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Three Keys to Sustainable Tourism
With the rise of globalization and increased travel, more people are crossing borders to visit various regions.
The tourism industry has become a significant part of national economies, and as tourism, which had been suppressed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resumes, tourists are flocking to popular destinations around the world.
However, overtourism has become a serious problem in many of these areas.
This has led to negative consequences such as noise, waste, and even the invasion of residents' privacy.
In Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan, tourists crowd the narrow streets to take photos, causing inconvenience for locals.
Some residents cannot even open their windows, and their privacy is violated as tourists enter their homes without permission.
Moreover, overtourism leads to rising real estate prices and environmental degradation.
In Barcelona, for example, the surge in tourists has caused property prices to skyrocket, and in the El Carmel district, many residents have been forced to leave due to the growing number of tourist accommodations.
As dissatisfaction with overtourism grows, some local communities have organized protests.
Residents in Montmartre, for example, have complained that their neighborhood has transformed into a theme park for tourists, and in Barcelona, around 600 protesters took to the streets with signs reading ’Tourists Go Home.’
Some residents even sprayed water guns at tourists, and in Mallorca and Ibiza, more extreme actions such as blocking tourist buses have been seen.
These protests are more than just expressions of inconvenience.
They signal the need for a new direction where local communities and tourism can coexist harmoniously.
To address these issues, it is essential to establish sustainable tourism through three key policies: containment, distribution, and understanding.
These policies aim to regulate overtourism while ensuring the long-term viability of the tourism industry.
Japan offers an exemplary model of how these strategies can be effectively conducted.
On Iriomote Island, Japan has implemented a ‘containment’ policy by limiting daily visitors to 1,200 and restricting vehicle speeds in certain areas to protect endangered species.
Kyoto employs a ‘distribution’ strategy by opening new cultural heritage sites during off-peak seasons and holding special events at various times and locations to avoid overcrowding.
Shirakawa-go has introduced an ‘understanding’ policy by providing tourist etiquette guides to encourage responsible tourism and respect for local culture.
On the other hand, most countries have focused mainly on containment policies.
Venice, for example, has limited the number of daily tourists and introduced a daily tourism tax.
Athens has also restricted the number of visitors to the Acropolis to protect the site, and Barcelona has raised its tourism tax and strengthened regulations on illegal accommodations.
In Ibiza and Mallorca, some areas have limited tourist buses or removed beach chairs to control crowds.
In South Korea, Bukchon Hanok Village has also limited tourist access at certain times.
However, relying solely on containment policies cannot guarantee the sustainability of the tourism industry.
If containment policies are overly strict, there is a risk of shrinking the tourism industry.
Since tourism contributes significantly to national economies and creates various jobs, excessive regulation can harm local businesses.
In the case of Bukchon Hanok Village, while residents have welcomed the restrictions, local merchants have expressed concerns about losing revenue.
This suggests that striking a balance between the local community, the tourism industry, and tourists is a complex challenge.
Therefore, to solve the problem of overtourism, we not only need to focus on containment but also consider distribution and understanding policies in a balanced manner.
It’s important to properly distribute tourists across different areas and, at the same time, encourage responsible behavior from tourists.
Just like Japan, other countries should combine the three strategies to create a sustainable tourism environment.
When such a balanced approach is implemented worldwide, we can build a tourism environment where both tourists and locals can truly coexist.
This will not be a short-term solution but the foundation for a tourism industry that can thrive in the long term.
[요약]
관광 산업은 국가 경제에 중요한 역할을 하고 있지만, 최근 들어 과잉관광 문제가 심각해지고 있습니다.
이를 해결하고자 많은 국가들이 '억제' 정책에 집중하고 있지만, 이는 관광 산업의 지속 가능성을 보장하기에 부족합니다.
지속 가능한 관광을 위해서는 '억제' 외에도 '분산'과 '이해' 정책을 균형 있게 적용해야 합니다.
관광객이 특정 지역에 집중되지 않도록 분산시키고, 책임감 있는 관광을 유도하는 정책이 필요합니다.
일본의 사례처럼, 각국은 세 가지 정책을 잘 결합하여 지속 가능한 관광 환경을 만들어야 합니다.
이런 균형 잡힌 접근이 전 세계적으로 확산된다면, 관광객과 지역 주민이 상생하는 관광 환경이 만들어질 수 있습니다.
이는 단기적인 해결책이 아니라, 장기적으로 지속 가능한 관광 산업의 기반이 될 것입니다.
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