Many Popular Tourist Spots Are Tired of Tourists

The locals at several popular tourist spots have expressed their frustration at tourists in various ways.

In Hallstatt, Austria, locals put up barriers to discourage the onslaught of travelers who visit each year. Photo courtesy of Vera Petrunina/Dreamstime

In the charming Austrian lakeside village of Hallstatt—population about 800—many of the residents recently staged a blockade of the main entrance into town. Inhabitants of Venice, Italy, hung protest flags from the windows of their homes. People in Barcelona, Spain, sprayed visitors with water guns. And the ruling council of Orkney, Scotland, proposed a plan to limit the number of passenger cruise ships that could dock there each day.

These are among numerous examples of actions taken by communities around the world to combat what some people call the downside of tourism—or, to be more specific, overtourism.