The Japanese empire stands up against overtourism. The Fujikawaguchiko town hall installed an opaque net on Tuesday, May 21 to hide the view of Mount Fuji and thus fight against overtourism and its consequences for the city’s residents. Local authorities have indicated that this barrier will remain as long as necessary, until the situation improves.
Should “overtourism” be regulated in France?
Japan had already tried to fight against mass tourism on several of its sites, such as in Kyoto, where certain alleys in the geisha district have been closed to the public since last April. Japan joins the list of countries having implemented drastic measures to combat the large influx of tourists and its consequences.
Visitor quotas in French islands and coves
The island of Bréhat located in Côtes-d’Armor has decided to introduce a visitor quota since last summer. This 3 km2 piece of land welcomed 450,000 visitors throughout 2022, while only 422 people live there all year round. This figure makes the Isle of Flowers one of the most visited sites in this department of Brittany.
The municipality has therefore limited access to the island to 4,700 visitors between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. during the high season. This year, the system will remain the same but the regulation will only come into force from July 22 (compared to July 14 in 2023) and until August 23. The limitation will not affect Saturdays and Sundays either.
Should “overtourism” be regulated in France?
Victim of a marked erosion linked to overcrowding, the Marseille cove of Sugiton has decided to set a quota of 400 places per day, available only by reservation. Here too, this system concerns the very high season, i.e. every day from June 29 to September 1. The most attentive tourists can complete their registrations from June 12.
Pay more to visit Venice or Athens
The problem of overtourism also affects several cities in Europe, such as Dubrovnik. The Croatian city had to limit the number of vacation rentals available. In 2022, the mayor of this southern city also demanded the earlier closure of certain bars and even a ban on wheeled suitcases accused of making too much noise on the cobbled streets.
For its part, Venice has also made its access chargeable on certain days of the year to combat mass tourism. This new measure concerns the historic center and the Venetian tourist islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello, which came into force on April 25 and will apply to many days during the summer.
In Venice, Pope Francis promotes an art serving the poorest
The price of the entrance ticket to the Acropolis of Athens has already been doubled, from €10 to €20. And it will increase to €30 from 2025. In addition, 350 other Greek archaeological sites and museums will also increase the entrance price, depending on their “tourist interest”. The Hellenic Republic is also considering establishing a principle of quotas and taxes to limit the number of cruises and its consequences on the environment.
