overtourism

This is the increase in the number of tourists visiting a tourist destination to the point where it is beyond the capacity of the people who live there to deal with the influx.  In these post-pandemic times travel is once again an option and overtourism is becoming an acute problem. As Virginia Trioli has pointed out, a bunch of tourists is always described as a horde or a plague. 

The implication is that the tourists are always viewed negatively, and indeed, at the moment, there seems to be good reason for this.  No one can get to see the Mona Lisa because there are too many tourists, all holding up their phones and blocking the view of those at the back. And Venice is sinking, not just with the rising waters but the rising crowds making life impossible for the Venetians.

In Australia we don’t yet have this problem although there have been some murmurings in Tasmania.  The wishes of the locals and the plans of the tourist companies came into conflict over the proposal to build a cable car to the top of Mount Wellington.  In this instance the locals won, at least for the time being.  The feeling is that there needs to be some limit set on the tourist influx to make the operation sustainable and protect the locals.