Crowd control - overtourism and how to avoid it this sUMMER
With Venice literally sinking beneath the weight of summer visitors and hotspots like Barcelona and Tenerife giving tourists the cold shoulder, the thorny issue of overtourism is once again making headlines. While there’s no quick and easy solution, there are plenty of steps you can take to avoid adding to the problem, minimise your impact and plan a crowd-free, sustainable trip instead…
Don’t pick the big hitters
If you’re visiting in peak season, consider swapping iconic destinations for lesser-known but just as lovely ‘dupes’. Instead of Amsterdam, try nearby Utrecht with its pretty canals and gabled houses. Instead of Barcelona, head to quieter Girona, 90 minutes away and just as enchanting with its maze-like old town and excellent restaurants. Provence may have cachet but it’s also rammed in summer – consider its unspoiled neighbour, the languid Languedoc, where rolling vineyards are punctuated by grand wine estates with hotels such as magical Château St Pierre de Serjac. Tempted by Tuscany but put off by the summer swarms? Neighbouring Slovenia remains blissfully off the tourist trail but its enchanting Goriška Brda wine region is just as gorgeous (and produces delicious tipples). Meanwhile, as families flock to Greece’s islands and beaches, in-the-know visitors head into the hills instead, where sleek hideaways such as the Grand Forest Metsovo offer stunning mountain landscapes with only golden eagles for company. With a little research, it’s not hard to find quieter alternatives to travel hotspots. You’ll find they tend to be much better value for money, too.
Go the extra mile
Direct flights and easy access are closely linked to overtourism. As soon as an indirect flight or a lengthier journey is needed, you’ll tend to find fewer crowds. Sometimes it’s worth the extra effort to dodge the hordes. For instance, the tiny tropical island of Tobago in the Caribbean is a stunner but remains blissfully uncrowded thanks partly to the lack of direct flights (you’ll need to connect via Antigua or St Lucia). Once you get there, however, you’ll be rewarded with boutique hideaways like Castara Retreats (castararetreats.com). Fly-and-flop destinations are often swamped in summer. Far better to pick somewhere that requires a bit more work to reach – instead of overcrowded Mykonos and Santorini, which have their own airports, try the unspoiled Greek specks of Tinos and Alonissos, which require an extra leg by ferry to reach.
Time your trip
Unless you’re tied to school holidays, you’d be mad to travel during peak season. Go for shoulder season instead, when you’ve got a good chance of decent weather, lower prices when it comes to flights and hotels and only a trickle of tourists. Take Venice – visit in March/April and there are almost half the number of visitors as you’ll find in July/August.
Think local and sustainable
It’s not just about having your holiday ruined by crowds. The impact of overtourism is huge: soaring rent forcing locals to make way for holiday lets; fragile ecosystems and wildlife habitats being damaged and destroyed; pollution from increased traffic and waste generation; loss of local cultures and traditions. You can do your part by trying to travel more sustainably. Support local businesses, shops, restaurants and hotels – all too often an increase in visitors doesn’t boost the local economy as you’d expect, for example when cruise ship passengers swamp a city for the day but eat all their meals on board. Be mindful of your environment and dispose of litter properly. With the UN Ocean Conference this year shining a spotlight on marine conservation, take care not to damage fragile aquatic environments – don’t touch or stand on coral when snorkelling and avoid chemical sunscreens which are harmful to marine life. Choose hotels with a meaningful environmental ethos (avoiding those which ‘greenwash’), such as Castara Retreats in Tobago, who have partnered with ERIC (Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville), to promote sustainability for Tobago’s unique forest ridges, villages and ocean.