Editorial: Protections needed for local residents from overtourism
September 13 , 2023
Fanned by the post-pandemic surge in tourists, particularly from those coming from abroad, communities hosting Japan’s tourist attractions have had to bear the brunt of their onrush. It has now become apparent that the government must not only heed the needs of the tourism industry but also those of residents living in so-called travel destinations.The Japan Tourism Agency has begun working on the problems created by overtourism, gathering relevant agencies on September 6 to discuss specific ways to deal with such issues as local congestion as well as rude or offensive behaviors of tourists. The move comes at a time when the industry itself has finally seen a turnaround, with the number of inbound tourists reaching 2.32 million in July this year, or some 78% of that posted in the same month four years earlier.
Overtourism is not a new phenomenon, not only in Japan but at tourist hotspots across the world, laid dormant only by a global viral rampage. Given the traffic jams, environmental harm, trash, noise pollution and other disruptions it inflicts, overtourism can even end up devaluing the very tourist attraction itself.
Some communities are hoping to manage the problem by requiring reservations to be made in advance; others are offering local residents priority in the use of public transport. While such measures may prove effective by degrees, government involvement—working closely with host communities—is clearly a necessity.
