Too Many Tourists

With its historic buildings and 150 canals crisscrossing the city, Venice, Italy, is a dream destination for many. But day guests—tourists who visit for less than 24 hours—are making that dream into a nightmare. According to tourism scholar Magda Antonioli Corigliano, the longer a visitor stays, the smaller their impact on the city. One-day guests try to pack too much in, she says, and overtax the city’s resources and infrastructure as a result.

That’s why the city is introducing an entry fee for day tourists, which will be between 3 and 10 euros—or about $3.15 to $10.55. All visitors must prebook their trip so the local government has a sense of how many visitors there will be each day.

In the U.S., the National Park Service is taking a similar approach for its most popular—and crowded—parks. If you want to climb Cadillac Mountain at Maine’s Acadia National Park or see Old Faithful blow at Yellowstone National Park, you need to plan ahead.

These famous spots now require reservations in advance for peak times to ensure that they aren’t so packed with people that it becomes harmful for the environment. And if you don’t have a reservation? Kupper suggests going elsewhere in the same park! “Spend more time in that one park and see it really, really well,” she says. “This helps the environment as well.”

Venice, Italy, is a dream destination for many. It has historic buildings and canals to see. But tourists who visit for less than 24 hours are turning that dream into a nightmare. Tourism scholar Magda Antonioli Corigliano says one-day guests try to do too much. This puts pressure on the city’s resources. Longer visits have a smaller impact on the city, she adds.

So the city is introducing an entry fee for day tourists. It will cost from 3 to 10 euros. That’s about $3.15 to $10.55. All visitors must book their trip in advance. This lets the local government know how many visitors there will be each day. So they can plan for it!

In the U.S., the National Park Service is doing something similar at the most popular and crowded parks. Want to climb Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park or see Old Faithful blow at Yellowstone National Park? You must plan ahead.

These famous spots now require reservations for peak times. That makes sure that the parks aren’t so packed with people that they harm the environment. And if you don’t have a reservation? Kupper suggests visiting another spot in the same park! “Spend more time in that one park and see it really, really well,” she says. “This helps the environment as well.”

In extreme cases, locals are asking for more than fees or reservations: They’re asking tourists to not visit, period! After travel restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic were lifted, Hawaii saw a huge surge in tourism. Visitors couldn’t rent cars because of a lack of supply, popular beaches and hiking trails were packed, and restaurants were so full that people had to wait more than 90 minutes to get a table.

Mike Victorino, the mayor of Maui at the time, asked airlines to send fewer flights to limit the over-crowding. “We’d like to welcome them,” he said. “But we also realize that we only have so many beaches.” Unfortunately, that spike in tourism also hit during a massive water shortage. Although conditions have improved, many local Hawaiians would ask you to not visit right now.

The National Park Service had a similar request for some of its most popular parks. “There are more than 400 parks—at least one in every state,” Kupper says. One way to prevent overcrowding and protect the natural beauty of the parks is to simply pick a less popular one. And that shouldn’t be too difficult to do, Kupper says. Of the 63 national parks and more than 400 sites in the national parks system, 25 of them receive half of all annual visitors.

In some places, locals want more than fees or reservations. They’re asking tourists not to visit at all! Hawaii saw a huge surge in tourism after Covid-19 travel restrictions were lifted. Rental car agencies ran out of cars. Popular beaches and hiking trails were packed. Many restaurants had 90-minute waits for a table!

Mike Victorino, the mayor of Maui at the time, wanted to limit crowding. So he asked airlines to send fewer flights. “We’d like to welcome them,” he said. “But we only have so many beaches.” The spike in tourism also hit during a water shortage. Conditions have improved, but many local Hawaiians would ask you to not visit right now.

The National Park Service had a similar request for some of its most popular parks. “There are more than 400 parks,” Kupper says. That’s at least one in every state! You can pick a less popular one to visit instead. This will prevent overcrowding and protect the parks’ natural beauty. That shouldn’t be too difficult to do, she says. There are 63 national parks and more than 400 sites in the national parks system. But just 25 of them receive half of all annual visitors!

No matter where your summer adventures take you, Kupper stresses the importance of being a good tourist. Whether it’s Venice, Hawaii, or a national park in your home state, the most important thing to do when visiting is to be mindful of your impact.

“We have a shared duty to take care of these places and, if possible, leave them better than we found them so they will be here for others,” Kupper says.

Kupper says to remember to be a good tourist no matter where you travel this summer. When visiting Venice, Hawaii, or a national park, be mindful of your impact.

“We have a shared duty to take care of these places and, if possible, leave them better than we found them. That way they will be here for others,” Kupper says.