10 More European Cities RUINED by Overtourism (and where to go instead)
Summary
TLDRIn this video, travel vlogger Mark discusses the impact of over-tourism on various European cities, highlighting the difference between crowded and over-touristed locations. He emphasizes the importance of spreading tourism to lesser-known destinations to alleviate the strain on popular spots. Mark shares personal experiences, such as living in Lisbon and observing its transformation, and suggests alternative places to visit during peak tourist seasons. He also touches on the economic benefits of tourism and encourages viewers to explore more of a country's regions beyond the over-touristed areas.
Takeaways
- 🌍 The video discusses the impact of over-tourism on various European cities and encourages travelers to explore alternative destinations.
- 🏙️ Over-tourism is distinguished from regular crowdedness, focusing on cities where it affects infrastructure, local life, and economy.
- 🚶♂️ The host, Mark, acknowledges the irony of a travel vlogger discussing over-tourism and explains his current location in Brazil as a choice to showcase less crowded places.
- 🏡 Over-tourism leads to issues like inflated accommodation prices, making it difficult for locals to afford living in popular tourist areas.
- 🛣️ In cities like Lisbon, over-tourism has resulted in traffic congestion, with Tuk Tuks adding to the problem.
- 🍦 Restrictions are being considered in places like Florence to manage over-tourism, including laws against eating ice cream while walking.
- 🏖️ Mykonos, a Greek island, experiences overcrowding in the summer, affecting local businesses and the overall tourist experience.
- 🏰 The small town of Hallstatt, Austria, became overly popular due to its depiction in movies and its picturesque setting, leading to an influx of tourists.
- 🏰 Toledo, Spain, is a popular day trip destination from Madrid, experiencing overcrowding on weekends due to its historical and religious significance.
- 🏞️ Over-tourism is not limited to cities; natural sites like those in Iceland also suffer from overcrowding, especially during the peak summer season.
- 🏰 Edinburgh and Munich are examples of larger cities that can handle large tourist volumes but still experience overcrowding in certain areas or during specific events.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is the impact of over-tourism in various European cities and how it affects local communities, infrastructure, and the overall experience for both tourists and residents.
Why is the speaker discussing European cities while being in Brazil?
-The speaker is in Brazil to highlight that there are alternative travel destinations that are less impacted by over-tourism, thus encouraging travelers to explore less crowded places like Ouro Preto in Brazil.
What is the difference between over-tourism and being crowded at certain times?
-Over-tourism refers to a sustained and overwhelming influx of tourists that negatively impacts local infrastructure, economy, and quality of life, beyond just being crowded at peak seasons or times of the day.
Why does the speaker mention his PhD and time spent in Lisbon?
-The speaker mentions his PhD and time in Lisbon to provide personal experience and credibility to his observations about the transformation and over-tourism issues the city has faced over the years.
What is the issue with Tuk Tuks in Lisbon according to the script?
-The issue with Tuk Tuks in Lisbon is that while they are popular among tourists for navigating the hilly terrain, they contribute to traffic congestion, which is a problem exacerbated by over-tourism.
Why does the speaker suggest visiting Lisbon during the shoulder season?
-The speaker suggests visiting Lisbon during the shoulder season to avoid the peak tourist crowds and to have a more enjoyable and less overwhelming experience.
What is the situation with over-tourism in Florence, Italy as described in the script?
-Florence is so overrun with tourists that the city is contemplating laws against certain behaviors like eating ice cream while walking, to manage the overwhelming number of visitors.
Why is Mykonos mentioned as an example of over-tourism in Greece?
-Mykonos is mentioned as it becomes overwhelmed with tourists during the summer, leading to issues like overcrowding and the impact on local businesses and residents, which is a common characteristic of over-tourism.
What is the impact of over-tourism on small towns like Hallstatt, Austria?
-Over-tourism impacts small towns like Hallstatt by overwhelming the local infrastructure and community, leading to measures such as blocking views to control tourist numbers, which can detract from the visitor experience and local quality of life.
How does the speaker suggest dealing with over-tourism in cities like Toledo, Spain?
-The speaker suggests that to deal with over-tourism in cities like Toledo, which becomes crowded with day-trippers, one could visit during the week or explore other less crowded towns and cultural sites in the region.
What is the speaker's view on the role of tourism in local economies?
-The speaker views tourism as a vital part of many local economies, but emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to ensure that over-tourism does not lead to negative consequences for the community and infrastructure.
Outlines
🌍 Exploring Over-Tourism in Europe
In this paragraph, Mark introduces the topic of over-tourism in Europe, emphasizing the impact it has on cities beyond just being crowded during peak seasons. He differentiates between over-tourism and typical seasonal crowds, focusing on the long-term effects on infrastructure, local life, and the overall experience for both residents and tourists. Mark, currently in Ouro Preto, Brazil, uses the setting to highlight the irony of a travel vlogger discussing over-tourism and suggests alternative destinations to crowded areas, promoting responsible travel and supporting local economies.
🏰 Over-Tourism in Historic Cities
Mark discusses the specific challenges faced by cities like Lisbon, Florence, and Mykonos due to over-tourism. He shares personal experiences and observations, such as the transformation of Lisbon over the years and the impact on local housing due to Airbnb. He suggests visiting during off-peak times or exploring lesser-known destinations to mitigate the effects of over-tourism. The paragraph also touches on the need for tourists to be aware of their impact and consider how their travel choices can support local communities and economies.
🏞️ Balancing Tourism with Local Life
In this paragraph, Mark continues the conversation about over-tourism, focusing on smaller towns and natural sites. He mentions Hallstatt, Austria, as an example of a small town overwhelmed by tourists and the measures taken to protect the local experience. He also addresses the seasonal challenges faced by destinations like Mallorca and the Canary Islands, suggesting that tourists explore less crowded areas or visit during less busy times. Mark emphasizes the importance of spreading tourism to less visited areas to support local economies and reduce the strain on popular destinations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Over Tourism
💡Transportation Impact
💡Accommodation
💡Cultural Impact
💡Infrastructure
💡Local Economies
💡Alternative Destinations
💡Seasonal Tourism
💡Day Trips
💡Sustainable Tourism
💡Community Impact
Highlights
Mark from vter world discusses the impact of over-tourism in Europe, contrasting it with normal crowding during peak times.
He emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between over-tourism and regular seasonal or daily crowding.
Mark acknowledges the irony of a travel vlogger discussing over-tourism and explains his presence in Brazil.
The video aims to educate travelers about the impact of tourism and offer alternative destinations.
Lisbon is highlighted as a city transformed by tourism, with both economic benefits and challenges like housing affordability.
Florence's struggle with over-tourism is discussed, including potential legal restrictions on tourists' behaviors.
Mykonos, Greece, is cited as an example of an island overwhelmed by tourists, especially during the summer season.
Hallein, Austria, is mentioned as a small town that has become overly popular due to its depiction in movies, causing local strain.
Toledo, Spain, is described as a popular day trip destination that experiences weekend overcrowding.
Mallorca is noted for being a popular beach destination that suffers from overcrowding during peak seasons.
Iceland's natural beauty attracts many tourists, but over-tourism can lead to safety issues on its narrow roads.
Edinburgh is praised for its beauty but acknowledged for being a city where over-tourism is evident.
Munich is discussed as a city that can handle large tourist numbers but can feel overcrowded during peak times.
Prague is noted for its over-tourism, particularly with bachelor parties, and efforts to spread tourists out are mentioned.
The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to share their thoughts on over-tourism and suggest alternative destinations.
Transcripts
hey there fellow Travelers Mark here
with vter world and today we're in Oro
Brazil and no I'm not going to be
talking about actually South America I'm
actually going to be talking about
Europe it's specifically about more
cities that have been impacted by over
tourism in Europe recently we put out a
video about eight cities that were
destroyed by over tourism bit dramatic
in the title I know but how else you get
people to watch videos anymore it's
crazy but the thing is there are cities
that are really impacted by over tourism
and the thing is there is a difference
between over tourism and just crowded at
a certain time of year or a certain time
of day I think that's something we need
to make a difference of what I'm trying
to focus on on cities that really be
impacted whether it's in transportation
whether it's accommodation whether it's
just the so many people I can't handle
it or destroying the infrastructure
that's what I'm trying to focus on in
these videos and I know the irony of a
travel vlogger talking about over
tourism look that's why we're here in
Brazil we want to show other places
around the world that you can go cuz if
crowds aren't your thing come to oo
pretto it's a beautiful Colonial City
you can enjoy and just love about Brazil
best food in Brazil as well and that's
the thing is there's a lot of places you
can go around the world and that's what
I wanted to show here also I'm in Brazil
right now I'm not in Europe so that kind
of impacts where I can film right the
thing is what we try to do in our videos
is educate Travelers so they have a
better idea what to expect when they go
places but also to help give them
options other places they could go if
they don't want to go to over tourism
places so you can learn about places
like here in orto in Brazil or if you
want to go to Chile if you want to go to
China we have all kinds of stuff to kind
of help educate you and give you options
that's what we're trying to do but also
what we try to do is give people
information so they can find a way that
they can make an impact on individuals
in different countries they go to
because we as tourists really can help
out communities we can help individual
owners of businesses we can help out the
local economies when we go because
tourism is a vital part of economies a
lot of countries that are impacted by
over tourism but places that aren't
impacted as well because tourism really
can help places like here in Oro pretu
and therefore it makes it easier for you
to make better uses of your resources
when you do travel so let's get to the
list but I think if I look at cities
that been impacted I know there's one
city that a lot of people mentioned in
the video in the comments and also I've
seen personally for those who didn't
know I did my PhD I'm a doctor I'm
actually Professor Mark Walters um I
actually my PhD in Brazil in Lisbon I
lived there for 5 years my youngest son
was born there and I have seen how this
city has transformed from the early
2000s to the the 2020s and how much more
tourism's gone in there how it has
improved the economy but now it's really
become over touristed in terms of people
can't get on the metro to get to work if
they're downtown sometimes accommodation
we used to live downtown we lived there
we were a family all this kind of stuff
our friends all live downtown they've
all been priced out because the airbnbs
the apartment rentals that are there has
made it unaffordable for normal
Portuguese families and so that over
tourism's really kind of been alive but
I think the one thing that annoys
everybody the most about the over
tourism at lisman are all the Tuk tkes
now the tourists love them because the
hills there it's like here in Oru lots
of hills and if you're a chunky traveler
like me you don't like Hills so those
Tuk tkes are nice but they clog up
traffic as well so that's why Lisbon
really is on that list because it does
get a bit much that's why I'd say if you
want to go don't go in the summertime go
in the shoulder season offseason cuz
Lisbon is great all all year round but
sometimes it can just be overwhelmed
with tourists okay if you want to go to
some other Portuguese cities that are by
there that maybe aren't as crowded you
know they can still enjoy yourself you
can go to Evra and see the bone Chapel
there and the the cathedral and the the
temple that's there you can go to Tomar
I mean there's places nearby that you
can go to get that Portuguese feel
without being overrun okay now Lisbon
was the city that actually was the last
one on my list in my first video but
it's the first one on this next one and
another state that almost made if I
would have that top 10 last time is
Florence Italy okay Florence is so
overrun with tourism that they're
actually making laws against eating ice
cream while you're walking down the
street sitting down and eating having a
picnic kind of stuff like they they're
contemplating restrictions on the
tourists because there's just so many
tourists they can't handle it and that's
one of the things so if you're walking
down the main strip and you know you're
going by the dwo you know you're going
to go go on the bridge you know with all
the shops on it it just gets so packed
it's overwhelmed and for the locals they
can't enjoy the downtown either and so
it can be a bit much and for a lot of
tourists they're almost like I don't is
it worth it to see David with all of
these all these tourists there and for
me all these places are still worth seat
even if it's over touristed but you
might want to think about other times to
go like Florence it's beautiful all year
round if you can go during the week or
if you go you know in the fall or in the
springtime that will take out a lot of
the tourists that are here and that's
one of those things you got to think
about with these over touristed places
some of them their cities really survive
on tourism that would help them out
right and so so they need to have the
tourism but they kind of want to have it
hey can we like kind of SP like parse it
out a little bit differently so like
they're not coming all in one month
that's coming over a few months time and
that's why I want to talk about mikos
Greece next on our list now mikos is an
island in Greece that is beautiful to go
to and people go there and this is one
of those ones people feel that the
instagramers is ruined it because they
took all their pictures and all this
stuff and people want to get their mikos
pictures there yes that's why Santorini
Athens mikonos three over touristed
places in Greece that you want to be
aware of and mikos itself is beautiful
but the summertime it gets so
overwhelmed but in the winter time
there's not a lot of surfaces going on
so it's not as much fun to go there then
but you to realize there's a lot of
islands in Greece it's not just mikinos
and sorini we were in cre last summer
when mikinos and sanini were having the
biggest numbers ever aens ever and we're
talking to some of the people working in
cre they're like yeah outside of like
inan at ACO like there's nobody here so
you can go to other islands in Greece
instead of mikos and get a great
experience without the crowds all over
you all the time and the waiting in line
for an instagrammer to take their
picture now let's talk about a small
town that was unfortunately made Super
Famous uh by a movie okay and that is
halot Austria if you're not sure halot
Austria is this beautiful like Lakeside
you know Village in Austria if you ever
watch the old Rick Steve's um you know
TV show he actually has in his intro
there but it was one of the things they
based uh the town from Frozen on and so
people like oh and they finally realize
just how gorgeous this place is because
it's gorgeous but it is a Tiny Town
we're talking like maybe a couple
thousand people I mean it's the small
town and so many tourists come in I mean
at one time they put up a wall to block
the view to stop the tourist from kind
of overtaking the city and it's an
example of one of those towns it's just
a small town it can't handle that number
of tourists and they don't know what to
do they're trying to figure out ways to
do it so if you're thinking about that
maybe go to a city that can handle
tourism or maybe go to you know
Saltsburg which has a lot of tourists
but they can handle inur auster which is
fantastic as well but just know there
are these small towns that's one I'd
like you all to put in the comments what
are some small towns you see get overrun
that just can't handle but they have
something really wonderful to visit cuz
I feel bad putting these cities on the
list because all these places on this
list are fantastic to visit well worth
going to I've been to
them but I also feel for them but I'm
like we had to think about this right um
and that kind of goes into with like hos
gets gets nailed because people come in
for the day and just go another place is
Toledo Spain and too is probably one of
the most popular day trips from Madrid
but it's also the the Catholic capital
of Spain capital Madrid but the Catholic
capital is in in to so it gets a lot of
tourist and I don't necessarily think
it's over touristed itself but I think
it represents those over touristed place
on the weekends so when you're looking
for day trips for places you're going to
go if you're going to be staying
someplace for a week or so don't do your
day trip you know on the weekend when
everybody's going there because that's
when it gets overrun maybe go during the
week so you have smaller crowds so then
the the city can kind of or the town The
Village can really take you in and kind
of show you a better time because that's
one of those things these Villages and
these places they survive on the tourism
and it makes a difference for them but
sometimes it just gets a little too much
and kind of continuing on with our
Spanish theme I think mayorca mayorca
has been popular forever I remember I
used to live in Germany like 20 years
ago and they used to call it like the
zepa bundesland the 17th German State
because so many Germans retired there so
many Germans went there but mayorca
mayorca uh abiza you know the Canary
Islands they're very much in the summer
they're overcrowded fall spring winter
no they're they're fine I mean yeah
there's tourists there but it's not like
the Summer where everybody goes because
it's beach resorts I mean it's like
Florida in the summer in the US
everybody goes down there because that's
where you go for the beaches and myor is
one of those things it really gets kind
of overwhelmed with the number of Party
tourists so if you are going to go there
make sure you go and explore some of the
cultural stuff as well or maybe look at
some of the other beach towns you know
maybe not just go to the Costel so go to
Costa Bravo go other places go to the
North Coast yeah the water's a little
chillier but it's different and it's
still fun and the thing is when we look
at over tourism it's not just about
cities and towns sometimes it's about
nature and there's count like Iceland
Iceland recc itself sometimes does
suffer from over tourism especially in
the summertime but also the nature
around there gets so much because most
people just stay in the southwest corner
by re you know they'll go down and see
the icebergs and they'll go to the
Westman islands and then they'll come
back and they don't explore the entire
other part of the island look if you go
on and explore more you really will be
by yourself now the driving on the uh
Eastern part and the Eastern Furs in
Iceland take my word for it it is a
little scary sometimes but the thing is
it's beautiful and you get away from all
the tourists and that's where you see re
just gets overwhelmed and and that you
know South West corner it is one of
those things you got to think about cuz
you'll see with the over tourism in
Iceland there's on Lane roads where
literally tourists will run into each
other because they don't realize you
have to wait for someone else to go so
that's another thing where the over
tourism comes into a safety issue as
well you and if we look at over tourism
there's big cities as well and like I
say big cities a lot of times have a
better chance of kind of taken in the
over tourism where the over tourism is
more of like just overcrowded and I've
got three cities that kind of fall on
this cat ategory one Edinburgh and
Scotland oh my God it is so gorgeous it
is the best like tourist City to see in
Scotland highly recommend it but when
you're there you'll notice when if
you're on the Royal mile if you're
walking around you go to the vintage
stores go to the castle wherever there's
always people around it's always tourist
there's always people there because it's
beautiful all year round and so
sometimes that gets a bit much for some
people and so that's why if you're in
Edinburgh that's where I'm going to say
day trips can make a good ideal for you
or go and explore go to the highlands go
to the ISA Sky Go to plne outside the
ISA Sky Go to Fort William you you go
explore cuz Scotland's really easy to
drive around and explore on your own to
get away from the over tourism in
Edinburgh to kind of spread it out but
where Edinburgh is also suffering is in
accommodation because so many of these
like apartment rental things that that
people can get in the vacation rentals
have taken away places for the local to
say so it's really driven up the price
of accommodation kind of like in Dublin
so that's a thing another city that I
feel is a bit over touristed but no one
ever talks about on their list is Munich
and Munich Germany though it can handle
tons of Tours because they have events
there they have conventions they have
October Fest all kinds of stuff Munich
sometimes can feel a bit overwhelmed
just in the kind of main pedestrian
street and when it when it comes to oh
my god when it comes to watching the
Glock and Spiel you really feel the
entire world collapsing in on you with
everyone there and it can be a bit much
now is it super over tourive no but it's
an overcrowded kind of thing that you
might feel so that's why I say Munich's
great but go explore more of Bavaria go
up into Franco go to bomberg you know go
see that go to Norberg reagens BG
there's all kinds of great day trips
from Munich you can do to kind of get
away from the rounds okay and then
there's one of my favorite cities to go
to and this is one that I don't know if
I'd call it over tourism but I'd say it
over Bachelor partyism is uh Prague and
the Czech Republic and Prague on the
weekends is full of people coming in for
the great beer the great food and the
great prices and it gets overwhelming
and the thing is from the castle up on
the hill that walk down across Charles
bridge which is gorgeous to the Oldtown
Square I mean it is the prettiest walk
honestly probably the prettiest walk in
Europe and you understand why all those
tourist there but it's always big groups
coming through and big groups coming
through and it's one of those places
that it's funny if you walk like
literally two blocks off that route
there's nobody there like prices drop
incredibly for food and accommodation
all kinds of stff just been a few blocks
away from that main like walk over
touristed way and that's where I think
when we talk about over tourism
sometimes it's just like parts of town
that can't handle it versus the entire
city in Prague they're doing a good job
of kind of spreading trying to get
people to spread out more so I got to
give them that but one of their one of
the faults of all these cities it's not
a fault it's the fact that all these
places are fantastic place to visit so
people want to go there but they're
trying to figure out how can we get it
so we have the right amount of people
and that's one thing I'd like to think
about let's have a discussion below a
civil discussion below to talk about
tourism and how how is it you know we
can do a better job of you know getting
out there that's one thing is our videos
we film all around the world literally
hundreds of videos around Central and
South America Caribbean all kinds of we
got stuff from Africa Asia trying to
spread people out to see more place
around the world so if you have these
cities that are over touristed what are
your recommendations for other places to
go to get that byy you know cuz for
Prague if you're getting overwhelmed
Bratislava Slovakia is a nice easier
version of that with a lot less tourists
and honestly people are just as cool but
don't tell the checks that so what
cities did I leave out on my list of
over tours in Europe let us know in the
comments below but also let us know
about other over tours of places around
the world so we can help people know hey
maybe I need to go visit another place
to kind of spread the wealth out because
that's one of the things we like to do
is show these small towns or these
smaller places like Oru pretu and Brazil
to get tourist money to go to more parts
of the world so share your comments
below keep civil people we really
appreciate all the input we've gotten
from everybody and wish you all the best
I'll say bye from here and not
overcrowded but still over
enjoyable Brazil
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