, and even if Tourism Concern, the leading ethical tourism charity, was forced to close from a lack of donations [Ref:  Guardian ], people are increasingly mindful of being a ‘good tourist’. Moreover, global tourist numbers are due to increase exponentially as more people in the global south become able to afford to see the world [Ref:  Telegraph ]. Will these increased numbers be harmful, or should we celebrate the expansion of travel?

ESSENTIAL READING

It is crucial for debaters to have read the articles in this section, which provide essential information and arguments for and against the debate motion. Students will be expected to have additional evidence and examples derived from independent research, but they can expect to be criticised if they lack a basic familiarity with the issues raised in the essential reading.

Airbnb in Berlin Airbnb Airbnb 5 December 2018

In defense of tourism Peter Jon Lindberg Peter Jon Lindberg 3 September 2018

Anti-tourism gets ugly Jim Butcher Spiked 22 August 2018

In defense of being a tourist Lilit Marcus CNN 19 July 2017

Dear ‘Citizens of nowhere’ you are not alone James Shackell  The Journal 18 January 2017

In defense of the three-week vacation Jynne Dilling New York Times 9 June 2016

When climate change is the reality, our grandchildren will look back in horror at how we travel Greg Dickinson The Telegraph 30 August 2018

Residents in tourism hotspots have had enough. So what’s the answer? Elle Hunt The Guardian 9 July 2018

I don’t mean to ruin your holiday, but Europe hates tourists – and with good reason Suzanne Moore The Guardian 16 August 2017

Airbnb vs. the city Megan Barber Curbed 10 November 2016

Welcome to airspace Kyle Chayka The Verge 3 August 2016

Six reasons why mass tourism is unsustainable Anna Pollock The Guardian 23 August 2013

A timeline of overtourism: key moments in the global battle between locals and travellers Greg Dickinson The Telegraph 5 May 2019

How Berlin is fighting back against growing anti-tourist feeling in the city Oliver Stallwood The Guardian 4 December 2018

Venice locals tear down turnstiles amid fury after they are segregated from tourists Julia Bucley Independent 29 April 2018

Living Next Door to Tourism in Berlin Various DW 22 November 2017

First Venice and Barcelona: now anti-tourism marches spread across Europe Will Coldwell The Guardian 10 August 2017

In Berlin, a Grass-Roots Fight Against Gentrification as Rents Soar Charly Wilder New York Times 18 March 2017

Here’s exactly what Airbnb does to rent in popular cities Jim Edwards Business Insider 20 October 2016

How have our travel habits changed over the past 50 years? Colin Pooley The Conversation 21 October 2015

Definitions of key concepts that are crucial for understanding the topic. Students should be familiar with these terms and the different ways in which they are used and interpreted and should be prepared to explain their significance.

A history of package holidays Adam Lusher Independent 8 June 2015

BACKGROUNDERS

Useful websites and materials that provide a good starting point for research.

Thomas Cook Wikipedia 14 November 2018

Ghana after aid Various authors Financial Times 8 October 2018

‘Overtourism’ Is driving europeans crazy Jessica Loudis The Nation 12 September 2018

Your choice of holiday destination is a political act Brendan Canavan The Independent 6 August 2018

The backlash against Airbnb Charlemagne The Economist 19 July 2018

The holiday destinations that are saving the planet Oliver Smith The Telegraph 5 June 2018

Traveller vs tourist: The worst thing about being a travel snob Ben Groundwater Stuff Magazine 22 May 2018

Tourism creates thorny ethical dilemmas: isn’t that the point? Akshat Rathi Quartzy 12 April 2018

I did nothing all over the world Kate Manser Medium 5 March 2018

In defence of the ‘tourist trail’ Jessica Lee Lonely Planet 18 February 2018

Does your holiday pass the human rights test? Rebecca Seales BBC 7 February 2018

The ‘new’ Gap Year: Is it worth it, and what should I do during my year before university? Flora Carr The Telegraph 16 August 2017

Ethical Tourism and travelling off the beaten path Tobias Roberts HuffPost 6 July 2017

In Defense Of Chinese Tour Groups Panpan Wang Huffington Post 2 May 2017

It’s time to wake up to the devastating impact flying has on the environment Roger Tyers The Conversation 17 January 2017

No, tourism is not an act of ‘white privilege’ Jim Butcher Spiked 29 September 2016

IN THE NEWS

Relevant recent news stories from a variety of sources, which ensure students have an up to date awareness of the state of the debate.

Majority of residents in favour of tourists Various Visit Reykjavik 5 November 2018

Almost half of UK holidaymakers want tourism tax – survey Various ITV 4 November 2018

Leading ethical tourism charity forced to close Antonia Wilson The Guardian 28 September 2018

Will you soon have to pay a tourist tax to visit the Scottish Highlands? Greg Dickinson The Telegraph 27 September 2018

How is overtourism impacting travel to popular destinations? Johnny Jet Forbes 20 August 2018

Selfies and sweat stains: bad holidays and bored tourists – in pictures Laurence Stephens The Guardian 31 July 2018

Airbnb Drives Up Rent Costs in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Report Says Luis Ferré-Sadurní New York Times 3 May 2018

The Netherlands isn’t as weed-friendly as it used to be Natasha Bach Fortune 17 April 2018

The unstoppable rise of the Chinese traveller – where are they going and what does it mean for overt Oliver Smith The Telegraph 11 April 2018

Cancún: from tourist beach paradise to hotbed of Mexico’s drug violence David Agren The Guardian 14 March 2018

12 destinations travellers might want to avoid in 2018 Joe Minihane CNN 3 February 2018

Where to go on holiday in 2018 – the hotlist Various The Guardian 6 January 2018

Tourists have turned Oxford into ‘hell’, locals claim Natalie Paris The Telegraph 8 August 2017

‘Tourism kills neighbourhoods’: how do we save cities from the city break? Elle Hunt The Guardian 4 August 2017

Stats: millennials 5x more well-traveled than their grandparents Various Travel Agent Central 27 July 2017

Why Amsterdam’s coffeeshops are closing Various The Economist 10 January 2017

Airbnb faces worldwide opposition. It plans a movement to rise up in its defence Shane Hickey and Franki Cookney The Guardian 29 October 2016

High Line neighbours hate “High Line tourists” Garth Johnston Gothamist 24 May 2016

Barcelona declares war on stag and hen party binge drinkers with ban on Happy Hour Telegraph 15 October 2009

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

The big idea: is tourism bad for us?

Wanderlust may be surging once more – but will travel really help us find what we’re looking for?

I n 2019, the United Nations World Tourism Organization reported that international travel had increased to a record 1.4 billion tourist arrivals. It predicted a 3% to 4% annual increase in coming years. That didn’t happen, of course. At the end of 2021, international tourist arrivals were 72% below pre-pandemic levels with 1 billion fewer arrivals than two years earlier.

This is despite airlines’ ingenuity. During Australian lockdown, Qantas organised flights to nowhere: one left Sydney for a fly-by tour of Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru; another in May last year took passengers to 43,000ft to see the blood-red supermoon.

According to UNWTO’s executive director, Zoritsa Urosevic, tourism has been the sector hit hardest by Covid-19 and, while countries such as China were able to switch to domestic tourism, smaller nations such as Fiji, where tourism represents between 40% and 70% of GDP , fared far worse. The pandemic put an estimated 120m tourism jobs at risk .

The organisation reckons that by 2024 international tourism will have returned to pre-pandemic levels . Surely that is a good thing. “There hasn’t been a war in Europe for 50 years because they’re all too busy flying on Ryanair,” the airline’s Michael O’Leary once told me. “I should get the Nobel peace prize – screw Bono.”

If Covid’s impact ameliorates as hoped, it will be replaced by a new virus – wanderlust. Millennials, according to one survey , would rather travel than have sex – and not only because they’re probably doing the latter wrong.

Great Britain’s tourist board, VisitBritain, makes a strong economic case for tourism: its impact is amplified through the economy because for every £1,000 generated in direct tourism, a further £1,800 arises thanks to supply chain and consumer spending. In that context, it is not just our pleasure but our duty to help out Britain’s beleaguered Basil Fawltys and their Fijian equivalents.

But the value of tourism, like sex, depends on how you do it. Cruise ships generate 21,000 gallons of sewage per day per vessel, much of it ending up in the sea. In 2019, transport-related emissions from tourism were responsible for 5% of human-made global carbon dioxide emissions, according to UNWTO.

The planet-despoiling propensities of tourism were poignantly captured in the New York Times’s list of 52 Places to Visit in 2020. One of them, Louisiana’s Grand Isle, faces one of the world’s highest rates of relative sea level rise. “Does a place appear more hauntingly beautiful when you know it’s disappearing?” asked the NYT’s writer, seemingly unaware that encouraging tourism to the seven mile long barrier island might hasten its vanishing into the Gulf of Mexico. Another entry suggested that “with that mile-thick ice sheet melting fast, and two new international airports slated to open in 2023, the time to explore an untrammelled, intact Greenland is now”.

True, sustainable tourism is a growing phenomenon but, arguably, it heals the planet only in the way putting a plaster over a gunshot wound does. Ecotourism in 2019 represented just over 2% of the whole sector: the former was valued at $181.1bn (£133bn), while in the same year tourism as a whole was worth nearly $9tn , according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Furthermore, there are discrepancies between what tourists say and what they do. According to a recent survey by Elegant Resorts, 99% of the luxury operator’s customers said sustainable travel was important to them. But the company also noted that there had been a huge increase in inquiries about private jets, perhaps prompted by grisly airport and in-flight experiences.

Less well established is what tourism risks doing, not to balances of payments and the planet, but to our souls. Today, in what Marshall McLuhan called our global village, tourism is not what it was. Food from around the world can be brought to your door, and you can engage in all kinds of cultural appropriation and virtual tourism without leaving the comfort of your home. Microsoft’s slogan, “Where do you want to go today?”, typifies how practically all human activity takes place in a hyperculture in which the world has been reduced to goods in a supermarket of experiences, all readily consumable and disposable. In that context, tourism risks not so much broadening the mind as narrowing it.

This, at least, is the suggestion of a newly translated book called Hyperculture . In it, the Korean-German philosopher Byung-Chul Han argues there is no longer any real difference between indigenous and foreign, near and far. Travel used to uproot us valuably from our own soil and confront us with the other. Consider what made pilgrims put on their travelling shoes. “He or she is not completely at home Here, and so goes to a special There,” he writes. The first tourists, Han suggests, were similar to pilgrims in that they were seeking the mind-expanding shock of the new.

What makes today’s tourists different from previous travellers, Han says, is that globalisation creates what he calls a “global Here by de-distancing and de-siting the There”. We don’t really go from Here to There when we travel any more, he argues. We are 21st-century J Alfred Prufrocks. While TS Eliot’s Prufrock measured out his life in coffee spoons, today’s hypercultural tourists can map their holidays through visits to identikit Starbucks in ostensibly exotic locales. Tourism is attractive because it underwrites a desire that, when we go overseas, stuff doesn’t get too strange, risky or foreign. Increasingly, we travel not to decentre our worldviews or challenge our sensibilities, but to chillax and populate our Instagrams.

In Human, All Too Human, Friedrich Nietzsche foresaw today’s itchy feet: “The less men are bound by their tradition, the greater the internal stirring of motives; the greater, accordingly, the external unrest, the whirling flow of men, the polyphony of strivings.”

As fear of Covid fades, air miles are likely to be racked up exponentially. The impulse to seek new horizons is understandable after so long cooped up – but as we queue miserably in non-EU lines to fly to social-media friendly destinations, will we really be rewarded with what we’re presumably seeking: reinvigoration, and a change of mind?

Nature, too, which has been recuperating from the impact of humanity’s carbon footprint for two years, is poised to be despoiled anew. French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote: “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” He had a point.

Further reading

The Meaning of Travel : Philosophers Abroad by Emily Thomas (Oxford University Press, £14.99)

Overtourism : Lessons for a Better Future by Martha Honey and Kelsey Frenkiel (Island Press, £28)

Hyperculture : Culture and Globalisation by Byung-Chul Han (Polity, £12.99)

• Society books
• The big idea
• Globalisation
• Friedrich Nietzsche
• Science and nature books
• Travel writing
• Philosophy books

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Does Tourism Help or Harm? A Look at Economics, Ecology, and Neocolonialism

12/05/2021 by Kristin Addis 11 Comments

Hey friends, this has been a long time coming.

I started writing this article several times, beginning four years ago. And each time I’ve asked myself:

“Who am I to talk about this?

It’s too controversial. It’s weird coming from someone who is very much part of the global privileged. How is this going to come off. Am I just inviting scrutiny?”

And yet here we are.

Because as I’ve traveled to over 60 countries, in many cases staying a while and moving slowly, I’ve come to notice things that put my past self to shame, that make me realize I didn’t see my privilege for most of my life (and in many ways still don’t), that make me question if widespread colonization has ended at all. Most of all, I wonder if tourism is really good for people or not.

With 1.5 billion recorded global arrivals in 2019, causing tourism to outpace the global economy, now more than ever, we have to talk about the impacts it has on our world. Because as we so painfully learned in 2020, what happens in one corner of the world will, eventually, affect everyone. 

This post is the product of years of research — of all the times I started and stopped writing this, trying to tackle the question,

Does tourism help or harm?

Table of Contents

The Good of Tourism

Throughout my research, I’ve found countless examples of the good tourism has done. When manta ray and diving tourism outearns practices like dynamite fishing in Komodo, this preserves essential reef systems. When climate change hits arid places like Ethiopia, tourism provides a way of earning and living that doesn’t degrade the environment further, at least not directly. Tourism creates an economy that doesn’t depend on exploiting natural resources and manufacturing — when done right.

Job creation and poverty alleviation

In many places, tourism has trumped international aid in terms of wealth transfer from the rich directly to the poor. And let’s be honest, it’s a lot more empowering than aid and handouts.

Tourism, at least in 2012, was “either the number one or number two export earnings for 20 of the 48 least developed countries, including Tanzania and Samoa.”

According to UNESCO, sustainable tourism, which it defines as respecting “both local people and the traveler, cultural heritage and the environment” provides these benefits:

• Tourism can be directly taxed, creating the necessary funds for improving infrastructure, education, and health on the ground.
• Locally owned microenterprises run by the poor serve as a benefit, as tourists buy a wide variety of goods and services.
• Sustainable tourism leads to employment diversification on a local level, which reduces the vulnerability of the poor.
• The tourism industry employs a high proportion of individuals under 25. As a result, youth gain access to higher earnings and better opportunities through sustainable tourism.
• And tourism provides jobs to people with little to no formal training (via The Borgen Project ).

Wildlife preservation

In 2013 I sat in a small room on the island of Flores, Indonesia, while a proud dive master from my liveaboard shared that Komodo Island had been named a manta sanctuary. This followed the establishment of the first shark and ray sanctuary in the Coral Triangle the year prior by the government of Raja Ampat , another popular diving area in Indonesia.

Each year, the illegal wildlife trade is worth at least $23 billion. Many of these illegally harvested animal parts, both from mantas and African wildlife, are used in “medicinal” products abroad. 

The group Manta Watch and local dive operators were able to prove that a live manta ray is worth 2,000 times more than its value as a dead “medicinal product.” 

Wildlife tourism outpaces these earnings in many places around the world, providing good jobs for locals who would otherwise have fewer earning opportunities.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council , “while the travel tourism sector accounts for 10.4% of global GDP, wildlife tourism represents 3.9% of this figure, or $343.6 billion, a figure equivalent to the entire GDP of South Africa or Hong Kong. Of equal significance is the fact that around the world, 21.8 million jobs, or 6.8% of total jobs sustained by global travel and tourism in 2018, can be attributed to wildlife.”

For example, in Tanzania — home to the great wildebeest migration, Mount Kilimanjaro, the beaches of Zanzibar, and the ecologically rich and diverse Ngorongoro Crater — tourism accounts for over 11% of its GDP and employs roughly 2.3 million people. Protected areas equate to one-third of the country’s total area. Roughly 46% of international tourists to Tanzania experience a wildlife activity, and 26% enjoy a beach holiday.

We could fill the pages of book after book with examples like this, where tourism has helped preserve land, animals, and areas of historical significance for the enjoyment of present and future generations.

The rise of ecotourism

Wildlife-related tourism isn’t the only means of protecting the environment while providing jobs. The ecotourism sector is growing, and rapidly — at an estimated 5% year over year — driven mostly by millennial travelers.

But ecotourism is not just about washing fewer towels. It’s about providing experiences that complement the local community and ecology; providing opportunities that do not take money out of the community; keeping green practices in mind regarding energy, food sourcing, and tourism experiences; and empowering the local community to co-create tourism in ways that benefit them , not foreign interests.

According to Mandala Research , a women-run consultancy focused on corporate social responsibility, sustainability-minded tourists are more likely to stay in a destination longer, spend more money, and buy locally.

This type of travel experience isn’t always easy to find, but with a little extra research, they’re available all over the world (this is what we offer with our whale swim trip in French Polynesia).

Ecotourism is a way of providing travel experiences that have a minimal impact on the environment while empowering local people who may otherwise have to exploit natural resources to survive.

The question we always have to ask ourselves is, if not tourism, what else would these economies run on? The largest economic activities in the world are industrial manufacturing (32%) and chemical production (12%). By comparison, tourism is a much better alternative.

The advancement of women

Tourism provides one of the most essential opportunities for female empowerment, particularly in the developing world.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization , women make up the majority of the world’s tourism workforce.

That said, they’re often in the “lowest-paid and lowest-status jobs in tourism, and perform a large amount of unpaid work in family tourism businesses.”

But when women have choices, the birth rate goes down, putting less pressure on already diminishing natural resources. When women have more financial inclusion, more education, and more opportunities, society benefits.

According to the 2013-14 Education for All Global Monitoring Report , in Pakistan, working women with high levels of literacy skills earned 95% more than women with weak or no literacy skills, whereas the differential was only 33% among men. Educated women are empowered to take a greater economic role in their families and communities, and they tend to reinvest 90% of what they earn into their communities.

Tourism can empower women to step into leadership roles they deserve, like Maggie Duncan Simbeye, the first Tanzanian woman to own and operate her own tour company. Or like Natajia Miller, who runs the hotel and tour company I worked with in the Bahamas that her mother founded.

When we combine education, job opportunities in tourism, and making women the priority, we have a greater chance of positively impacting the communities we travel in, when done right.

But it’s not always done right, and we often have the good mixed in with the bad.

The Ugly of Tourism

For every example of the good the tourism does, we can often find a more crushing, visceral example of where it has done irreparable harm. We can’t only focus on the good, we have to confront the bad parts of tourism as well, the ugly parts that disenfranchise locals, degrade the environment, and perpetuate colonial norms, beginning with the crushing reality that most of the time, the money leaves.

Economic leakage

Continuing with my Indonesia examples, a few years ago I joined a liveaboard diving ship in Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. This is regularly regarded as one of the best places to dive in the world, and I still remember it as one of my most amazing trips to date.

But the boat was foreign-owned, and the staff on the boat were not from Raja Ampat, but rather from other parts of Indonesia. I even heard the Javanese driver refer to the locals as “curly heads”, and found out later that there’s a genocide happening in West Papua . How did I visit and not even know? How is this not international news?

Little by little I realized that while we did buy fish from the local fishermen, and I bought a coconut from a local woman, most of the money spent by the foreigners on the ship did not remain in the area, or even in Indonesia. It hurts me to realize this, but it did not benefit the locals much, if at all.

My experience was not unique. A 2013 report from the UNWTO noted that just $5 of every $100 spent in a developing country stayed in that destination – this is known as economic leakage.

We live in a world that is becoming more and more globalized. It’s easy to become a Marriott member and always stay in Marriott-owned hotels, or to favor the Hilton because it’s familiar, or to stay in an Airbnb that is rented out by a foreigner, effectively driving up rent prices for locals.

The problem? Most of the money leaves the country, doing very little to empower locals while taxing their ecology, using their limited water resources, generating trash in places that are often ill-equipped to handle it, and more.

All-inclusive horrors

All inclusive vacations sound pretty good. You get all of your food, drinks, entertainment, and accommodation included for one price. Your hand is held from landing to takeoff and you don’t have to think about anything. These are common all over the Caribbean, and I was even hired to promote a Spanish-owned one in Mexico’s Riviera Maya and (accidentally) stayed in one in Cabo San Lucas this past October.

What I found strange about both is that Mexican food was never on the menu. It made me wonder how much had to be shipped in when so much could have been sourced locally. The property in Cabo also offered a “Mexican night” with stalls selling Mexican souvenirs instead of encouraging guests to visit a local market to get the real experience for much cheaper and with more direct wealth transfer to locals.

But this is typical. Most all-inclusive guests never leave the resort or spend money locally.

In a 2014 survey of 500,000 tourists by Tourism Concern , fewer than 20% of respondents who had been on an all inclusive regularly left the resort to visit other bars, restaurants or excursions.

But what about jobs for locals? The study additionally found that wages were often lower and working conditions worse at all inclusives where they conducted studies in Tenerife, Kenya, and Barbados.

The other issue is the rampant waste and bigger-is-better mentality at large, all-inclusive resorts. These are often major users of the power grid, major plastic waste contributors, and since everything is ‘free’, people often waste food at all-inclusive resorts more than they would at a restaurant or at home.

And where does this food come from? If you stay at a resort in Jamaica or the Bahamas, you’re eating food from Florida. It’s worth looking at what’s in the gift shop, too, because it’s typically brands from home that tourists trust and prefer, rather than local options.

The power of all inclusive hotels makes it difficult to mitigate these issues. In the Gambia , all inclusive hotels wield so much power that when the government tried to ban them, tour operators threatened to take their business elsewhere, enforcing the cycle of leakage.

Locals get priced out of their homes

Look at any beach destination and you’re likely to see that most of the best real estate is taken up by vacation homes and beachfront hotels.

Without laws that keep generational property within the family, property taxes make it difficult for locals to hold onto beachfront real estate, because it is based on the value of the land, which goes up with the increase in tourism and foreign investment.

This can be seen all over the world, where locals can no longer afford to live where they grew up.

From Barcelona to New York, New Zealand to Italy, the “Airbnb Effect” doesn’t just impact the developing world, but the places many tourists call home as well.

This is a bitter pill to swallow, because many of us turned to Airbnb for a more local experience than a hotel can offer, hoping that we were supporting locals this way. And maybe in the beginning we were.

Many locals in the places we love to travel do not want any tourism because for many, it has just made life harder and degraded the environment.

Environmental degradation

In 2019, Boracay in the Philippines had just reopened to tourism after 6 months of closure to clean up and allow natural areas to recover, but with new regulations.

The year prior, 1.7 million people had visited Boracay, one of 7000 islands in the Philippines. Tourism grew so quickly and without regulation in the years leading up to the closure, that sewage was pumped directly back out to the sea, overfishing decimated 90% of the coral reefs, and the mangroves that once provided a buffer for tropical storms were drained and built upon. Like many similar stories, locals were undercut by outsiders and watched helplessly as their island became a nightmare.

As many places like Boracay become famous and more accessible, and as tourism numbers swell worldwide, natural areas are receiving the kind of visitor influx that pushes them to the brink.

In the US National Park system, the most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains, received 12.1 million visitors in 2020 and overall national park visits topped 327 million in 2019 , up from 281 million in 1986 and 6 million in 1960, a mere two generations prior. This increased tourism leads to land degradation, air and noise pollution, littering, trampling and the alteration of fragile ecosystems .

In Thailand, 77% of the total of 238.4 square kilometers of coral reefs in all of Thailand’s waters have been devastated, according to Thon Thamrongnawasawat , deputy dean of the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, who blames beachfront hotels, anchoring, and plastic rubbish dumping as the main causes.

Like the positive instances of land and habitat preservation noted earlier, we could fill the pages of books with examples like these as well.

Tourism contributes to climate change

While tourism provides earning opportunities in areas where climate change has made the usual ways of life more difficult, it also contributes to climate change. 

Emissions from tourism-related activities are estimated to contribute 7% to global emissions. According to UNWTO/ITF’s latest research , CO 2 emissions from tourism are forecast to increase at least by 25% by 2030. However, to reduce emissions in accordance with the Paris Accord, global emissions need to decrease by at least 7% per year throughout the next decade, which, globally, we are not on track for.

Realistically, travel makes up a small amount of global emissions, and even if everyone were to stop traveling, it would not be enough. It would also harm some of the world’s most vulnerable people and places who have come to rely on tourism, as we’ve seen in 2020.

Travel also helps people to see the degradation of the planet. Personally, I didn’t truly understand the urgency until traveling the world, and being told by every single person I talked to that they once had abundance that now is dwindling, from the sushi fish of Japan, to the animals of Southeast Asia, to the reliable seasons of Patagonia. Everywhere I go, the story is always the same: things are changing — and it is not for the better.

In many ways, traveling helps educate people about the world and its cultures and helps us to care more about what happens to it, because we have seen beyond our own borders. But is it enough? Is it too little too late?

Perpetuating colonial norms

Traveling along what they call the ‘banana pancake’ trail in Southeast Asia in my 20s was a defining part of my life. I met people from all over the world, but now that I think about it, I met them from all over the “white” world. I met them from privileged countries like my own where young people can save up and travel long-term because these countries are so much cheaper than our own.

I did stay in a lot of locally owned hostels and I did mostly eat food that I bought directly from street vendors, but when it comes down to it, I rarely met local travelers or got to engage with and hang out with Thai or Cambodian people. It happened from time to time and I relished the opportunity, but for the most part, it was in a service-oriented situation where we both played a role – the server and the customer.

But I’ll be honest with you, I hardly even noticed this. I didn’t think about the places where local people lived. I didn’t seek them out or wonder if they were much different than the accommodation that I was in, which was the most basic I have ever stayed in my life. And yet most of theirs is even more basic, often without running water.

I didn’t think about if my presence was good or bad.

But it started to click when I traveled to southern Africa for the first time in 2015. It clicked when safari camps could run thousands of dollars per night while black locals slept in corrugated metal shacks. How could there be so much wealth and so much lack of it present at the same time? It started to click when the black clerk helping us push a cart out of the grocery store in Namibia got the full pat down while the guard barely glanced at me. It clicked when one of the “activities” offered by a backpackers in Zambia was an afternoon “volunteering” with local kids. What were they really doing? Pimping kids out for tourist photos? 

Tourism and Neo-Colonialism

This is the point in the article where I have frequently stopped writing. Where I have questioned who I am to talk about this, and have been certain I would say or do something wrong, or that something I did in the past would suddenly not age well.

But the truth is we all have to look at the way that privilege and tourism go hand-in-hand, and the ways that we may have perpetuated it, been complicit in it, and benefitted from it.

Colonialism is not over

For me the wake up point was in a taxi in Uganda. It’s a long drive from the airport to Kampala, so the driver and I had a while to chat. He wanted me to give him pointers on how to marry a muzungu (white) woman. I asked him why that’s what he wanted, and he shared it would be his way to come up in the world.

Why wouldn’t this be his misconception? Most of the white people he’s seen his whole life have money. Even backpackers traveling on a shoe-string budget are comparatively privileged just for the ability to afford a plane ticket and time that is not spent in a relentless pursuit of earning a livable wage. And, realistically, most of the hotels and big businesses are still owned and run by former colonizers, whose profits exit the country. Working in these establishments requires learning English and adapting to western norms. I can see how it would be easy to feel like the only way to ascend is to be a part of the western world. 

Meanwhile stories about ‘Africa’ are too often about the white messiah who comes in to ‘help’, perpetuating the myth that ‘Africa’ needs saving and little white girls and boys can come in and fix it during a volunteer trip. Colonization is not over, it’s just economic now.

The words of Reni Eddo-Lodge in Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race , stand out: “Neutral is white. The default is white. Because we are born into an already written script that tells us what to expect from strangers due to their skin color, accents and social status, the whole of humanity is coded as white. Blackness, however, is considered the “other” and therefore to be suspected.” I see this play out in the way that I am treated as a white foreigner, in comparison to a local POC.

Much of the perpetual stereotypes of ‘Africa’ are that it is poor and dangerous, despite the fact that many countries on the continent are rich in both minerals and biodiversity.  Indeed, the kicker is that the current powerful status of the west could not have been built without Africa’s riches. 

Whether or not we participated in historical systems of colonialization, exploitation and apartheid, western tourists, interpreted as having money and power, benefit from the power structures that were built over centuries. 

The sexualization and exploitation of local women

If you travel much in Southeast Asia, particularly Chiang Mai in Thailand, you will start to notice a breed of tourist called the ‘sexpat’. Is it disgusting? Are they just lonely old men who fill a role? I don’t really know or care, I’m just disturbed that this is even a thing, aren’t you?

In the same way, imagery of grass skirts and coconut shells on smiling Hawaiian women beckoned visitors to the islands. ‘I’m here for your enjoyment, I’m here for the taking’ was the implication.

Bani Amor writes “POC bodies, cultures, and lands are the exotic dominion of the settler […] From the Black Mammy trope to that of the Singapore Girl, Spicy Latina, Pocahontas, and China Doll, women of color are deemed to exist to serve the whims of the white settler, whether that be sexual or domestic.”

She goes on to paraphrase Mary Fillmore, who wrote, ‘A tourist destination is where men of one class can enjoy the privileges of men of another class, and women can enjoy the privileges of men. Someone else will cook their meals, make their beds, clean their toilets,’

‘The tourist’s desire is usually to be indulged like a child…being free to indulge one’s appetite at will, to play all day’, adding, “and have someone else (spoiler alert: WOC) clean up the mess. These host communities end up playing the role of the Mother to the infantilized tourist. There’s nothing feminist about taking selfies with Maasai women struggling to hold onto their dignity in the face of exploitative tourist practices—that’s some colonial Mammy shit.”

Travel has often been a means of the west exploiting the rest, and we don’t have to look very far to see that little has changed over the last couple hundred years in that regard.

What Can Be Done?

I’m not on any kind of soapbox sharing this. I make mistakes all the time.

But awareness is half the battle.

When we travel, we vote with our dollars. There are many incredible people out there who are working to empower their own communities, and supporting them is, I think, our duty as travelers. 

Traveling independently or choosing tour operators who care about empowering locals and minimizing our environmental impact are important steps. It’s not to say that foreign owned companies can’t have a good impact, and the more pressure we put on them to be socially responsible, the more that they will have to comply.

But when I travel now, I actively look for options that are locally-owned, that are eco-conscious, and that are run by women. Even if I do stay in a fancy, foreign-owned resort, which I honestly love to do from time to time, I seek to balance it out with local options, too. 

It’s up to us how we really want the future of travel to be. Travel has the power to unite the world, to pull people out of poverty, and empower women to be entrepreneurs. Traveling also has the power to enforce colonial norms, “other”ize people, and take advantage of them and their homes.

We all have to be aware. We have to think about who benefits from the money we spend, and more importantly, who does not. Traveling responsibly can take an incredible amount of research, but it’s essential.

Because the thing about a globalized world that allows so many of us to travel, is that we are all interconnected. We share the same oceans, the same air, and the same planet. We all want to feel that we have a home, we all want to love, to feel safe, to be respected, to have access to clean water and food, to have enough for us and our families. The truth is that when one part of the chain is broken, the circle cannot be complete.

And as someone who encourages others to travel and whose life and livelihood have depended on travel for the better part of the last decade, I couldn’t pretend that these uncomfortable truths don’t exist anymore. Thanks for reading this far. I’d love to know your thoughts, too.

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About Kristin Addis

Kristin Addis is the founder and CEO of Be My Travel Muse, a resource for female travelers all around the world since 2012. She's traveled solo to over 65 countries and has brought over 150 women on her all-female adventure tours from Botswana to the Alaskan tundra.

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Sandra Candel says

12/06/2021 at 10:04 am

THANK YOU for starting this important conversation. As you write in your piece, raising awareness, and having awareness, is an enormous first step. Being inspired by this post, I will begin planning my future travels following your approach of looking for 3 key elements: locally-owned, eco-conscious, and run by women. Another excellent point is perpetuating colonial norms, neocolonialism, and the sexualization of women and children. I remember on a trip to an island in the Philippines, I witnessed in horror how an older man (that looked in his 60s-70s) was out and about buying things for a young boy (that looked no more than 7-8 y.o). I remember thinking “where is this boy’s mother and why is he allowed to venture alone and unsupervised with this older man?” (I mean this with no judgement to the mother, just out of genuine concern). I remember thinking that because it felt like “grooming” behavior. Of course, I don’t have proof that was the case but the whole scenario seemed “off” and I have learned to trust my gut instinct. I was horrified at the thought that indeed, something could be happening to this boy and I was just a bystander, unable to do anything. I still wonder to this day, “What can I do in a situation like that? Who do I contact? How do I make sure the vulnerable person in the situation is safe?”

All of this to say, thank you for writing this piece. It totally left an impression and a renewed desire to travel with more awareness of my impact on the places I visit.

Kristin says

12/06/2021 at 11:35 am

Seeing the sex tourism with minors in Southeast Asia disgusts me as well. It is a crime in most of those men’s home countries, but I think it’s hard to prove and to know what to do in order to bring it to the right people quickly enough to get something done. Would the police do anything? I wonder…

Lisa Tyerman says

12/06/2021 at 10:49 am

Thanks for doing the research and putting time and effort into this article Kristen. Well done. I would love tips on finding accommodations and even specific places to travel, activities, etc that would fall under “the good” of tourism.

12/06/2021 at 11:33 am

That’s something I’m still trying to figure out myself. In French Polynesia I could tell by people’s names. Sometimes a hotel will proudly display that they are locally owned or female owned, and I think that searching specifically for eco lodges are a good idea as well. Also booking tours with people who grew up in the area and mention that they are ecologically-minded. Sometimes, you don’t know until you show up, and I’d love to dig more into how to find these places as well.

12/06/2021 at 4:53 pm

This is an issue that has weighed upon me since I was an activist in college and kept me hesitant to travel. Kristin has for years inspired me and for sure others to travel the world in a way that benefits the area being traveled. These principles in this post are principles she has lived by to the best if her ability and it is hard to do so as it is not always cut and dry. I am so happy she has elucidated all these thoughts in this nice, straight to the point post. I am glad she had the courage to finish this because it needs to be said and she has the travel experience to back it up. Also, thanks for mentioning the genocide crisis in West Papua. The first step in addressing this is to raise awareness and with your large audience you have done a great service. That would be neat if there was a quick guide to women only, eco-conscious, locally owned businesses or accommodation around the world in each country. That was a great idea to strive for by the other commenter although sounds difficult although I would never underestimate BMTM.

Daniel Christianson says

12/12/2021 at 5:14 pm

And yet, here we are. Great article, nicely written. Many who approach this subject seem to heavily favor one side or the other, it’s nice to see it all laid out.

Even in my limited travels I have witnessed at least small examples of many of the points made here, and I’ve seen plenty of travelers who sadly, will never notice a single one of them. We do vote for the type of world we want with every choice of how we spend our money. This is especially true in the world of travel.

A week into my first trip out of the country I came to the conclusion that spending time in the small surf towns, staying in the private rooms at hostels and eating at the local shops was incredibly more appealing than anything resembling a big chain hotel or resort. At that time my decision had little to do being economically responsible and doing what was right for the local community, for me it was all about the class of people I was surrounding myself with. And I still make that choice today.

12/14/2021 at 12:41 pm

Yep I’m with you. Sometimes making the simpler, more chilled out choice is the choice that benefits people the most and gives you the best interactions. I love it when it can be easy!

Jessica says

12/26/2021 at 5:58 pm

Lots of food for thought here – thanks for taking the time and having the courage to write this!

12/28/2021 at 10:43 am

Thanks for reading!

05/03/2022 at 8:42 pm

BRAVE post. I just found your blog and I couldn’t agree more with what you’ve said here. It is really nice to find a travel blog that has some substance and goes beyond just pics of pretty white blondes in floppy hats in beautiful places.

05/04/2022 at 8:33 am

Thank you for reading! This post meant a lot to me and I hope more people see it <3

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Mass tourism has been a blessing for billions of people worldwide. It has hardly been a blessing for the environment.

Mass tourism is a curse on the planet. It doesn’t have to be

Mass tourism has been a blessing for billions of people worldwide. We can now travel to exotic destinations with greater ease than ever before, there to kick back, sightsee and live it up.

Yet mass tourism has hardly been a blessing for the environment. Global tourism leaves a giant carbon footprint and it also contributes to large-scale environmental degradation worldwide through the conversion of relatively isolated and previously pristine natural areas into busy travel destinations.

Then there are the growing rates of pollution generated by mass tourism. Eight out of 10 tourists travel to coastal areas with beaches being the most popular destinations. That hardly benefits marine ecosystems. Beaches get covered in trash, fragile marine areas get deluged by rampaging holidaymakers, coastal waters become heavily polluted with effluents and untreated sewage.

“[D]uring peak tourist season, marine litter in the Mediterranean region has been found to increase by up to 40 per cent,” UN Environment observes . “With great irony, tourism, which often depends upon the Earth’s natural beauty, is making enormous contributions to its decay in a very visible way.”

The Mediterranean, one of the world’s most popular tourism destinations, alone draws some 220 million tourists who  flock to the region each year. Their number is expected to balloon to 350 million within two decades. Around half of the visitors head to the beaches where often they unwittingly wreak havoc on the environment through their sheer numbers.

“The huge tourism infrastructure developments have dramatically altered the natural dynamics of Mediterranean coastal ecosystems,” the World Wide Fund for Nature explains . “For example, more than half of the 46,000km coastline is now urbanized, mainly along the European shores. This infrastructure is a major cause of habitat loss in the region, and some locations are now beyond repair.”

Not even previously remote locations are being spared the ravages of tourism. In the Galapagos Islands, for instance, tourist numbers nearly doubled, to 275,000 in 2018, within just a decade. Over the past three decades local tourism has grown at a rate of nearly 7% each year. Now these unique and biodiverse islands, which served a formative influence on Charles Darwin in formulating his theory of evolution through natural selection, are on the verge of being transformed irrevocably.

Not all is doom and gloom, however. More and more tour operators and governments are recognizing the importance of responsible tourism in order to protect unique biodiversity hotspots from further harm. In an effort to save local marine life, Thailand has closed down a scenic and popular beach , which came to fame as the setting for the Hollywood movie The Beach , in the Andaman Sea. Before the closure as many 5,000 tourists arrived at the small beach daily, ferried by some 200 motorboats. Since the beach was closed, marine life has been slowly recovering in the area.

Similar steps are being undertaken on a large scale to address some of the worst effects of global mass tourism. One such effort, the Global Plastics Tourism Initiative , aims to reduce the impacts of plastic waste generated by tourism. The colossal amounts of plastic waste that wind up in the oceans are posing an existential threat to numerous species and entire marine ecosystems.

Unless drastic measures are taken, the situation, bad enough as it is, is bound to get worse still. A much-cited statistic has it that by 2050 there could well be more plastic than fish in the oceans. “Plastic pollution is one of the major environmental challenges of our time, and tourism has an important role to play in contributing to the solution,” UN Environment says. “Much of the plastic used in tourism is made to be thrown away and often can’t be recycled, leading to large amounts of pollution.”

The solutions to the vast amounts of plastic generated by mass tourism include phasing out all problematic plastic packaging and items, moving from single-use to reusable plastic items, and embracing effective recycling. “The problem of plastic pollution in tourism is too big for any single organisation to fix on its own,” the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative notes. “To match the scale of the problem, changes need to take place across the whole tourism value chain.”

Once plastic waste enters seas and oceans, it can spread far and wide across the planet. Even beaches on remote uninhabited islands have come to be covered in plastic debris brought by the currents and the tides. That is why reducing plastic waste must be a top priority worldwide.

Minimizing other harmful impacts of mass tourism will be just as important if we are to save beleaguered ecosystems from further depredations inflicted on them by humans. Each of us can do our share. We can stop littering. We can stop trampling on corals. We can stop removing creatures from the sea as keepsakes.

And we can avoid destinations altogether if they are already plagued by masses of other people.

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The enigma of arrival: is mass tourism a good thing or bad, there is a puzzle about mass tourism that is not easily answered. is it a good thing or a bad thing the tourist industry argues that it is providing people with the opportunity to travel cheaply. they will meet foreigners, learn about foreign cultures and thus become more knowledgeable and tolerant than they are now. they will be able to try different cuisines and recreations and generally broaden their horizons., by phillip knightley.

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Published: Sun 27 Feb 2005, 8:58 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 3:12 PM

The tourist industry further argues that tourism from the West to smaller economies provides jobs and an inflow of foreign currency. But there is plenty of evidence that all of the above is not necessarily so. Most tourists from the West travelling to places like India, travel in groups and often do not meet anybody there other than their fellow countrymen. They are not adventurous, stick together and tend to become worried if their guide is out of sight. Many of them admit that they go abroad not to see museums, temples and other cultural attractions, but to enjoy the cheap alcohol and bargain shopping, and the sunshine. The idea that mass tourism brings an influx of foreign currency to the locals is also flawed. Many Western tourism companies not only keep the bulk of the cost of the foreign hotels in the West, where the booking and payment is made, but have ways of forcing down the price that they have to pay to locally owned hotels for their clients. This creates an intriguing situation, which actually works against the Western tourists learning anything about the country they are visiting. This is because the only way the hotels can make a satisfactory profit is from what the tourist spends in the hotel over and above what the tour company has paid for the room. So it becomes in the local hotels' interest firstly to provide as much entertainment and variety of restaurants, coffee bars, beauty parlours and other facilities as it can, but also to make it as difficult as possible for the tourist to leave the hotel for independent outings. It works. I have stayed at a hotel in India at which many of the British guests have never left their hotel during their whole holiday. One would think that the development of hotels for the tourist industry is good for the local economy but the proliferation of 5-Star hotels in countries like Spain, Portugal and increasingly in India, has its own dangers. In the Indian state of Goa, for example, the need of these hotels for water during the tourist season has led to Artesian wells that are repeatedly lowering the ground water level to a point that threatens the environment. What about jobs? Supporters of the tourist industry argue that mass tourism provides jobs for locals. That is true. But the people that the tourist hotels prefer to employ are the well educated. Thus one finds that bright young men and women with university degrees end up working as hotel receptionists — a waste of their talent and education. Most governments are aware of the danger of destroying a country's historical attractions by allowing too many tourists resorts. The Government of Goa, for example, will allow no development within 200 metres of the high water mark on any beach, thus ruling out the sky scraper hotels right on the beach which shut out the sunshine in resorts such as Surfer's Paradise in Australia. The King of Bhutan wants to discourage mass tourism in his country by making it too expensive for most people to get there — you cannot get a visa unless you undertake to spend at least $100 US per day! Where do we go from here? Nobody knows, and the travel industry, which puts profits, first does not appear to be thinking about this. Phillip Knightley is a London based columnist

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Mass tourism — is it a good or a bad thing.

I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful town of Kotor in Montenegro a few weeks ago. I had first visited the stunning medieval town nine years ago and was captivated by its stunning location at the end of a deep inlet and the well-preserved condition of much of its buildings. Indeed, it was so perfect that it almost looked fake — like a recently constructed film set. On both occasions, I visited the town from a cruise ship. In 2010, I was aboard Azamara Cruises as part of a week-long itinerary from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Venice. On my recent trip, I was sailing on the newly launched Sky Princess from Trieste to Athens and the solitary stop on the four-day sea journey was at Kotor.

Wow, how things had changed in those brief nine years! As soon as I went to exit the small port area for the short walk across the road to the town’s main gate (Kotor is still surrounded on all sides by its original defensive walls), my travelling companion and I were accosted by a wall of men, all brandishing laminated A3 copies of their respective excursion offerings and all promising unrivalled value for money and a unique tourism experience. One in particular, called Branco, was persistent to such an extent that we finally agreed to listen to his hurried pitch if he could convince us in the 30 seconds or so it took us to walk out of the small port area. Branco rose to the occasion and by the time we had gotten to the place where we would ordinarily have parted company, he had convinced us that his personally escorted private tour for the two of us in an air-conditioned Mercedes for the morning that would include a trip up the bay to the picturesque village of Perast; a boat trip across the bay to the tiny island of out Lady of the Rock with its impressive early 18 th century church, a detour up to the top of the mountain that overlooks Kotor to see Castle Giovanni (built by the Venetians) and dropped back to town by lunchtime for €40 each was a bargain — which it turned out to be!

During our couple of hours in Branco’s company in which we discussed the history of the region (some of which I already knew), I was shocked to hear that almost 600 cruise ships now visit Kotor each year, with up to six ships visiting the small town in a single day. There were three or four cruise ships anchored in the bay on the day that I was there. With modern cruise ships now able to accommodate up to 5,000 or 6,000 passengers at a time, that means that visitors to the beautiful medieval town cold easily be double those of the town’s inhabitants on a busy day.

Montenegro is a small country almost half the size of Munster and with a population roughly half that of Dublin. It is almost completely mountainous with just a small sliver of land along the coastline that could be called flat, so agriculture is not really an option as a revenue earner. It does however enjoy a spectacular setting and glorious weather, so it is inevitable that Tourism represents the commercial lifeblood of this tiny country bordered by Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Croatia. Branco, our driver, was in his early 30’s but owned his own business (his guiding) and his car and had holidayed earlier this year in St. Lucia and made regular trips to Berlin and other European capitals. Clearly, tourism was good for him and his family. It was also evident from my walk around Kotor that tourism was good for the town too — if all the new shops, bars, restaurants and new-looking cars were anything to go by. What wasn’t good were the throngs of people that I had to negotiate as I walked from one end of the walled town to the other. Literally every space; every square; every alleyway was swarming with tourists and I pitied them for the less than authentic experience they were having — particularly when compared to mine of almost nine years ago.

And this is the problem. No one would deny anyone else with the opportunity to make a better life for themselves and their families but we, as tourists, feel short-changed when the reality fails to measure up to the picture postcard image that we have in our heads. Well established and popular tourist destinations in Spain such as Palma and Barcelona are already suffering a backlash as locals declare that they’ve had enough of over tourism so will the next trend be for travelers like you and me to keep on raising the experiential bar by seeking out less accessible, less popular or less tourist friendly destinations around the world so we can try and experience a sense of being privileged to see them before they become overrun by unsustainable numbers of fellow travelers and become yet another homogenized travel experience?

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Tourism: The Advantages, Disadvantages and How to Properly Travel

The Advantages

For developing countries, the advantages of tourism tend to be primarily monetary. A large scale tourism industry prevents larger, more harmful businesses from working off the land. Small tourist companies that reign on the land stops large capitalistic corporations from polluting the air or gentrifying people’s homes.

The tourism industry encompasses many different travel areas, which allows the majority of a country’s population to be employed . These employment places include hotels, car rental agencies, restaurants, tour companies, souvenir shops, and equipment shops, among others.

Profit earned from tourism can be reinvested into the country for better infrastructure, education, funding conservation efforts and creating more responsible ways of touring. Without tourism, many countries would not have the same level of access to education and infrastructure. Moreover, tourism allows hosts and visitors to share cultures and meet diverse groups of people. Through respectful interactions, a broader view of the world from both parties can be achieved. By reinvesting the money earned back into the country, tourism and its attractions can grow, creating a positive cycle for the country.

The Disadvantages

With the way the tourism industry is currently run, the disadvantages of tourism may greatly outweigh the advantages in a country. The first factor to take into consideration is environmental damage. When a country has a high tourist attraction, the number of people occupying a space increases immensely. As a result, the release of carbon monoxide gases can increase due to plane and car use affecting the country’s environment. Many countries with ancient ruins or natural attractions are also in danger of destruction or erosion with significant foot traffic and human interaction. Additionally, flora and fauna can decrease in areas or change their growth and migration patterns when there is an overflow of humans interact. Foot traffic and continuous touching can also slowly degrade the stability of ancient structures.

One of the advantages breached upon the sharing of cultures. While this is a great interaction of beliefs and customs, it can become destructive to a host country’s culture. One of the ways cultures can be disrespected is through the commercialization of countries’ cultures . When tourism booms, large industries swoop in and sell figures of the cultures’ icons or traditional wear, disrespecting the countries’ indigenous beliefs and can be harmful to the people living there. Moreover, poor behavior from tourists who don’t respect the spoken or unspoken codes of conduct held by indigenous peoples also undermines the sacred beliefs held within the country.

Also, for many countries, tourism is a seasonal occurrence. For people that work in the tourism industry, their jobs are only viable for a certain number of months, and after the season has ended, many are left without income. Many of these jobs also lack the benefits that other sector jobs supply. Tourism workers are often left without insurance or pension. Not to mention, foreign businesses tend to overtake the companies present in these countries, forcing small businesses to shut down. As a result, foreign businesses keep the majority of profits from tourism, while local businesses lose their income. This hurts small businesses and local economies.

As previously stated, the profit gained from tourism is often reinvested into the industry. However, with unequal infrastructure development, the tourism industry can inadvertently sustain itself without aiding a country’s other vital sectors. As such, many countries end up developing tourism hot spots while the rest of the country suffers. In these countries, there are visible socioeconomic gaps between the wealthy and the poor. Focusing mainly on the tourism industry and places of mass attraction leaves disadvantaged communities at risk of financial instability. Moreover, countries solely invested in tourism are vulnerable to quick economic falls as its working sectors are unevenly balanced. If a natural disaster, political unrest or unprecedented pandemic were to strike, the country would lose a massive income, causing an economic recession that some countries may significantly struggle to bounce back from.

Ways to Respectfully Travel

The most important step to being a respectful tourist is to be an educated tourist. Understanding and respecting the culture and the people of the country is vital. By not undermining tourism countries’ culture and beliefs, the people living there will be more welcoming to tourists, and cultures can flourish without fear of commercialization.

Being environmentally conscious is also important to the survival of these countries. Respecting a country’s land and structures preserve the countries’ beauty and keep the land clean and prepped for further development. Many countries are more environmentally strained, so reducing pollution or your carbon footprint in a foreign country can help ease the strain.

Supporting the small and local businesses found in these countries can help keep local communities employed and support the overall economy.  As local businesses grow, more people will have the opportunity to be employed outside of the tourism sector, and the economy will be able to grow within itself.

By learning the advantages and disadvantages of tourism, and how one can improve the practice of traveling, the tourism industry will be able to change for the better and support the countries that host people from all over the world.

– Marlee Ingram Photo: Flickr

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The Pros and Cons of Tourism

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Last Updated April 9, 2024

The tourism industry is one of the most lucrative and essential industries for the global economy since it can provide revenue almost year-round. It allows people to spend time in places they want to explore and enjoy. Every year, people from all over the world visit destinations like Paris, Hawaii, Mexico and Japan to experience a new culture through food, sightseeing and adventures. 

Tourism provides thousands of jobs each year and allows people to explore the world at their leisure. It’s excellent for both the people touring an area themselves for happiness and well-being, and it’s great for the country’s population as a whole. 

However, the disadvantages of tourism should be addressed, especially concerning the environment. Tourism industries in some countries often ignore these cons because they want to continue providing revenue for the peoples’ livelihoods. It’s easy to overlook the negative aspects when tourism has brought enormous wealth to developing countries. 

If developing nations only rely on tourism and dismiss other aspects, like the environment, society and infrastructure development, the cons can quickly outweigh the pros. Fortunately, there are ways to be sustainable in the tourism industry. Here are the pros and cons of tourism. 

The Pros of Tourism

From stimulating job growth to bridging cultural divides, tourism has many benefits for people, the economy and the environment. Below are five advantages of tourism. 

1. Creates Jobs

One of the most significant benefits of tourism is creating jobs for people who may have previously been unemployed. Tourism accounts for about 10% of employment worldwide , whether directly or indirectly. 

The tourism industry encompasses retailers, restaurant workers, transportation industries, entertainment facilities and hospitality workers. It can even include medical workers as some people travel for cosmetic surgery or medical advice and medications. This leads to the reduction of unemployment in many countries, which reduces the burden on the government.

2. Develops Countries

As more people get jobs in developing countries, they can further progress. The government can get the funds needed to advance their nation. The tourism industry offers more security and financial stability. Plus, the government can carry out various infrastructure projects to continue its progression by building roads, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment businesses to allow more people to stay, generating more jobs and wealth. 

3. Conserves the Environment

Some of the primary attractions in countries are the historical sights and beautiful landscapes. Often, countries try to conserve these sights and attractions to continue bringing in more tourists. Governments and private entities often use tourism money to maintain historical sight and protect the environment.  

4. Broadens Knowledge and Appreciation of Nature

An airboat ride through the Florida Everglades delivers more than the perfect photo opportunity. Airboat captains share stories about the river’s history, wildlife facts, environmental issues plaguing the ecosystem, and how the average person can make a difference. Travel experiences like this are crucial for broadening one’s knowledge and deepening their appreciation for the natural world. The hope is for tourists to impart their knowledge to someone else and spark an interest in conservation and sustainable habits.

5. Encourages Culture-Learning

Finally, tourism encourages the learning of different cultures. It helps to create a sense of unity among people from various cultures and countries. Tourism encourages people of all backgrounds to visit a particular place, so tourist destinations become a melting pot of other cultures. People can begin to understand one another and may even make friends with people from other countries. 

The Cons of Tourism

While welcoming visitors to explore a particular area has benefits — especially within the eco-tourism subsector — it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Unfortunately, there are some cons of tourism that often get overlooked, such as the following.

1. Damages the Environment

Although countries do their best to conserve the environment, including animals, plants and natural scenes, tourists can still be disrespectful. As people flock to one place, waste and pollution accumulate. Sometimes, tours offer animal experiences as well, which put animals through suffering. Further, land is needed to accommodate tourists, so countries will destroy habitats to build hotels and restaurants. 

2. Puts Pressure on Natural Resources

Another con of the tourism industry is that it puts an immense amount of pressure on natural resources. Anytime someone stays in an area, they inevitably use the area’s natural resources , like water and food. Cities and countries around the world have faced droughts. Additionally, tourism puts stress on the local land use, leading to soil erosion which can cause damage to infrastructure. 

3. Strains Infrastructure

Too many tourists in one location can significantly strain infrastructure, including roadways, water resources and waste disposal. For instance, nearly 30 million tourists visit Venice, Italy, annually, crowding narrow canals and limited roadways. In the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda is among the most frequently vacationed and water-stressed countries, with under 1000 cubic meter of freshwater resources per capita. Without a municipal wastewater treatment center, most households rely on poorly built septic tanks.

4. Encourages Dependence on Tourism

It’s not a good thing to be solely dependent on tourism. Regions known for their tourist destinations learned that lesson once COVID-19 spread throughout the world. When people could no longer travel, the tourism industry in countries that depended on it had a more difficult time recovering and getting the necessary resources that locals needed to survive. Without tourists, those countries would receive no more income, which affects the entire country.

5. Leads to Loss of Cultural Identity

Often, locals in a tourist destination will begin copying the lifestyles of tourists and leave their local and cultural traditions behind. Instead of shops filled with daily necessities for the locals, they are filled with things tourists need, like travel-sized toiletries and souvenirs. Fast-food chains have taken over local cuisine as well. And unfortunately, tourism has led to a growth in prostitution and human trafficking. 

Making Tourism a More Sustainable Industry

Tourism is a necessary part of the economy, but the adverse effects often go unnoticed. Fortunately, there are ways to make it a more sustainable industry. Tourists should support the local economy, avoid single-use plastics, take more eco-friendly modes of transportation and avoid all of the traditional “tourist” excursions. The next time you travel, make sustainability a priority.

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‘It’s all bad news’ when it comes to waste in Massachusetts. (But there’s some good news, too.)

Massachusetts has a dirty little secret — well, it’s not actually little.

The Bay State, known as a leader in climate and environmental policies, is running out of room for its trash. And with landfills filling up, about half of the waste has to be sent elsewhere.

“It’s all bad news,” said Janet Domenitz, executive director of Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, an environmental advocacy group.

But there is some good news, too, Domenitz said at a Tuesday panel, moderated by Globe reporter Ivy Scott, during the Globe’s annual Sustainability Week : “The vast majority of what gets disposed actually could be either reduced, reused, or recycled.”

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The first of those three steps — reduce — is the most crucial, said Domenitz, a point echoed by her fellow panelists, Susan Collins, president of the Container Recycling Institute, and Jack ‘Tato’ Bigio, cofounder of UBQ Materials, an Israeli startup that wants to build a new recycling plant in Massachusetts that would transform regular household trash into a new type of plastic-like material.

Collins, who, like Domenitz, has helped advocate for more progressive legislation on waste disposal in Massachusetts, said there are steps individuals can take at home, too. “We haven’t purchased paper towels in like 15 years, and we don’t use any disposable cleaning products in our house,” she said, holding up a basket filled with washable fabric squares she uses instead.

“Find a category in your house where you can say, ‘I’m not doing this category of waste anymore, I’m going to convert what I’m doing,’” she said.

Bigio also emphasized the need to reduce waste, but said for waste streams that continue to exist, companies like UBQ Materials can play a role. “We need technologies that bridge the gap between us regulating, legislating, and changing to do things faster,” he said. His company is looking to build an industrial-scale recycling facility in the US within the next three years, with Massachusetts at the top of the list for potential locations.

But really, to get where the state needs to go, the panelists said more progressive regulations need to be on the books.

Right now, Massachusetts’ bottle bill is “not only performing lower than any of the other bottle bills in the US, it’s literally the poorest performing bottle bill in the world,” said Collins, whose organization tracks data related to bottle bills around the world, updating it annually. She noted that Massachusetts’ redemption rate is 38 percent, while internationally, bottle bills result in an average redemption rate of 80 percent.

Higher deposit fees translate into higher recycling rates. In Oregon and Michigan, for example, the deposit fee is set at a dime, which is now being considered in Massachusetts (it’s currently a nickel). Oregon and Michigan had redemption rates of 86 percent and 76 percent, respectively, in 2022, more than double Massachusetts’ rate.

Other waste streams need to be tackled, too. Almost 40 percent of food that’s produced in the US is thrown away, Domenitz said. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that landfills are the country’s third largest source of human-caused methane — a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide when measured over a shorter timescale.

“This is making climate change worse,” she said. “We need to revolutionize the way that we deal with food in this country.”

The fix, she said, is to keep food waste out of landfills and incinerators and to build sufficient infrastructure for composting. At the same time, better food labeling can keep still-edible food from being discarded prematurely. The terms “best by” or “best if used by” imply that a food’s quality might decline a bit after a certain date, whereas “use” or “use by” might indicate a food is no longer safe to eat. A 2022 study led by experts from Cornell University found that shifting to “best by” or “best if used by” could result in far less edible food being thrown away.

“We don’t need to invent anything — we know exactly what to do,” Domenitz said. “We just need to turn the ship around.”

A report issued by the US Public Interest Research Group and other advocacy organizations in the lead up to this year’s Earth Day on Monday highlighted several no-waste and low-waste business models that can help tackle the waste problem. That includes refill stores, where the customer brings in their own container, an idea beginning to crop up across Boston and Massachusetts.

Other growing trends include packaging designed to be returned to the retailer or manufacturer after use, and the redesigning of products like dish soap, shampoo, and detergents to remove the water so they no longer require plastic bottles. New companies, such as Canary , sell a refillable glass pump bottle and small slices of soap — just add water for foamy suds.

But while company innovations and personal choices can help cut down on waste, Collins said it’s the system that needs changing.

Lawmakers in Massachusetts are currently considering steps to address waste, such as updating and expanding the bottle bill, banning plastic bags or other kinds of single-use plastics, and more.

“It has to be absolutely systemic — the whole collection of society,” Collins said. “And it requires legislation.”

Sabrina Shankman can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @shankman .

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Columbia university is at the center of a growing showdown over the war in gaza and the limits of free speech..

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Columbia University has become the epicenter of a growing showdown between student protesters, college administrators and Congress over the war in Gaza and the limits of free speech.

Nicholas Fandos, who covers New York politics and government for The Times, walks us through the intense week at the university. And Isabella Ramírez, the editor in chief of Columbia’s undergraduate newspaper, explains what it has all looked like to a student on campus.

On today’s episode

Nicholas Fandos , who covers New York politics and government for The New York Times

Isabella Ramírez , editor in chief of The Columbia Daily Spectator

Background reading

Inside the week that shook Columbia University .

The protests at the university continued after more than 100 arrests.

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Money latest: Morrisons shoppers are going to notice two changes in stores

Morrisons has launched two major changes for shoppers – with stores offering travel money and trolleys now featuring advertisements. Read this and all the latest consumer and personal finance news below - and leave your thoughts in the box.

Thursday 25 April 2024 19:51, UK

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• Renters' Reform Bill signed off - but with indefinite delay to no-fault evictions ban
• Morrisons rolls out bureau de change and trolley adverts

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Halifax has become the latest major lender to up mortgage rates.

They are putting up a range of deals by 0.2%.

BM Solutions also announced increases today.

It follows similar moves by TSB, NatWest, Virgin, Barclays, Accord, Leeds Building Society, HSBC and Coventry last week.

Lenders are responding to swap rates - which dictate how much it costs to lend money - rising on the back of higher than expected US inflation data, and concerns this could delay interest rate cuts there. 

US trends often materialise elsewhere - though many economists are still expecting a base rate cut from 5.25% to 5% in the UK in June.

This is what average mortgage rates look like as of today...

Justin Moy, managing director of EHF Mortgages, told Newspage: "Yet more bad news for mortgage borrowers, as two of the biggest lenders announce increases to their fixed-rate products. 

"As mortgage rates creep up and past 5% even for those with the largest deposits, we seem to be lacking a clear strategy of the government or the Bank of England on how rates will eventually fall. 

"Even 2% inflation may not be enough to reverse the recent trends in rates."

Morrisons has launched two major changes for shoppers – with stores now offering travel money and trolleys featuring advertisements.

Announcing their bureau de change service, Morrisons said customers could exchange currencies in select stores or could place their money orders online at Morrisonstravelmoney.com.

Using the online service means customers can either click and collect their cash in certain Morrisons stores or at any of Eurochange's 240 branches. Alternatively, they can go for home delivery.

Services director at Morrisons, Jamie Winter, said the service "will provide our customers with easy access to a wide range of currencies at competitive exchange rates".

So far, stores in the following areas have travel money kiosks:

• Basingstoke

In other news, the supermarket chain rolled out a new trolley advertising across 300 stores in a partnership with Retail Media Group.

A sweetener used in drinks, sauces, savoury and sweet foods and chewing gum can cause serious damage to people's health, according to a new study.

Neotame, a "relatively new" sweetener, could damage the intestine by causing damage to healthy bacteria in the gut, according to the study, leading it to become diseased and attack the gut wall.

The study by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, found the negative effect of neotame "has the potential to influence a range of gut functions resulting in poor gut health", potentially impacting metabolic and inflammatory diseases, neuropathic pain, and neurological conditions.

The illnesses this could lead to include irritable bowel disease or insulin resistance.

Read the full story here ...

As we reported yesterday, a pilot programme is coming into force in Venice today that means visitors have to pay a €5 (£4.28) charge to enter the city.

Authorities say the pilot programme is designed to discourage tourists and thin the crowds that throng the canals during peak holiday season, making the city more liveable for residents.

Pictures have been emerging this morning of people queueing to register for a QR code that will allow them to enter after they have paid the charge - and officials carrying out checks on people inside the city.

People found to be contravening the rules can be fined up to €300 (£257).

As detailed in our story , the move has been met with anger among some in the city.

Venice is the first city in the world to introduce a payment system for tourists - but comments from its most senior tourist official suggested it may become a more common practice for major tourist hotspots in Europe.

Simone Venturini revealed the pilot programme was being closely watched by other places suffering from mass tourism - including other Italian art cities and hugely popular weekend-break destinations Barcelona and Amsterdam.

More than 160,000 people switched to Nationwide from other providers at the end of 2023, when the building society was offering a huge cash switching incentive.

According to figures from the Current Account Switch Service (CASS), Nationwide had a net gain of 163,363 account switchers between October and December, after leavers were taken into account.

It was the highest quarterly gain since the same period in 2022, when 111,941 switched to Nationwide.

The building society launched a £200 switching bonus for new joiners in September last year - the biggest giveaway on offer at the time. It withdrew the offer just before Christmas.

The latest CASS figures, which show Nationwide had 196,260 total gains before accounting for leavers, suggesting it could have spent up to £39m on nabbing customers from other providers in the last three months of the year.

Barclays and Lloyds Bank saw more modest net gains of 12,823 and 5,800 respectively, while the rest of the UK's big banks reported net losses.

NatWest and Halifax fared worst, losing over 40,000 more switchers each than they gained.

This week saw the last remaining switching offer on the market withdrawn.

Sainsbury's is having technical issues again - with shoppers taking to social media to say their deliveries have been delayed or cancelled.

The supermarket has been replying to customers saying: "I'm really sorry about the tech issues this morning. 

"We're aware of the situation and are working to sort it as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we'd advise you place a new order for a future date."

Customer Andrew Savage wrote: "Order has not been delivered and no confirmation email this morning."

Another, John B Sheffield, said: "So angry! Just got through to your customer line after 40 min WAIT. 

"Tells me NO DELIVERIES TODAY! tech problem? I've NO FOOD IN! ANGRY!"

In a statement to Sky News, a Sainsbury's spokesperson says: "A small technical issue affected some groceries online orders this morning. 

"We have contacted these customers directly to apologise for the inconvenience." 

In another update at 10am, the supermarket said that the issue has been resolved. 

Responding to customers on X, Sainsbury's also offered those affected e-vouchers and details on how to rebook their orders.

It comes a month after the supermarket had to cancel almost all deliveries on a Saturday in mid-March due to another technical issue.

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

A potential $38.8bn (£31bn) takeover of UK-based mining company  Anglo American  has sent its shares soaring - and helped the FTSE 100 hit yet another record high this morning.

The attempted mega-merger, by larger Australian rival BHP, is currently being reviewed by Anglo American's board.

The deal, if it goes through, would create the world's biggest copper mining company - and comes as the price of the metal continues to climb amid soaring demand.

Anglo American's shares have surged as high as 13% this morning as news of the negotiations emerged.

The announcement also helped spur the FTSE 100 to a new intraday (during the day) high of 8,098 points.

The index, of the London Stock Exchange's 100 most valuable companies, has hit a string of records this week, including  an all-time closing high of 8,044 points  on Tuesday.

The score is based on a calculation of the total value of the shares on the index.

Also moving the markets are a string of company results which were published earlier on Thursday.

Among those issuing updates to investors was drugsmaker AstraZeneca. Its stock is up more than 5% after the firm reported quarterly profit and revenue above market estimates.

Unilever is also up 5% following similar better-than-expected quarterly figures.

Another good performer is  Barclays  - despite reporting a 12% fall in profits for the first three months of 2024. Its shares are up more than 4%.

That's because its quarterly figures are slightly better than expected, and the bank has said it expects its fortunes to improve later this year.

Meanwhile, as tensions in the Middle East continue, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil continues to hover at a price of around $88 (£70).

This morning £1 buys $1.25 US or €1.16, similar to yesterday.

Every week we get experts to answer your Money Problems - usually on a Monday, but today we have a short, bonus addition in light of multiple lenders raising mortgage rates this week on fears an interest rate cut could be delayed to a little later this year (note: many economists still think it will come in summer).

A few readers have got in touch with questions similar to this one...

My remortgage is due to complete on 1 May. I already have an offer but with rates going up, is there any way at all my offer rate could increase? Saz681

We asked David Hollingworth, director at L&C Mortgages, to answer this one...

It's great news that you are already set up with a mortgage offer, Saz - ready to make a smooth switch to a new deal and/or lender, once the current one ends.  

It does take time to set up a new mortgage so shopping around the market a good few months ahead will help you put everything in place and avoid slipping onto a high variable rate.

Fixed rates have been nudging up slightly but you have already got a formal offer in place so shouldn't worry.  

Applying for a mortgage will generally secure that rate and the lender will then carry out any further checks to issue the mortgage offer.  

The offer will be valid for a specified period, often for up to six months. Rates are always shifting for new customers but you can rest easy that your rate should be safe and sound for your switch in May.

This feature is not intended as financial advice - the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about. Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute, leaving your name and where in the country you are, by emailing [email protected] with the subject line "Money blog". Alternatively, WhatsApp us  here .

By Ollie Cooper , Money team

Interest in a phenomenon known as "dark tourism" has been steadily rising in recent years - but what is it?

To find out, we've spoken with tourism academic  Dr Hayley Stainton  and renowned dark tourist and author Dr Peter Hohenhaus, who runs a  dark tourism website .

What is it?

In general, dark tourism involves travelling to sites connected to death or disaster.

"Dark tourism has been around for as long as we have been travelling to places associated with death," Dr Stainton says. 

However, the term wasn't officially coined until 1996 by John Lennon, a professor of tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University, in Scotland.

"Not everyone is familiar with the term," says Dr Stainton, "[but] many people have been a dark tourist at some time or another, whether intentional or not."

Some examples of the most famous sites

• Auschwitz concentration camp, Poland
• 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York, US
• Chernobyl, Ukraine 
• Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan
• Choeung Ek "killing fields" and the Tuol Sleng genocide museum at the former S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, Cambodia 

Areas with a degree of infamy, like Alcatraz, are extremely popular spots that also fall under the "dark tourism" umbrella. 

How popular is it?

Dr Hohenhaus and Dr Stainton say they have noticed a rise in its popularity. 

"Tourists are looking for more unique and unusual experiences," Dr Stainton says. 

"This has seen a move away from the more traditional 'sun, sea and sand' type holidays to a variety of different tourism forms, which includes dark tourism."

Dr Hohenhaus adds: "Maybe people want to connect to more recent and hence more personally relevant history - that is definitely the case with myself."

He goes on: "I think I've learned more about the world through dark tourism than through all of my formal education or my previous academic career."

Is it ethical?

This is the big question associated with dark tourism. 

Dr Stainton says that while problems do arise, the stigma around the practice is often misguided. 

"People don't visit sites like the killing fields in Cambodia or the site of Chernobyl for 'fun' - they visit for the educational experience, as dark tourism is often also a form of educational tourism," she says.

Problems arise when tourists are not respectful to those who may have been impacted.

"For instance, taking inappropriate photos or laughing and joking when others may be in a state of mourning."

Notorious examples include people taking selfies outside Grenfell Tower and at Auschwitz. 

"It is therefore imperative that dark tourists are considerate of those around them and respectful at all times," Dr Stainton says.

"As long as you are not just after a cheap sensationalist thrill - take dark tourism seriously and do it right, and it can be an immensely enriching thing to engage in."  Dr Hohenhaus

Where could you go? 

These are Dr Hohenhaus' recommendations:

• Ijen crater in Indonesia - where at night you can see the fabled blue flames of the sulphur mines next to the volcano crater lake;
• The Polygon, the former Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site of the USSR, now in Kazakhstan;
• The Goli Otok former prison island off the coast of Croatia;
• The Murambi memorial to the Rwandan genocide - which Dr Hohenhaus says is "certainly the very darkest place I have ever been";
• Majdanek concentration camp memorial near Lublin, eastern Poland.

What do you think of dark tourism? Is it misunderstood, educational or abhorrent?  Let us know in the comments section...

John Lewis will be sharing its job interview questions online in an attempt to find the "best talent".

The retail chain hopes that allowing candidates to view questions before an interview will allow prospective employees to "really demonstrate what they can do" and prepare, the Financial Times reports.

John Lewis talent acquisition lead Lorna Bullett told Sky News that interviews can feel daunting and "nerves can seriously impact performance".

She added the company want "the right people" from a variety of backgrounds and with "the best talent" to join.

"It makes absolute business sense to find ways of helping candidates to really demonstrate what they can do," she said.

Ms Bullett added that the process will be "no less rigorous".

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