A report on over-tourism. Which is now under-tourism. Which isn’t good, either. Also, a note about the U.S. State Department lifting its four-month advisory against Americans travelling abroad. My Future of Travel blog for Aug. 7.
Finding the Right Tourism Balance
For years we’ve read headlines about too many tourists cramming the Champs Elysees and jamming the canals of Amsterdam.
Locals on some popular Spanish islands got so fed up that they vandalized visitors’ cars. Petitions against over-tourism sprang up in overcrowded cities such as Barcelona and Venice, where they had to put limits on cruise ships.
Now, what some restaurants and shop owners wouldn’t give for a taste of the good old days. While many locals in Paris and Prague seem to be enjoying the lack of crowds, it’s tough on business folks who rely on foreign visitors, especially in the popular summer months.
I was in Bordeaux a few summers ago and shot this photo, which today looks like the recipe for disaster but in 2017 was just another August day in a popular French city.
Frederic Dimanche, Director of the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson University in Toronto, said major cities this year are indeed experiencing what he calls a “low-traffic summer.”
But he also says “the pendulum has swung too far” and that “under-tourism” is now an issue. And that hurts local economies, particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors.
“Local residents, from what I read about Paris, enjoy this situation and have their city back; no line at the Louvre to enjoy the Mona Lisa or other art works,” Dimanche told me via Twitter. “People bike more than ever with less car traffic, and they enjoy the room at restaurant terraces.
On the other hand, seaside destinations such as the French Riviera (where Dimanche wrote his note to me) seem to be doing well after a slow start, and that signs of over-tourism are already showing.
Still, he said it’s important to find a balance between over-tourism and under-tourism.
What’s needed is “adequate tourism that responds to economic community needs without negatively impacting residents’ quality of life and the natural resources.”
“Coronavirus has changed the world,” Paola Mar, who’s in charge of tourism planning and management at the Venice city council, told the Christian Science Monitor recently. “It is an opportunity for us, an accelerator of change.”
Venice normally hosts an average of 55,000 tourists (more than the city’s population) each day, many of them day-trippers from cruise ships. The countrywide lockdown imposed on March 9 brought visitor numbers down to zero.
Tourists are now making a timid return, but officials say they do not want the crowds to swell to their previous size, the website said.
What Mar is hoping will happen is that Venice attract fewer tourists who would stay longer. One program in the works is an “access tax” to discourage day-trippers, which would run to $12 US in the high season.
If it works, you can bet other popular cities will try something similar.
I get the idea, but it could be tough on lower-income travellers who want to visit some of the world’s great destinations. And that would be a shame.
US Lifts Travel Advisory: Where’s Alanis Morissette When We Need Her?
The US State Department says it’s safe for US citizens to travel and has lifted the four-month-long “do not travel” advisory. But most countries, including Canada, don’t want Americans heading their way.
As Alanis Morissette might say, “Isn’t it Ironic?”
Americans Reluctant to Travel: Bad for Tourism and Luxury Travel
A Gallup survey of more than 10,000 American recent flight passengers found 52% of respondents are not comfortable flying during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that airlines’ efforts to persuade customers about the safety of flying have had limited success.
According to a story at Aviation Week, the responses vary significantly based on age, with 69% of respondents aged 55 or older saying they’re uncomfortable flying, compared to 33% of those aged 18 to 35.
“That finding aligns with demographic trends observed during the pandemic, as airline executives have reported their average customer is younger and has less discretionary income than before, boosting the prospects of low-fare operators that cater to cost-conscious and infrequent travellers.”
I’ve heard people say that luxury travel will do well in the coming months as rich folks can arrange for private tours. That may be true, but what about high-end hotels? They often rely on wealthy, older travellers. And if seven out of 10 folks 55 or older in the US say they’re not comfortable with flying, there’s a problem.
