[News Terms] Can't Live Because of Tourists... 'Overtourism'

As famous tourist destinations around the world suffer from overtourism, the capital city of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, has declared that it will no longer build new hotels. The city stated, "We want to make and maintain the city as a good place to live for both residents and visitors," and announced that it will keep the number of hotel stays by tourists below 20 million annually to address overtourism.

Overtourism refers to the phenomenon where tourists flock to a specific area or city beyond its capacity, occupying spaces and infringing on residents' lives. Residents suffer from environmental destruction caused by overtourism, as well as traffic congestion and noise pollution. The suppressed tourism demand during the COVID-19 pandemic has recently led to "revenge tourism" over the past two to three years, causing excessive crowds in cities with famous tourist spots, resulting in rising prices and deterioration of living environments.

According to foreign media such as CNN, Amsterdam issued a statement on the 17th (local time) explaining the reason for restricting new hotel construction, saying, "We will create an environment suitable for citizens and visitors to live in." However, if existing hotels close and new accommodations can be maintained for a long time, construction permits will be granted. Also, hotels that have already received construction permits can continue their work.

Amsterdam, which attracts about 20 million tourists annually, has previously faced complaints from residents due to noisy parties held every night. Residents even launched a "Stay Away" campaign targeting tourists who enjoy partying with alcohol and drugs.

Other European cities experiencing tourist influxes are also introducing measures one after another. Venice, the northern Italian city built on water, will charge a city entrance fee of 5 euros (about 7,300 won) for day-trippers who do not use accommodations from the 25th until mid-July. Starting in June, group tours will be limited to 25 people, and tour guides will be prohibited from using loudspeakers.

Venice receives 25 to 30 million tourists annually, but its city center population is only about 50,000. In August last year, UNESCO argued that Venice is suffering irreversible damage due to overtourism, excessive development, and rising sea levels caused by climate change, and called for Venice to be included on the list of endangered cultural heritage sites.

In Japan, from this month, access to Kyoto's Gion district is partially restricted for tourists. This is due to problematic behavior by some inconsiderate tourists, such as harassing geishas and forcing them to take photos. Tokyo is discussing raising the accommodation tax for tourists, and Mount Fuji will limit the number of daily climbers and impose a toll of 2,000 yen (about 18,000 won) starting in July.

Osaka announced that it will additionally collect a tourism tax from foreign tourists on top of the current accommodation fees. In Japan, there are also calls to introduce a "dual pricing system" where foreigners pay more than locals. However, experts point out that regulations such as imposing tourism taxes require a cautious approach, as they may cause resentment among tourists or negatively impact the jobs and income of local tourism industry workers.