In March 2020, the world was shocked by the images emerging from Wuhan, China, signaling the start of a global pandemic. Countries quickly shut their borders, businesses closed their doors, sports leagues canceled entire seasons, and people were urged to stay home — all to curb the spread of what would soon be known as COVID-19. The three years that followed were marked by fear and uncertainty as the virus spread from China to Europe and then globally, leading to millions of deaths. The pandemic had profound impacts: businesses shut down, jobs were lost, economies faltered, and social distancing and isolation became the norm in the face of a significant human toll.

When the world reopened two years later, the public did its best to make up for lost time when it became possible to resume traditional vacations, and the term “revenge travel” was coined. This phenomenon describes the intense desire to travel after a prolonged period of restrictions. Since then, the sheer volume of travelers has overwhelmed many destinations, leading to frustrations among locals who are faced with crowded attractions, insufficient infrastructure, and rising costs of living.

Another factor playing into overtourism is a growing trend around valuing experiences on par with or more so than accumulating physical goods. After spending years isolated from friends and family, people around the globe are in transit to new and familiar destinations, at scale. This phenomenon has also bolstered expansion of short-term rentals (STRs). Rather than securing accommodation in a hotel, many prefer to travel in large groups and experience life like a local, cooking dinner in a kitchen like they do at home and going out for meals when they want to.

Fair or not, STRs — which have become a popular lodging choice in many of the world’s busiest tourist destinations — have become the scapegoat for rising housing costs. The influx of tourists has locals looking to blame tourists and STRs in their communities for inflated housing prices. As a result, the rush to reclaim lost travel experiences has created new challenges for both travelers and the communities they visit.

Destinations not equipped to handle large volumes of tourists are at risk of infrastructure overload. This can manifest in inadequate waste management, insufficient public transportation, and overcrowded restaurants and facilities. In most cities, infrastructure trails demand. Overtourism exacerbates this situation.

As the world recovered from the pandemic, supply chain shortages coupled with government-provided economic stimuli combined to drive the prices of everything higher. Globally, the cost of groceries, used cars, and insurance has skyrocketed. The cost of housing, both to rent and to buy, has also skyrocketed. At the same time, STRs were gaining popularity and prominence in many locations. While the pandemic raged, many travelers preferred STRs because they were freestanding and minimized the number of people encountered while on a business trip or vacation, lessening the risk of contracting COVID. Whether true or not, STRs became a cookie-cutter scapegoat for rising housing prices across geographies. Globally, locals who were being priced out of certain neighborhoods came to blame tourists for their plight, even if the disparity more likely arose from wages simply not keeping up with inflationary prices.

To curb tourism, municipalities and governments have tried a myriad of approaches: capping the number of visitors, enacting tourist taxes, as well as outright bans on STRs. None have solved the problems. This past summer saw fed up residents of Barcelona organizing marches and targeting random tourists with water cannons. With locals angry and looking to hold someone accountable, there’s a risk that drastic measures may be taken to quickly make a difference. If a heavy-handed approach is taken, communities run the risk of diminishing the very tourism that adds a significant amount to local economies. Restaurants, retail stores, cleaning, landscaping, and pool maintenance businesses are just a few examples of businesses that add to the overall tourism-related economy.

In the face of these challenges, local officials would be well advised to address the issues with a measured, 360-degree view of actions and potential consequences. Officials would do well to define the problems and bring stakeholders to the table to solve them. In the case of STR hosts, most want to be a good neighbor. Common sense regulations define exactly what being a good neighbor looks like. Once regulations have been enacted, STR hosts must comply to have credibility. From there, hosts can join and speak collectively to affect how challenges are solved. Implementing reasonable regulations is a way to ensure ongoing lodging and sales tax, in addition to license and permit revenues, are collected to fund local needs such as infrastructure updates. This helps meet the demands of tourism while benefiting long-term residents.

In addition to common sense regulations that ensure hosts and guests are following the rules, there is a role for local tourism boards to play in management of and avoiding overtourism. Tourism boards can be found at national, regional and local levels. Their primary function is to promote travel to a given destination. Beyond that, tourism boards can go a long way in prioritizing the types of tourism that benefits a specific locality.

Here are some of the ways tourism boards can have an impact on overtourism:

  • Sustainable Planning and Management: Tourism boards can develop and implement strategies to distribute tourist traffic more evenly across different areas, seasons and times of day. This can involve promoting lesser-known destinations and off-peak travel periods to prevent overcrowding in popular spots.
  • Community Engagement: They can work closely with local communities to ensure that tourism development aligns with the needs and desires of residents. Engaging locals in decision-making processes can help balance tourism growth with community well-being.
  • Education and Awareness: Tourism boards can educate visitors about responsible travel practices, such as respecting local cultures, minimizing environmental impact, and supporting local businesses. Awareness campaigns can also inform tourists about the potential negative effects of overtourism. They can also help educate locals on the economic benefits of tourism in their community.
  • Data Collection and Research: By gathering data on visitor numbers, behaviors and impacts, tourism boards can make informed decisions about managing tourism. This data helps in identifying trends, potential issues, and areas that require intervention.
  • Collaboration With Stakeholders: Effective management of overtourism often requires coordination with various stakeholders, including government agencies, local businesses and environmental organizations. Tourism boards can act as facilitators for these collaborations.
  • Regulation and Policy Advocacy: Tourism boards can advocate for and help implement policies that regulate visitor numbers, such as entry quotas, reservation systems, or permits for certain activities. They can also support zoning laws and other regulations that protect sensitive areas.
  • Marketing and Promotion: They can use marketing efforts to promote sustainable and responsible tourism practices. Highlighting eco-friendly accommodations, responsible tour operators, preferred times for travel, and initiatives that benefit local communities can shift tourist behavior toward more sustainable choices.
  • Crisis Management and Adaptation: In cases where overtourism has already caused significant issues, tourism boards can lead crisis management efforts, adapt strategies to address immediate concerns, and work on long-term solutions to prevent recurrence.

By taking these actions, tourism boards can help to create a more balanced and sustainable tourism experience that helps both visitors and host communities.

In conclusion, compliance with local regulations enables everyone to have a voice in addressing overtourism-related issues that face a community. And while an even-handed approach to regulation is a straightforward way to make a difference without affecting the local tourism-related economy, one thing is certain: communities are best served when all stakeholders work together to solve problems.

Pam Knudsen is the senior director of compliance services for Avalara.