The quaint, serene town of Sintra, Portugal, is known for its picturesque landscapes and historical charm, but for Martinho de Almada Pimentel, life here has become anything but peaceful. His family mansion, Casa do Cipreste, nestled in the mountains, was built by his great-grandfather in 1914 as a monument to privacy. However, in today's world of overtourism, privacy is a luxury that's hard to come by.
The Struggle for Solitude
Pimentel's house is a hidden gem in Sintra, with a doorbell that’s just as elusive as the peace and quiet he craves. The bell isn’t your typical modern buzzer but a long rope that, when pulled, rings a literal bell on the roof. This quirky feature often catches the eye of travelers stuck in standstill traffic outside his sun-kissed walls. The visitors, sometimes out of curiosity or just for fun, yank the rope, unaware of the intrusion they cause.
For Pimentel, these disturbances are more than just a nuisance. "Now I'm more isolated than during COVID," he shares from his veranda, with a tinge of bitterness. The car exhaust seeping through his open windows and the incessant noise of tuk-tuks—those noisy scooters named for the sound they make—are daily reminders of the overtourism problem that’s taken over his tranquil abode. What he once cherished as solitude has turned into a forced retreat indoors, where anger is his constant companion.
The Overtourism Phenomenon
The term "overtourism" has become a buzzword, but it encapsulates a very real problem facing many of the world's most beloved destinations. In 2024, global tourism is expected to break records, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. This resurgence, driven by revenge travel, digital nomads, and golden visas, has brought with it a host of challenges that destinations like Sintra are struggling to manage.
It's not just about the sheer number of tourists; it's the impact they have on local communities. The tipping point comes when the benefits of tourism—economic boost, cultural exchange—are outweighed by the negatives: traffic jams, overcrowded attractions, and a quality of life that's markedly diminished for residents.
For Pimentel and his neighbors, the daily reality of overtourism is far from the picturesque postcards that lure visitors to Sintra. The region, famed for its cool microclimate and stunning scenery, attracts over 3 million tourists annually. This influx puts immense pressure on the local infrastructure, especially the narrow, single-lane roads leading up to Pena Palace, the former retreat of King Ferdinand II. Imagine the frustration of being a local resident, trapped in your own home by the endless queues of cars, scooters, and tour buses clogging the streets.
Global Consequences of Overtourism
The situation in Sintra is not unique. Around the world, popular tourist destinations are grappling with the fallout from the surge in visitors. In Venice, Italy, the city has started charging day tourists a fee on peak days in an attempt to curb the crowds and protect its fragile historic sites. The move is part of a broader strategy to manage the flow of tourists and encourage visits during less busy times, but it's a controversial measure that highlights the difficult balance between preserving a destination and keeping it accessible.
In some places, the pushback against overtourism has taken on more aggressive forms. Anti-tourism protests have sprung up in cities like Barcelona, where locals have resorted to shaming tourists—or even dousing them with water pistols—while they dine at outdoor cafes. These demonstrations reflect a growing frustration among residents who feel their voices are being ignored by local authorities, who they believe prioritize tourist dollars over the well-being of their own communities.
The protests aren't just about the inconvenience of crowded streets or long lines at attractions. They're about deeper, systemic issues like skyrocketing housing prices, which are often driven up by the demand for short-term rentals like Airbnb. This problem is particularly acute in places like Spain and South Africa, where locals are being priced out of their own neighborhoods by investors catering to tourists.
Housing and Infrastructure Challenges
In Sintra, the housing crisis is felt acutely. The town center, a UNESCO-designated district, has no pharmacy or grocery store, making daily life for residents increasingly difficult. "Not to be able to get an ambulance or to not be able to get my groceries is a rich people problem?" asks Matthew Bedell, a fellow resident of Sintra. "Those don't feel like rich people problems to me."
The frustrations of Sintra's residents are emblematic of the broader challenges facing popular tourist destinations worldwide. The very appeal of these places—their beauty, history, and cultural significance—makes them vulnerable to being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of visitors. This is the crux of the overtourism issue: when the influx of tourists starts to erode the quality of life for locals, it becomes a problem that can't be ignored.
The Social Phenomenon of Overtourism
Overtourism isn't just an economic or environmental issue; it's a social phenomenon, too. According to Joseph Martin Cheer of Western Sydney University and Marina Novelli of the University of Nottingham, the way overtourism is perceived can vary widely depending on cultural norms. In countries like China and India, for example, crowded places are more socially accepted, which suggests that expectations of personal space and exclusivity differ across cultures.
This summer of 2023 has highlighted the chaos that can ensue when tourism surges unexpectedly. Airports and airlines have been overwhelmed, passports have become a nightmare for U.S. travelers, and the rush of revenge travel has shown no signs of slowing down. By January, the United Nations' tourism agency predicted that global tourism would exceed 2019 levels by 2%, with Europe remaining the most-visited destination. The World Travel & Tourism Council projected that tourism would generate $11.1 trillion globally and account for 330 million jobs in 2024 alone.
But alongside the economic benefits, there's been no shortage of trouble. Spain, in particular, has been a hotspot for tourism-related conflicts, from water management issues to the rising cost of housing. Protests erupted as early as March, with graffiti in Malaga urging tourists to "go f——— home," and demonstrations in the Canary Islands against the pressures tourism was placing on local resources.
Managing the Boom
In response to the growing pressures of overtourism, some destinations are taking proactive steps to manage the flow of visitors. Japan, for instance, has implemented measures to protect its most iconic sites. In Kyoto, tourists have been banned from certain alleys, while limits have been set on the number of people allowed to climb Mount Fuji. In the town of Fujikawaguchiko, leaders went so far as to erect a large black screen in a parking lot to deter tourists from overcrowding the area—a move that sparked a backlash when tourists cut holes in the screen at eye level to get their perfect photo.
Even air travel, a crucial component of global tourism, has faced significant challenges. The U.S. government reported in July that air travel had become more miserable, with delays, cancellations, and overcrowded flights becoming the norm. UNESCO has also raised concerns about the potential damage to protected areas, urging travelers to reconsider visiting certain hotspots.
Some destinations, like Amsterdam, are trying to shift the focus away from mass tourism and towards more sustainable models. The city's "Stay Away" campaign, for example, is aimed at deterring young men from coming to Amsterdam for wild parties, while Mongolia's "Welcome to MonGOlia" campaign has successfully attracted more visitors interested in the country's rich cultural heritage rather than just a cheap getaway.
The Future of Tourism
As tourism continues to evolve, some experts argue that the term "overtourism" itself may be outdated. Michael O'Regan, a lecturer on tourism and events at Glasgow Caledonian University, believes that the term has become a buzzword that doesn't fully capture the complexity of the issue. Instead, he suggests that the focus should be on how well destinations manage the crowds, rather than simply blaming the tourists.
"The backlash against the business models on which modern tourism has been built and the lack of response by politicians," O'Regan says, is at the heart of the problem. While tourism has "come back quicker than we expected," the issue isn't the tourists themselves but the failure of destination leaders to adequately plan for and manage the influx.
A Local Perspective
For residents like Virpi Makela, who runs the Casa do Valle bed-and-breakfast in Sintra, the daily challenges of living in a tourist hotspot are all too real. Her guests often call in distress, unable to navigate the town's confusing traffic rules and find her property. "There's a pillar in the middle of the road that goes up and down, and you can't go forward because you ruin your car," she explains. "So you have to somehow come down, but you can't turn around, so you have to back down the road."
These frustrations highlight the need for better management of tourism in Sintra and other popular destinations. While the World Travel & Tourism Council predicted in April that Portugal's tourism sector would grow by 24% over 2019 levels and account for about 20% of the national economy, residents are calling for more thoughtful approaches to managing the boom. The municipality of Sintra has invested in more parking lots outside the town and youth housing at lower prices near the center. They have also reduced the number of tickets sold to historic sites like Pena Palace, which now permits less than half the 12,000 tickets per day that were sold in the past.
But for many residents, these measures aren't enough. They've organized into associations like Sintra, challenging City Hall to "put residents first" and demanding better communication and more stringent limits on the number of cars and visitors allowed.
"We're not against tourists," reads the group's manifesto. "We're against the pandemonium that local leaders cannot resolve."
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