WTTC urges smarter tourism management to address mass tourism challenges

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has released a report titled “Managing Overcrowding in Destinations: A Call to Action,” urging governments, businesses, and communities to work together on sustainable tourism strategies. The report warns that overcrowding in popular destinations is not solely a tourism issue but also stems from poor planning, insufficient investment, and disjointed decision-making.

The WTTC emphasizes the importance of managing tourism growth effectively, noting that the sector contributes nearly 10% of global GDP and supports one in ten jobs worldwide. By 2025, the industry is expected to generate almost US$11 trillion and support 357 million jobs globally. However, this growth requires long-term planning and reinvestment in infrastructure to protect communities and the environment.

The report outlines six key steps to manage tourism better: organizing empowered stakeholder groups, creating clear destination strategies, using data to guide decisions, monitoring conditions, investing in resilient infrastructure, and including local communities in decision-making. It warns that poorly managed tourism can threaten jobs and income, citing data that restrictions in major European cities could cost up to US$245 billion in GDP and nearly 3 million jobs in three years. The WTTC highlights success stories from cities like Barcelona, Flanders, Dubrovnik, and Iceland, which are taking innovative and inclusive approaches to manage tourism sustainably.