Spreading the Love: How Travel Companies Can Disperse Visitors to Combat Overtourism

Overtourism is transforming iconic travel destinations into overcrowded and stressed-out hotspots. These “overloved” locations are struggling with an influx of visitors, resulting in congested streets, strained infrastructure, degraded environments, diminished visitor experiences, and unhappy residents. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach. Dispersing the load is one part of the solution. 

Some destinations are implementing measures to reduce visitation at certain times and places, such as tourist fees, visitor limits, and timed entrance tickets. While these efforts by local governments and destination management organizations are crucial, they must be complemented by broader industry action.

Travel companies are well-positioned to enact change by dispersing tourism, acting as a bridge between destinations and travelers. They influence travel trends, control marketing narratives, curate experiences, manage logistics and timing, and guide tourists toward sustainable practices.​​ In this blog post, we explore strategies for companies to spread out visitation and ease the burden on overtouristed destinations. 

Promoting Lesser-Known Destinations

One way travel companies can disperse visitation is by offering or promoting trips to lesser-known destinations. This helps alleviate pressure on overcrowded hotspots while providing unique and enriching travel experiences.

Greece is one country that has been grappling with overtourism in prominent locations such as Santorini, Athens, and Mykonos which get overwhelmed by the sheer number of visitors in a confined area. Variety Cruises, a third-generation Greek-owned family business, sees the effects of overtourism in its customer feedback. While Santorini and Mykonos are often on travelers’ bucket lists, they are frequently rated as the least favorite stops. Instead, visitors rave about places like Folegandros and Ikaria, where fewer tourists venture. “People don’t want to be going into islands where there’s a lot of traffic,” said Filippos Venetopoulos, CEO of Variety Cruises. 

In response to this feedback, Variety Cruises is gradually introducing off-the-beaten-path itineraries that take travelers beyond the typical tourist trail. Their Unexplored Greece itineraries explore hidden gems in the Aegean and Ionian Seas, showcasing the charm of lesser-known islands and secluded ports for small ships. “We’re going to islands that no one, not even Greeks, know,” said Venetopoulos, who shared that Variety Cruises is considering removing overcrowded destinations from their itineraries altogether. Though these islands may not be as well-known, they boast the activities and beauty that Greece is famous for, with no shortage of whitewashed houses, breathtaking sunsets, pristine beaches, and delectable cuisine. 

However, skipping well-known destinations poses a business risk. Many travelers still perceive famous spots as must-see locations for a first-time trip, so removing them is not a decision businesses can take lightly. 

Some travel companies are starting to recognize the opportunity to build itineraries tailored to travelers returning to the destination for a second or third time. After realizing that most of their itineraries were designed for first-time travelers, focusing on major cities and well-known attractions, Globus developed its Undiscovered Tours line to cater to repeat visitors. Stephanie Brooks, Vice President of Product & Operations at Globus Family of Brands, explains, “The recipe was lesser-known regions that bring the authentic character of the destination to life. Places that otherwise would be missed on a regular tour, and places that welcome and value tourists.”

Andrea Grisdale, CEO of the Italian destination management company IC Bellagio, emphasized another perk of venturing off the beaten track. “Everybody wants to go to Tuscany, and they all want to go to Siena, San Gimignano, Chianti, but there are so many beautiful places,” Grisdale said, explaining that travelers who experience a different side of the region earn unique “bragging rights” by visiting places their friends haven’t been.

As travelers recognize the advantages of lesser-known places there is growing demand for “dupe” destinations, which offer similar experiences to more famous spots but at a fraction of the cost and with fewer crowds. Skyscanner found that 93% of travelers would consider visiting a dupe destination, and between 2022 and 2023, tourism arrivals surged in several alternative locations. Bosnia and Herzegovina, an alternative to Croatia, saw a 17.3% increase, while Croatia only recorded a 9.7% rise. Meanwhile, Albania, a popular dupe for Greece, experienced a 56% jump compared to Greece’s 20.8%.

Redirecting tourism also benefits local communities and environments by alleviating impacts like soaring housing prices, resource shortages, and ecosystem degradation. It can spread economic benefits to rural and less developed areas, promoting sustainable growth.

Visiting remote and less-developed destinations offers rich and distinctive experiences, but it also presents particular challenges. These places are prized for their unspoiled landscapes, but the pristine environments may be highly susceptible to damage. They often lack basic infrastructure, such as recycling and waste management systems, grid electricity, transportation options, or facilities for refueling. 

Venetopoulos emphasized that communities in these areas may be more sensitive to impacts than long-standing tourist destinations, explaining that even the presence of a small ship can introduce unwanted noise pollution. To mitigate this, Variety Cruises connects to shore power when possible or tethers its ships further out in the water where the noise can’t be heard. Travel companies must plan carefully and collaborate with local communities to minimize negative impacts, protect delicate ecosystems, maintain smooth operations, and ensure guests feel welcome in the destinations they visit. Without sustainable management practices, travel companies could merely relocate the problem to untouched areas, replicating the same issues that already exist in overtouristed destinations.

One common misconception is that destinations must be extremely remote or undeveloped to be considered off the beaten path. However, the term “off the beaten path” simply refers to places that are not the usual tourist spots. Many established and accessible locations are infrequently visited. These places can generally handle more tourists than remote areas before they overwhelm the local ecosystems and infrastructure.

Diversifying Itineraries in Popular Destinations

No matter how hard travel companies try to get people off the beaten path, there will always be travelers who insist on visiting those must-see destinations. And that’s not bad; after all, iconic locations rely on tourism for their economic stability. However, even in popular destinations, there are opportunities to disperse tourism. Visitors often congregate in the same spaces and wait in line for hours to enter top attractions like the Vatican Museums or the Colosseum. When too many people hike the same trails or dive the same reefs, it can cause habitat degradation and disrupt wildlife. Travel companies should better manage visitation within destinations to alleviate pressure on the most popular sites and improve the visitor experience.

Struan Robertson, Managing Director of SpiceRoads, explained how their company confronts this challenge on its cycling tours in Vietnam. “The difficulty we have when selling tours is you have to have things that people have heard of. If people are going to go to Vietnam, they’re going to go to Hoi An,” Robertson said. To promote sustainability while maintaining this key selling point, SpiceRoads still includes Hoi An as a stop in their itineraries but reduces the time spent in the bustling center. Instead, they stay outside the city and design bike routes through quieter neighboring areas. 

SpiceRoads has spent the last two years reviewing their Asia trips and finding alternatives to busy routes. “We can’t have cycling trips that go on major roads with big trucks and things like that. So for us, it’s finding a different way to get to some of these key places,” said Robertson. This approach enhances safety and also provides a more immersive and enjoyable experience. Robertson emphasized that these routes facilitate more authentic connections to communities and places. Locals often wave as cyclists ride by, and guests find it fascinating to learn about local practices, such as how rice grows. While many companies offer just one tour per country, SpiceRoads has a myriad of options. Their website lists 40 itineraries in Thailand alone, providing a wide range of ways to explore the destination.  

Similarly, the river cruising company Avalon Waterways moves beyond the one-size-fits-all approach by offering guests various ways to explore each destination. In addition to classic sightseeing excursions, Avalon Waterways provides “Active” and “Discovery” activities, ranging from biking in the country to art classes and cooking lessons. “We’re diversifying the experience for guests, reaching different places in the community, carrying fewer guests on each excursion, and supporting a plethora of smaller businesses along the way,” said Brooks. 

Private journeys offer another way to alleviate pressure in high-demand destinations. By designing tailor-made itineraries, bespoke tour operators allow travelers to do what they want, when they want, and enjoy exclusive experiences that benefit tourism providers in a wider geographic area. For instance, Vaya Adventures’ destination specialists, who have spent years living, working, and exploring the regions they offer, use their in-depth local knowledge to craft off-the-beaten-path trips. “Our Asia specialists will always suggest cruising Bai Tu Long and Lan Ha Bay as opposed to Ha Long as there are so few ships, which makes for a far more authentic and responsible experience, but just as beautiful. Instead of the crowds of 4x4s found on the classic East Africa safari circuit, we encourage Vaya clients to experience Southern Tanzania’s lesser-known parks of Nyrere National Park (formerly the Selous), Ruaha, Katavi, and the Mahale Mountains, where you can go days without seeing another vehicle. These options, with the freedom of expert private local guides, allow travelers to discover a side of the destination that most visitors never get to see,” said Jim Lutz, Founder of Vaya Adventures.

Though hotels are physically grounded in one place, they can still influence the behavior of guests staying at their property. Their in-depth knowledge of their local destination enables them to recommend one-of-a-kind activities that aren’t widely publicized. “We try to steer people away from those same kinds of tours everyone else is doing,” said Hans Pfister, Co-owner & President of The Cayuga Collection, a hotel group in Central America. Instead, they promote visits to lesser-known reserves, local cheesemakers, or small-scale coffee tours, ensuring a more enjoyable experience. “That doesn’t mean that they’re having a worse experience. On the contrary, they probably have a better experience,” said Pfister. Getting away from the crowds provides a more peaceful and intimate experience, avoiding the long wait times and congestion of popular tourist attractions.

Encouraging Low-Season Travel

Dispersing tourism is not just about where you go; it’s also about when you choose to travel. Overcrowding and the impacts of overtourism are most severe during the high season and peak visitation hours. To mitigate these issues, companies can adjust their itinerary timings, market low-season itineraries, offer special deals and pricing, and emphasize the advantages of traveling during these periods.

The Cayuga Collection uses creative marketing to highlight what is already the reality, rebranding Costa Rica’s rainy season as “Wildlife Season.” While tourists typically view rain as a drawback, this branding showcases why it’s the best time for unique animal experiences. Pfister explained the origin of the “Wildlife Season” concept: “We asked our guides, ‘What’s your favorite time of the year to take out guests?’ and they said it’s the rainy season because everything is lush and beautiful, and many animals have their babies.” Wildlife is more active after rain showers, turtles lay and hatch their eggs on Costa Rica’s beaches, and it’s whale season on the Pacific coast. The Cayuga Collection’s Wildlife Season guidebook helps travelers plan their visit by providing insights on when and where to spot species during the low season.

This video by The Cayuga Collection shares why the low season months of May to November are a magical time to view wildlife in Costa Rica.

IC Bellagio has taken a similar approach: “We came up with the word slow season for what would be traditionally called the low season or the off-season because you get a much slower, more authentic experience,” said Grisdale, “People often say to us ‘Okay great, I’ll travel in the winter but where do I go?’” To help travelers plan their slow-season adventures, IC Bellagio created a calendar that lists Italian destinations that are good to visit each month. They utilize engaging storytelling, emphasizing the quality of the experience rather than pushing sustainability down people’s throats.

This video, part of a collaborative campaign by IC Bellagio and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), shows why “slow season” is the perfect time to visit Venice.

Some tour companies are developing specific low-season itineraries. Butterfield & Robinson’s Winter Adventure Collection brings travelers to Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway during the winter when destinations are quieter but just as beautiful. Globus offers low-season itineraries through their Escapes product line, which boast the same quality and inclusions for 30-40% less than the high-season price. It’s a “win/win for touring customers, who can now enjoy a vacation with fewer crowds and great prices,” said Brooks. 

Visiting Attractions at Off-Peak Hours

Not all visitors have the flexibility to travel during the low season. However, travel companies can still help manage crowding by adjusting itineraries to avoid peak hours and informing guests about less busy times to visit popular attractions.

Many tours follow the same schedule, resulting in hordes of tourists arriving at the same locations at the same time. To avoid this, IC Bellagio proposes adjusted schedules that deviate from typical tour timings. For instance, they pushed back the start time of their Amalfi to Capri yacht tour by 2.5 hours, allowing guests to enjoy a more leisurely morning, dine in restaurants when they aren’t packed, and arrive in Capri after most day-trippers have left. 

During slower times or seasons, there is less of a rush, and locals have more availability and willingness to connect, fostering more immersive and authentic experiences. “You’re not as into the crowds and chaos. You’re going to be mixing and mingling with more local people,” said Grisdale. Travel advisors who are very familiar with the destination can help their clients identify less busy times so they have the best possible experience. “We know when the cruise line and school groups are coming in. We’re not going to San Marco at 10 am when all of the madness is there,” added Grisdale. 

Minimizing Harm and Maximizing Tourism’s Benefits

While overtourism is often associated with massive crowds, this is only part of the problem. Even destinations that receive relatively few visitors can suffer from overtourism if the number exceeds the destination’s capacity to manage them sustainably. Dispersal alone is not the whole solution. Rather, it’s about finding the right balance. Effective management requires balancing the number of tourists with the overall health of the destination. The smaller the individual impact of each traveler or tour group, the more visitors a destination can handle without being overwhelmed. 

When adopted on a large scale, simple practices such as reducing waste, conserving natural resources, respecting customs, preserving cultural heritage, and keeping groups small can greatly reduce pressure on local communities, environments, and infrastructure. By creating inclusive local value chains and raising awareness of community benefits, travel companies can enhance the quality of life for residents and reduce discontentment. This low-impact approach fosters a mutually beneficial industry, ensuring that tourism development is sustainable and welcomed.

Want more ideas on how your company can reduce the burden on well-loved destinations and strengthen regeneration? Check out the next blog in our overtourism series for actionable strategies for maintaining a positive balance between tourism’s benefits and impacts on communities and destinations. Download our sustainable tour design checklist and sustainable travel tips list for more guidance on promoting responsible tourism.