Tourism & local economy
Overtourism, visitor management and local livelihoods. Real interventions, each with its sources: what worked, what didn't, and why.
5 worked4 mixed0 didn't work
What worked
- WorkedTourism & local economy
Dubrovnik's 'Respect the City' cruise limits
ChallengeCruise crowds were overwhelming Dubrovnik's small walled old town.
Capping cruise ships and visitors in a tiny walled old town overwhelmed by crowds.
2 shipsmaximum cruise ships per dayObservationalRead case - WorkedTourism & local economy
Closing Maya Bay to let it recover
ChallengeThousands of daily visitors and boat anchors were destroying Maya Bay's coral and ecosystem.
Shutting a world-famous beach for nearly four years, then reopening with strict limits.
100blacktip sharks counted by bay camera after closure, up from about six in 2018ObservationalRead case - WorkedTourism & local economy
Rourkela's solar-powered cold storage
ChallengeSmall farmers lost much of their harvest because they had nowhere to store it.
Women-run solar cold rooms so small farmers stop losing produce.
−75%food waste for local business owners using the cold roomsObservationalRead case - WorkedTourism & local economy
Mount Fuji's climbing fee and daily cap
ChallengeOvercrowding on Mount Fuji caused dangerous congestion and litter.
An entry fee and a daily limit on Japan's busiest trail up Mount Fuji.
−14%climbers on all four Fuji trails, early July to early September 2024 (preliminary)ObservationalRead case - WorkedTourism & local economy
CopenPay: rewarding green tourist behavior
ChallengeCopenhagen wanted tourists to travel and behave more sustainably.
Free perks for tourists who cycle, pick up litter or volunteer.
30,000+tourists took part from 2024 to mid-2026, agency figureObservationalRead case
Mixed results
- MixedTourism & local economy
Venice's day-tripper entry fee
ChallengeDay-trippers were overwhelming Venice's historic center while residents left.
A fee for day visitors on the busiest days, to manage crowds in the historic center.
€5,421,425raised in 2025, but crowds little changedObservationalRead case - MixedTourism & local economy
Bhutan's 'high value, low volume' tourism fee
ChallengeBhutan wanted tourism income without the damage of mass tourism.
A daily fee for every tourist to fund conservation and limit visitor numbers.
$200 → $100nightly fee cut after visitors stayed awayObservationalRead case - MixedTourism & local economy
Barcelona's crackdown on tourist apartments
ChallengeTourist apartments were spreading through neighborhoods and pushing up rents.
Freezing and then phasing out licenses for short-term tourist rentals.
~10,000tourist apartment licenses set to end by 2028ObservationalRead case - MixedTourism & local economy
Amsterdam's push to manage tourism
ChallengeCrowds and rising rents in the historic center were driving residents away.
Rental caps, Europe's highest tourist tax and a campaign telling some visitors to stay away.
12.5%tourist tax on hotel stays, among Europe's highestObservationalRead case