Tourist taxes, long queues, closed venues, damaged environment… Overtourism has consequences. And as travel industry workers, we should be mindful of this phenomenon when recommending destinations.

What is overtourism?  

Overtourism happens when a destination receives too many visitors. For example, Hallstatt in Austria receives around 10,000 visitors per day in peak season. Tourists flock to the small town to see its ancient salt mines, pristine lake, and Alpine scenery. But there is a problem — Hallstatt has a population of 800 locals, which is very small in comparison to the tourists visiting. In 2023, locals protested against overtourism, while holding banners saying “tourism yes, mass tourism no.”

Hallstatt is not the only example. According to McKinsey, 80% of travellers visit just 10% of the world’s tourist destinations. Such imbalanced numbers cause infrastructure problems, harm natural and cultural sites, and frustrate locals.

Another popular tourist destination, Venice is known for attracting 20 million tourists per year, especially day-trippers. In 2024, the Italian city introduced a €5 city centre access fee between 8:30am and 4pm on peak travel days. Similarly, in 2023 and 2024, Athens capped Acropolis visitors at 20,000 per day, Bali introduced a tourist tax of IDR 150,000 (around €9), and Amsterdam banned the construction of new hotels. 

What are the risks of overtourism? 

Overtourism affects the destination, locals, tourists, and travel agents, making the travel experience a challenging one for everyone.

Here is how overtourism affects everyone involved:

For destinations 

In a 2024 protest in Tenerife, locals reported sleeping in cars and caves, due to the increase in housing prices. The protesters also expressed concerns about the island’s limited resources, saying it would not be able to accommodate the influx of tourists.

Overtourism affects not only locals but also the sites that attract tourists in the first place. The 20,000 visitor per day cap in Acropolis was put for this exact reason — so as not to harm the UNESCO World Heritage site.

For the environment 

Italy was hard-hit during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, especially since tourism makes up a large part of the country’s economy. But the city of Venice took a deep breath when there were no tourists — according to locals, the waterway looked clearer and the air quality improved.

Besides pollution, the influx of tourists may also lead to erosion. In 2023, Peru announced a suspension of visits to Machu Picchu because of the erosion overtourism caused on certain stones. The country opened Machu Picchu later that year, but put visitor caps to protect this World Wonder.

For travellers

Travellers may want to check off bucket list experiences like going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, visiting Hagia Sophia, or sipping Aperol Spritz at Cinque Terre. But these experiences are much less enjoyable when there are long queues, visitor caps, and hefty fees involved. Combined, these factors can make the travel experience less authentic, and may not live up to visitors’ expectations. 

For travel agents

As a travel agent, you want nothing more than to hear how much your clients have enjoyed the destination you recommended. You want them to talk about that amazing family-owned hotel in Spain, the tasty food tour in Taiwan, and the picturesque sunsets on a lesser-known Thailand beach such as Koh Lanta.

Unfortunately, more popular destinations may not deliver the “wow” factor you’re looking for. Chances are, your clients are already familiar with these destinations, be it from an Instagram Reel or other travel agencies. The more well-known destinations don’t give many opportunities for you to stand out, and may end up disappointing clients because of the queues and crowds. 

The good news? You can choose between 200,000+ hotels, resorts and independent stays in our Bedsonline Booking Engine! With useful filters to help you refine your search - including traveler type, exclusive hotels, or TripAdvisor rating - our travel booking platform is designed to help you find that perfect stay for any traveler, no matter their destination, personal preferences or values.

Why should travel agents consider overtourism when promoting destinations to travellers? 

In a 2024 survey, nearly half of travellers said they were interested in visiting less-touristy spots. As the Vayable CEO Jamie Wong said, “People want to reclaim what’s real. Mass tourism is no longer sufficient.”

People don’t want to travel for the sake of travelling — they want to connect with the culture, learn about a country’s history, and try out the local food. Recommending over-crowded destinations —especially during the peak season— is likely to disappoint, as it becomes harder to find authenticity. But with off-the-beaten-path destinations, it’s way easier to book local activities and guarantee an authentic experience.

Despite its advantages, tourism accounts for 8% of carbon emissions globally. Tourists are likely aware of this, given that 75% of them said they wanted to travel more sustainably.

A good way to promote sustainable tourism is to boost under-visited destinations, especially as international travel has reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2024. Let your clients know of the risks of overtourism, and propose alternatives depending on their preferences. This is where understanding your clients' requirements is key. More so for these alternative destinations, as they require a more contextualised, bespoke approach during your consultation. 

For example, Thailand’s Maya Bay closed to tourists in 2018, when only 8% of its coral reefs were left alive. Featured in Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2000 film The Beach, the picturesque spot used to receive nearly 7,000 tourists and 100 long-tailed boats per day, which destroyed the coral reefs. Fast forward to 2023, the conservation efforts started paying off, and the coral reef population reached 20-30%. That said, marine biologists predict that it will take another 20 years for the iconic beach to be how it was 50 years ago. There are currently visitor caps and restrictions to visit Maya Bay.

When your clients are aware of the risks of overtourism, like the Maya Bay example, they can make more sustainable choices. Then, you can start recommending less-touristy beaches, eco-friendly hotels, and ethical tours that respect the environment and locals.

If you’re booking holidays to popular spots, try suggesting off-season travel for lower impact on the environment, fewer crowds, and cheaper prices. Though shoulder seasons are arguably becoming a thing of the past due the rising remote worker population and the changing travel preferences of today's traveler, there are usually fewer crowds in those traditionally 'off season' months for travelers seeking quieter exploration! 

How can travel providers find alternative destinations to tackle overtourism? 

While each clients' experience will differ, given the subjective nature of travel, there is one main thing to remember: authenticity and immersion is key for today's traveler. Gone are the days when travelers were happy to settle for a superficial look at their destination of choice, 2024's travel trends (and beyond) suggest that today's (and tomorrow's) traveler wants to get under the skin of wherever they go, to understand the culture, the environment, and the people there. 

So, when you're making a recommendation, think about where might speak to your traveler; their interests, goals, personal preferences, and who they're travelling with.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What type of experience are they looking for? - Are they looking for a vibrant culinary travel or ecotourism experience? Or are they in the mood for a city-scape?
• Where have they enjoyed staying before - and are they looking for something similar?
• What were they unsatisfied with in their last destination? - Understanding any unsatsifactory aspects of their trip, and how overtourism may have played into this, will help you provide a more satsifactory recommendation

So instead of a typical stay in Paris's city centre for a romantic getaway, why not recommend somewhere like Reims? Located in Paris's iconic Champagne region, and a short day-trip distance from Paris should travelers want to venture into the city, this town offers the same romantic charm complete with stunning Champagne houses and Gothic architecture.

For city-seekers who had their eyes on stunning mega cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong or Seoul, the incredible city of Taipei is an alternative to some of Asia's most populace, and therefore alluring, cities - with its temples, night markets and incredible scenic destinations like Beitou or Maokong. 

Travelers seeking an adventure but want to keep things sustainable, suggest a life-changing and eco-friendly visit to Costa Rica’s cloud forests! With three protected nature reserves, Monteverde, Santa Elena and Bosque Eterno de los Ninos, that support a valuable array of wildlife, offer a vast number of hiking trails and which are richly biodiverse, this is truly an amazing place to learn more about Costa Rica's ecosystems and support Costa Rica in their sustainable endeavors as a destination. Plus, Monteverde is just 3 hours from San Jose Costa Rica!

For travelers looking for European magic without the bustle, why not suggest heading into the rural areas and enjoying activites like a guided walking tour in any of Tuscany's towns - one of Italy's finest rural regions. Why not suggest Lucignano, a small medieval village halfway between the stunning Siena and Arezzo. Or perhaps an exploration of the Vie Cave ('sunken roads') - incredibly narrow paths in the Maremma area, or a visit to the charming Montecarlo.

The more intruiging your suggestions, the more you'll catch your clients' interest, and their bookings. And for those big-ticket travel opportunities, there are always lesser-known destinations which benefit from the revenue that tourism brings in, and offers travelers amazing experiences without the crowds. 

For example, why not take a look at some alternative destinations for Valentine's Day, for inspiration?

So, picture this: you’ve suggested Taipei as a more off-the-beaten-path alternative to visitors who’ve already been to Tokyo. Great decision! But now you’ll need hotels, restaurants, car hire services, and activities in Taipei. 

This is where we come in.

Work with Bedsonline

Your ideal travel provider will ideally have a global portfolio and handy tools for you to select destinations and experiences. For example, our Booking Engine lets you search by hotel, destination, region and experiences. This way, you can find interesting activities anywhere in the world, be it in underrated cities or small towns. 

Our handy filtering options make it easy to refine each search based on your individual clients' preferences, as well as offering over 200,000 hotels, resorts and villas in some incredible hidden gem destinations which are just waiting to be discovered. Not only this but our global portfolio also includes experiences for a truly immersive trip, as well as transfer options to reach those more remote destinations.

This not only allows you to offer the best alternative, hidden gem destinations, or curate that bespoke experience for each client, but provide a full service experience right from the moment of booking to when they return home! As travel partners, we offer end to end services so that as advisors, you can be with your clients every step of the way.

When you partner with us, you’ll also get access to Insights, a search and recommendation tool. It gives personalised recommendations on trending destinations, the most popular activities, and alternatives depending on your clients’ needs. 

See how we can help you boost your business, and learn more about our offering as a travel partner! 

Register your travel agency today or log in to your Bedsonline account to get the latest offers and stay up-to-date with travel trends.

For this year’s trends report, check out the 2024 Travel Trends and find out about sustainability, luxury travel, emerging destinations, and more.