The United Nations estimated that by 2024, global travel would surpass the level in 2019 - tourism is booming across destinations around the globe.

However, the promising return of travellers brings the problem of overtourism into the spotlight yet again. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines overtourism as "the impact of tourism on a destination, or parts thereof, that excessively influences perceived quality of life of citizens and/or quality of visitor experiences in a negative way."

Many destinations are facing overtourism and are now taking actions to prevent forms of unsustainable development in the long term. Venice, for example, banned large cruises using the main canal in 2021 and implemented an entry fee of 5 euros for same-day visitors in April 2024.

According to the UNWTO, there are three main categories of sustainable tourism development, namely environmental, socio-economic, and sociocultural. Some countries use the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for policymaking in and benchmarking of their domestic tourism development.

Additionally, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) carries a mission to promote sustainable tourism development through various initiatives, including certification of sustainable destinations. However, existing guidelines and standards do not provide a comprehensive view on resort destinations, which usually require a greater investment than urban destinations.

In Asia Pacific, overtourism is becoming a material issue at several resort destinations, such as Koh Phi Phi, Bali and Boracay. At the same time, some destinations are wellknown for their commitment to long-term sustainable development. Tourists here are often encouraged to participate in eco-tourism or responsible tourism during their holidays to support sustainable development.

Challenges & Solutions Toward Overtourism

The negative impacts brought by overtourism can be a long list, from environmental challenges to detrimental social and economic aspects.

The overall traveller experience as well as intentions for revisit are likely to suffer as well. One of the greatest challenges of overtourism is the inadequate infrastructure and resources because the number of tourists exceeds the handling capacity.

Destinations such as Venice and Dubrovnik in Croatia faced overcrowding during peak seasons, resulting in an average of 27 and 21 tourists per inhabitants, respectively. The influx of tourists would heavily influence the residents’ living quality, as the infrastructure and resources did not improve to match the number of tourists.

Many destinations take actions to limit the number of travellers through a tourism tax or daily cap. Travellers are also encouraged to visit during the off-season to avoid crowds. In the long term, improving infrastructure and managing resources to match the growth of tourism will be the more sustainable approach.

With the influx of travellers, the negative impact on the environment is another major concern arising from overtourism. Pollution and waste problems are very common in popular destinations. For nature-oriented destinations, habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, and vulnerability to climate change are seemingly inevitable.

Additionally, socio-economic challenges, including economic disparities and cultural erosion, are prolific in certain destinations.

As a result, some destinations’ management offices are working closely with the local communities to ensure the economic benefits are given back to the residents and to support the preservation of traditions and culture. Multistakeholder engagement is fundamental to sustainable tourism development.

These 15 global and regional destinations covered in the article.

Destinations have different strategies to curb overtourism, from visitor cap and tourism tax to initiatives introduced by hotel operators and travel agents.

But are all these actually working? Or is there a "success formula" to overcome overtourism? Find out the details inside.

Spoiler alert: government plays a key role in the process.

Full article is available to download here. Happy reading.

AP Hospitality Advisors serves owners, investors, developers, operators and lenders of hospitality assets across Asia-Pacific. The team blends expertise in operations, real estate and finance to support any critical step in the asset life-cycle.

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