Prague is one of the most tourist-overcrowded cities in the world
Residents of Amsterdam, San Francisco, Prague, Barcelona and Toronto told BBC Travel how the constant presence of tourists affects their lives and how local authorities are responding to the additional strain on the city's infrastructure.
To understand how great the problems will be in the coming years for the most visited cities and how to solve them, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and real estate firm JLL recently compiled the "Destination 2030" index. The index is based on 75 indicators, including guest concentration, readiness of urban infrastructure and local legislation. It provides insight into the challenges faced by the world's 50 largest metropolises.
Amsterdam: the picture is not as bleak as the media paints
Amsterdam's population is less than 1 million. Last year, it was visited by 18 million tourists. Real estate prices and rents are already high here, and the "short-term rental" business has pushed them even higher.
The central streets are overcrowded with vacationers from other countries, and the liberal legislation regarding the use of soft drugs occasionally creates unpleasant situations. In terms of guest concentration and overall strain on the urban system, Amsterdam ranks among the highest in the "Destination 2030" index. Disgruntled locals have disparagingly begun calling their city "Venice," which they consider a symbol of a city overrun by tourists.
However, according to some, the picture is not as bleak as the media paints. "Museums finally have the necessary budget, small businesses are thriving," says Hanneke Fruyndevey, a native-born co-founder of the private travel company Amsterdam Odyssey. "In my 42 years of life, I don't remember my city looking this beautiful."
This, of course, does not mean nothing should be done, and the Dutch government is actively working to prevent problems. In some areas of the city, short-term rentals (such as Airbnb) have been banned. There are plans to stop the docking of cruise ships at the local port. City authorities are trying to direct tourists to other cities in the country, such as Zandvoort (just 40 km from central Amsterdam), calling it "Amsterdam Beach" so people understand it is not far away.
"Several projects are being developed in the city focusing on other types of tourism, sustainable development, 'slow travel,' and exploring lesser-known areas of Amsterdam (the '24H Noord' project)," says Fruyndevey. "We are not at all against a large number of tourists in our city. We just want them (and the city) to reach a new level, rising above banal mass tourism."
San Francisco: tourists intrude on private life
This coastal California city has always been a tourist magnet, due to its world-famous attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge and the Fisherman's Wharf district. And the tech boom associated with Silicon Valley has added additional strain on San Francisco's resources, which is visited by more and more tourists. In the aforementioned index, the city ranks among those with the greatest infrastructure strain.
Take, for example, one of the most popular current attractions, Lombard Street, the "most crooked street in the world." "Hordes of tourists (up to 20,000 per day) and the vehicles they arrive in block all the neighboring streets," says Christine Dworkin, whose family has lived there for many generations. "Groups of tourists stop at the end of the street to pose for selfies, seemingly not noticing that they are blocking cars. They often step into the front gardens of houses on Lombard Street, as if they don't understand that this is private property, people live there."
In response to constant complaints from residents, city authorities recently approved a system of fees for entering Lombard Street, paid parking, and advance online reservations for visiting the street at a specific time on a specific day. The system will take effect at the beginning of next year.
Lombard Street is not the only street where tourists often cross the line, intruding on the private lives of locals. Alamo Square in the city center is surrounded by bright Victorian houses from the late 19th century (called the "Painted Ladies"). The houses gained even more fame after the popular American TV series "Full House."
"When we were last there, my children watched in amazement as tourists, one after another, approached the house they remembered from the TV series, sat on the porch, and took family photos," says Dworkin. "My daughter asked me: Mom, do they think no one lives there? Maybe they think it's a TV set?"
The city's annual tourism revenue is over $9 billion, and local authorities are trying to make San Francisco even more attractive. But in return, they expect humane treatment and respect for those who live there permanently.
Prague: beer bikes will be banned
The capital of the Czech Republic (with its own population of 1.3 million) was visited by a record number of guests last year – 7.9 million. Most tourists do not venture beyond Prague 1, the district where the Old Town, Malá Strana, and Prague Castle are located, and this helps the city cope with the strain.
“It’s a bit annoying that the city center is given over to tourists, but even here locals can find refuge and cheaper beer in places known mainly to students,” says Charlie Neville, a Londoner who has lived in Prague since 2002 and works at the travel agency JayWay Travel. “In a district like Letná, Prague is different—less noisy, without crowds, with beer gardens and beautiful views of the capital. And then there are Vinohrady with its green streets, trendy Karlín, hipster Vršovice.”
The Prague City Council has developed rules for nighttime behavior, banned Segway electric scooters, and plans to ban so-called beer bikes, popular with tourists but a major hindrance to traffic. A beer bike is both transport and a bar; one such bike can hold up to 15 people and a sober guide-driver.
As in Amsterdam, the Czech capital is trying to steer tourists to other cities in the country. “Český Krumlov (a town with a fortress, 170 km south of Prague) already has too many tourists, but the country’s second-largest city, Brno, is an excellent alternative for those who prefer peace and don’t like crowds, as is Olomouc,” says Neville.
Barcelona: Tourist Behavior Is Annoying
Barcelona is tired of tourists. Last year, more than 30 million visited—while the city’s population is 1.6 million. Understandably, such an influx of people wanting to relax and have fun places a heavy burden on city resources.
“Tourists are a nuisance when a group of eight or more people takes up the entire small local bus, leaving no room for my neighbors—elderly people who have difficulty walking uphill, families with children loaded with heavy bags,” says Marta Loren Vesiana, owner of the travel company ForeverBarcelona.com.
Large groups of tourists often block the metro entrance, crowding around the turnstiles. “Set aside at least one passage for locals so they don’t have to wait for the entire group of tourists to go through the turnstile one by one.”
Tourist behavior is often far from decent. “It’s very annoying when you see tourists throwing trash right on the sidewalk or drunk gringos vomiting on the streets at night,” says María José Castro, who moved here a year ago.
Vesiana dislikes that some consider it normal to walk around the streets naked—which happens often here. “We have two nudist beaches if they’re so keen! And men shouldn’t walk around bare-chested anywhere but the beach either.”
Locals say tourists could at least follow the simplest rules—not litter and keep quiet at night.
Barcelona authorities have opened a new bus line aimed at tourists and plan to turn some streets around the Sagrada Familia into pedestrian zones. Rules have been adopted restricting the use of Segway electric scooters and bicycle tours in some areas.
Toronto: Tourists Worsen the Affordable Housing Shortage
But not all cities view the growing tourist influx as something bad.
“Personally, I’m pleased to see more and more people coming to our wonderful Toronto,” says Kyle Sollyer, founder of the tech startup Phaze. “I’ve lived in Shanghai, China, so from my perspective, Toronto has plenty of space.”
That doesn’t mean the Canadian metropolis will avoid all the problems other tourist-friendly cities face. The tourism industry may like the prospect of more and more visitors, but if you listen to locals, the main issue is housing.
“Toronto already lacks affordable housing, especially in central areas. This is worsened by vacation rentals (e.g., via Airbnb),” says Toronto resident Eric Vichopen, who runs the Ontario Away blog about the province of Ontario. “It’s become common for condo rules to prohibit renting out apartments for vacations. Nevertheless, everyone knows these rules are broken—some still rent them out.”
For locals, it’s important that visitors show at least a little respect for the city they’re vacationing in. “Litter on the streets upsets me,” says Sollyer. “You wouldn’t like it if people littered in your home, would you? So why do it when you’re a guest? Respect our planet, respect people—especially those you haven’t met yet.”