Popular destinations are testing new ways to manage tourism as overcrowding, housing costs, pollution and pressure on public infrastructure fuel resident opposition. ABC News reports that the measures include restrictions on short-term rentals, bans on large cruise ships, timed or limited access to attractions and taxes charged to visitors.
Amsterdam has stopped investing in traditional tourism marketing as it seeks to manage rather than expand visitor numbers. Mila de Heer, a corporate communications specialist at Amsterdam & Partners, said the city wanted a visitor economy that contributed to the city, respected residents and strengthened its cultural, social and economic fabric. The city is also trying to move away from its reputation as a permissive playground.
Housing is a central concern in Barcelona, where authorities announced a plan to remove the licences of more than 10,000 short-term rental apartments by November 2028. The policy is part of a broader effort to stop tourism growth, with sustainable tourism commissioner José Antonio Donaire telling The New York Times that demand could not continue growing if accommodation was unavailable. ABC News says residents have protested tourism in recent summers, including by spraying water at visitors.
Other destinations have focused on limiting access or charging visitors. Venice banned large cruise ships from entering its historic centre in 2021 after years of local protests. Western Sydney University sustainable tourism professor Joseph Cheer said cruise passengers could put pressure on facilities and infrastructure without providing much economic benefit. University of Adelaide lecturer Freya Higgins-Desbiolles described the ban as an example of local communities influencing tourism decisions.
Japan has tripled its international tourist tax, with the national tourism organisation saying the money will support public works, airport and tourist-site infrastructure, historic assets and online visitor resources. Bali introduced a 150,000 rupiah tourist tax in 2024 to support ecological and cultural conservation, although some visitors have found its collection confusing. ABC News reports that Bali is also dealing with a waste crisis and infrastructure that has not kept pace with rising arrivals.
Professor Cheer said overtourism means tourism growth creating local problems, including overcrowding, noise, pollution, waste and higher housing costs. He questioned whether visitor taxes tackle the root causes or whether it is always clear that the money will be spent on problems created by tourism.