08-20-24 TPE Al Sears PM

Too Many Tourists, Not Enough Management: The Overtourism Crisis of Summer 2024

SINTRA, Portugal — In the picturesque hills of Sintra, Martinho de Almada Pimentel finds himself longing for the solitude his family home once provided. The doorbell to his ancestral mansion, a quirky rope that rings a bell on the roof, has become a source of annoyance rather than charm. With 5,000 visitors a day clogging the roads leading to the famed Pena Palace, Pimentel laments, “Now I'm more isolated than during COVID.”

As global tourism rebounds in 2024, the phenomenon of “overtourism” has reached alarming levels. Fueled by a surge in travel following the pandemic, the influx of tourists has overwhelmed local infrastructure and sparked frustration among residents. The chaos is palpable, with travelers stuck in traffic outside Casa do Cipreste, while Pimentel is left to inhale car exhaust and listen to the cacophony of scooters.

This summer, the consequences of overtourism are evident worldwide: traffic jams in once-idyllic locales, hospitality workers living in tents, and protests aimed at tourists in cities like Barcelona, where locals have taken to dousing visitors with water pistols. The message is clear: manage tourism better, or risk losing the very visitors who contribute $11.1 trillion annually to the global economy.

Critics may roll their eyes at the plight of affluent residents like Pimentel, but the issues extend beyond mere inconvenience. Matthew Bedell, another Sintra local, points out, “Not to be able to get an ambulance or to not be able to get my groceries is a rich people problem?” The reality is that overtourism affects everyone, regardless of wealth.

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