There’s no such thing as too much travel. Until we start to ruin the things we travel for.
Hordes of tourists that flock to popular locations don’t just cause overcrowding, they cause damage. Headlines have highlighted the effects that travellers are having on major global sites.
Machu Picchu in Peru is being trampled by crowds of hikers, Boracay in the Philippines has slowly transformed from island paradise into a “cesspool”, India’s Taj Mahal is more like a crowded train station than a palace, and Everests’ peaks are so busy people are dying.
They’re only SOME examples.
It’s all well and good to discuss the damage tourist are doing to popular locations, but actually SEEING the damage being done is different. A video has been shared online of a cruise ship literally barging through a canal in Venice, damaging a smaller boat and injuring bystanders.
This is the moment a huge cruise ship crashes into a tourist boat and the dockside in Venice, as dozens of people run away in panichttps://t.co/7ErXUtt6qr pic.twitter.com/xi92IqvAkI
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 2, 2019
It makes me beyond angry.
It’s not just about the damage being done, it’s about the principle behind the accident. Watching that ship hurl into a Venetian wharf is like someone telling me they couldn’t care less for the beautiful city. The boat did its job: delivered more tourists to a tourist location, and that’s the main thing.
Wrong. That’s the PROBLEM.
And like every problem, it requires a solution.
There’s a call to have large cruise ships banned from the city to stop the historic site being damaged. Sure, it means I won’t get to book a Venetian cruise but I’m okay with that.
I’d rather there be a Venice to visit than nothing at all.
Similarly, Machu Picchu has restricted access by enforcing timed entry and limited tickets to the site. The decision is an attempt to cut down on the crowds which are damaging the site.
Inconvenient? Maybe. Necessary? Definitely.
Boracay completely closed for six months between April-October 2018 for much needed maintenance. The islands tourism has been strictly limited since re-opening- scaled down to 6,000 from the 19,000 the island had previously been able to accommodate.
Yes, that means I might not make the cut if I decide to book a spontaneous holiday. But it also means I’ll get to see a perfect pristine island when I eventually do get to visit.
The Philippine government is on target to re-open the popular resort island of Boracay by October 26th, says local media #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/2fk9EMA4tB
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) June 25, 2018
Taj Mahal has introduced a new pricing system and restricted visits to three hours in order to deal with the mobs of tourists. More than enough time to get my picture for the gram and leave, so I’m happy.
Still can't believe that we went here and that we were able to get a pic before anyone got there! It was actually a lot more civil than I thought it would be and that's awesome cuz I am not willing to fight someone just for a picture. #tajmahal #indiatravel pic.twitter.com/pnRV9WKqnV
— Happily Ever Travels (@happilyevrtrvls) May 30, 2019
The point is yes, tourism limitations are annoying, but they’re necessary. Without them, we’ll cause so much damage we’ll have nowhere to travel to. And that’s not fun for anybody.