SINTRA, Portugal — Martinho de Almada Pimentel’s house, built by his great-grandfather in 1914, is a symbol of privacy, indicated by a discreet doorbell – a remote rope that rings a bell on the roof when pulled. However, amid the summer rush of tourists, Pimentel experiences a lack of privacy, with thousands of visitors daily crowding the narrow streets around his mountainside mansion in Sintra, drawn to nearby attractions like Pena Palace.
The year 2024 is predicted to break global tourism records post-COVID-19, fueled by revenge travel, digital nomad campaigns, and rising housing costs attributed in part to initiatives like golden visas, causing challenges not only for affluent residents like Pimentel but also for the local community in general. Overtourism, a term used to describe the point where tourism ceases to benefit residents and starts causing harm by overwhelming infrastructure and historic sites, is a growing concern worldwide.
Around the globe, destinations are grappling with the impacts of overtourism, from Spain to South Africa. The influx of tourists has led to chaotic airport scenes, overwhelmed airlines, and passport obstacles for travelers. In the first quarter of 2024, international tourist arrivals surged by 20% compared to the same period in 2023, indicating a rapid revival of the tourism sector.
Amid the tourism boom, some countries like Spain have faced challenges such as water management issues, soaring housing prices, and clashes between locals and tourists. In response to overcrowding, measures such as erecting screens to deter tourists have been taken, but incidents like visitors cutting holes in the screens highlight the escalating tensions in popular tourist spots.
As tourism evolves rapidly, experts argue that the term “overtourism” may no longer capture the nuances of the current situation. Crowd management and governmental responses play pivotal roles in shaping the tourism experience, with destinations urged to conduct more research and implement sustainable solutions to manage the influx of visitors effectively.
In Sintra, local residents like Virpi Makela, who runs a bed-and-breakfast, have encountered challenges due to chaotic traffic and changing rules that confuse visitors. To address the issues associated with overtourism, Sintra’s municipality has introduced initiatives like building more parking lots and affordable housing options for youth, while limiting the number of tickets sold for historic sites to alleviate overcrowding.
Residents in Sintra have formed groups like QSintra to advocate for better communication from local authorities and stricter regulations on tourism activities to prioritize the well-being of residents. Managing the influx of tourists in a sustainable and community-centric manner has become a pressing issue for destinations worldwide faced with the repercussions of overtourism.