UK: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has today launched a new report calling for a more balanced approach to managing tourism in popular destinations.
The paper, Managing Destination Overcrowding: A Call to Action, is free to download for WTTC members although non-members can also purchase the report to access the information.
Travel & Tourism supports one in every 10 jobs and nearly 10 per cent of global GDP – in 2024 it’s expected to have contributed nearly U$11tn to the global economy and support 357 million jobs.
The WTTC says when managed well, the sector fosters cultural exchange, global understanding, and environmental protection but without smart planning, the benefits it brings could be at risk. Underinvestment in infrastructure, poor planning, and fragmented decision-making also impact both residents and visitors.
In recent years a growing number of destinations have introduced tourism taxes in response to pressure of overtourism, but WTTC warns these measures don’t always solve the real problems and can put jobs, income, and services at risk.
The report finds that if 11 major European cities capped visitor numbers, it could cost US$245bn in lost GDP and almost three million jobs over three years.
The global tourism body says annually, governments around the world accrue more than US$3.3tn from Travel & Tourism businesses, equivalent to 9.6 per cent of global tax revenues.
WTTC urges governments to reinvest this sum in vital infrastructure, and solutions to relieve pressures on already very popular destinations adding there’s no quick fix to the problem and local leaders, and businesses to work together to support both communities and visitors.
The paper outlines six steps destinations can take to manage tourism better:
- Get organised – Bring the right stakeholders together, via empowered taskforces;
- Make a plan – Define a shared vision and destination strategy;
- Gather the evidence – A lack of data is exacerbating issues in several destinations. It is therefore crucial to carry out evidence-based; diagnoses and responses to the unique challenges faced by each destination;
- Stay vigilant – Monitor conditions and act early;
- Invest wisely – Reinvest in infrastructure and resilience, being transparent about where money is spent;
- Empower residents – Make sure residents have a say and understand the benefits of Travel & Tourism in their communities.
The report also includes examples of destinations that are taking positive steps to combat some of the causes including; Turisme de Barcelona Consortium which operates under a public-private partnership model, guided by the principles of sustainable development goals, VisitFlanders’ Travel to Tomorrow strategy, which reframes tourism as a tool to support local community goals such as making sure that listening to residents needs is a central tenet in their practice, Dubrovnik’s partnership with CLIA, reducing congestion through cruise coordination and community dialogue and Iceland, which reinvests tourism levies directly into environmental protection
Julia Simpson, WTTC president & CEO said: “Travel & Tourism brings huge benefits including jobs, investment, and deeper cultural understanding. But growth needs to be managed carefully. We’re encouraging all decision-makers to think ahead, work together, and focus on long-term benefits for residents and visitors alike. This isn’t about stopping tourism, it’s about making it work for everyone.”
For more information and to download the report, see WTTC’s Research Hub.
Photo by Elizeu Dias on Unsplash