Negative influencers - The problem of overtourism in Italy
Millions of tourists flood into Italy every year, making it one of the most visited and photographed countries in the world, but how does the deluge of online posts affect the communities behind the posts?
Tourism in the era of social media is all about posts. Sharing a selfie in front of the Trevi Fountain – the same selfie taken by millions of other visitors – has become more important than living in the moment and enjoying the Eternal City. Our holidays have become less about our own experiences and more about how others will view our experiences online. We are bombarded with idealized images of destinations and bombard others in turn. It is important to pause and think about how this mania for online sharing affects not only the quality of our own experience but also the lives of our hosts.
We all love having treasured reminders of our trips and the good times spent with our travel companions, be it an adventure abroad with close friends, a well-earned family vacation, or a romantic getaway. But is the fuss and stress of jostling with thousands of other tourists in the sweltering Roman summer, fingers sticky with melted overpriced gelato that you queued for half an hour to get worth it to get a photo of yourself sitting on the Spanish Steps? Would a spontaneous snap of you and your mates cycling along the Appian Way in early Spring with the ruins of the Roman aqueduct in the background and a picnic in tow not be better? Does the whole world have to see that snap, or could it just be your own treasured memory?
When you find yourself in the middle of a seething horde at the Rialto Bridge, you understand the point of view of residents who complain about the cruise ships that dwarf the city skyline and vomit thousands of semi-conscious, selfie-snapping tourists into Piazza San Marco. Perhaps, you think to yourself, I should have come in winter when Venice is shrouded in a ghostly mist and seems to rise like magic from the grey sea like a surreal dream, when you can hear nothing else but the water of a canal gently lapping against a narrow pathway you have wandered down all by yourself to chance upon an intimate moment, a shard in time, perhaps a cormorant diving for fish from a lonely perch half submerged in the turbid lagoon.
The battle between tourists clamoring to visit destinations famed for their beauty and the everyday life of locals in these places is eternal. People operating in the tourism industry are quite happy about the ever-increasing number of visitors, as the frenzy creates more income. More tourism means more jobs which can only be a good thing, especially in a country like Italy with its high unemployment rate. A thriving economy should, in theory, also lead to improved services and infrastructure for tourists and residents alike, but this logic does not always hold true, and infrastructure lags woefully behind the increased pressure on overtouristed cities.
On the other hand, locals must contend with increased living costs and skyrocketing rent in these areas. Locals are forced to change their lifestyles as their neighborhoods transform into tourist traps. They may have to stop going to their favorite restaurants or even grocery shops to dodge queues or exorbitant prices. They may even be forced to move out of neighborhoods that become popular with tourists. In other words, some residents only see the damage caused by uncontrolled tourism.
City councils have started to take action. Venice has decreed that cruise ships will no longer be allowed to dock in the historic center and will be limited to the mainland. There is also talk of an entrance fee or ticket for daytrippers to try offset the damage this brand of tourist causes. Nevertheless, more often than not, city councils’ hands are tied by money-hungry institutions or companies who will always find a way to bypass measures.
You should be an independent traveler and avoid becoming part of large eat-and-go tour groups that tend to overcrowd places. Choose to stay longer, and support small businesses, so you do not have to rush and join a tour to see everything in a few hours.
If that’s not doable, you can still, literally, go the extra mile. Does the tourist trap next to the Uffizi Gallery have a never-ending queue? I am sure there is a quieter place just around the corner, often offering a better and more reasonably-priced product. Are you fed up with shoulder-pushing in the narrow alleys of Venice? Take a vaporetto over to Burano, and you will discover amazing canal views with no crowds.
I am not suggesting you have to skip the most famous places entirely. If you want to see Piazza Navona or Piazza di Spagna, wake up early. You will see how beautiful Rome is early in the morning before all the tours arrive, or go for a passeggiata after they leave in the evening as the locals do.
We are sometimes influenced by what we see in magazines or online to get to the photographed places at all costs, ignoring what lies behind the process of getting the shot. Once photographed and publicized, an untouched village, a quiet mountain trail, or an unspoiled beach attracts others. A stream can become a torrent, a torrent can become a flood, and everything that made a place beautiful can be ruined.
Be a smart visitor, support local businesses, don’t eat-and-go, don’t rush from site to site, stay longer, wake up earlier, don’t contribute to the problem of overcrowding by visiting at peak times, look for things to do off the beaten path, think before you share online, and live in the moment. We all have the power to make better choices so that our dream holiday does not become a nightmare for locals.
Cover: A cruise ship entering Canale della Giudecca in Venezia
