Tourism’s Traffic Problem

Overtourism is like a traffic jam. Too many people, all in the same place, at the same time. It’s Barcelona in August, Bergen on a cruise day, or Times Square on New Year’s Eve. It’s Santorini when multiple cruise ships dock at once or Kyoto’s bamboo forest so packed that no one can hear the wind.

Unbalanced tourism is poor traffic management. A city with plenty of roads but no system to spread the flow. The tourists aren’t the problem. The real issue is a model that funnels them into the same five Instagram hotspots while everything else stays empty.

The best destinations don’t just manage crowds; they guide them. Japan’s Ghibli Museum sells timed tickets months in advance. Amsterdam moves its iconic “I amsterdam” sign to different locations. Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula thrives by capping visitor numbers. Other places experiment with dynamic pricing to shift demand.

Yet, I often hear local tourism experts say, “At least we’re not as bad as Venice or Barcelona.”

That’s not a strategy. That’s not a proof you are doing things right.

Because by the time you are like them, it’s already too late.