Striking a Balance: Overtourism Solutions that Embrace Regenerative Travel and Reduce Tourism’s Burden

Dispersing tourists to less crowded locations may seem like the obvious solution to overtourism, but it’s only part of the equation. While shifting the flow of visitors can alleviate some pressure on overtouristed destinations, it doesn’t fully address the underlying problem: an imbalance in how tourism impacts local communities and environments. This imbalance occurs when visitor numbers exceed what these areas can sustainably manage, causing tourism’s consequences to outweigh its benefits. This results in environmental degradation, cultural erosion, and declining local quality of life and visitor enjoyment.

To rebalance tourist numbers, travel companies must go beyond redirecting visitation and focus on transforming their impact. This entails both minimizing harm and amplifying tourism’s positive and regenerative effects. In this blog, we’ll explore some often-overlooked solutions to overtourism, including how travel companies can adopt strategies that reduce their footprint and actively contribute to the well-being of the people and places they visit, creating a more beneficial and sustainable tourism model. 

Opt for Smaller Group Sizes 

Have you ever been hiking in a secluded wilderness, only to have your peace shattered by a noisy crowd of hikers? Or visited a picturesque beach destination, only to sunbathe amidst a throng of tourists? 

Large groups can be highly disruptive, turning serene attractions into chaotic scenes. Instead of soaking in a site’s natural beauty or cultural significance, travelers often find themselves herded from one place to the next, competing for space and straining to hear their guide. As group sizes increase, it becomes more challenging for guides to maintain control and ensure everyone’s safety. With so many people to oversee, guides may struggle to monitor guests, increasing the likelihood of harmful or disrespectful behavior. The sheer number of people can also cause greater disturbances to wildlife and local communities. 

Smaller groups offer a more personalized experience, allowing for meaningful interactions that larger crowds can’t provide. Guides can dive into local culture, history, and the environment, engaging travelers more in-depth. This intimate setting also fosters genuine connections—not just with the destination, but among the travelers —creating a sense of camaraderie that enhances the entire journey.

Some travel companies recognize the advantages of smaller groups, emphasizing quality over quantity. By limiting group sizes to 16 people, Butterfield & Robinson can take travelers to remote destinations and intimate venues not equipped for larger crowds. For instance, guests can enjoy lunch at a local farm or a secluded picnic under a hidden waterfall—experiences that would be impossible with a large group.  

Similarly, some cruise companies specialize in small-boat adventures. Variety Cruises’ largest ship holds 70 passengers, while Avalon Waterways’ river cruise vessels average around 150. These smaller ships allow for visits to lesser-known ports and shore excursions that create a harmonious experience with local communities.

Create Slow Travel Journeys

Overtourism often coincides with a frenzied pace of travel. When visitors rush from one hotspot to the next, they barely scratch the surface of what a destination has to offer. This whirlwind approach tends to be more extractive, taking more from the destination and communities than it gives back. 

Slow travel, in contrast, offers a more immersive and relaxed way to explore. Instead of trying to see as many sites as possible, slow travel focuses on spending more time in a place to experience it more fully. In a fast-paced world, slow travel offers a chance to pause, connect with local communities, and get to know the culture and environment on a deeper level.

SpiceRoads’s cycling tours allow travelers to explore destinations at a leisurely pace and are more about the journey than the destination. Some of their trips take 10 to 12 days to cover what other tours do in three or four, offering guests a chance to see a different side of the country. Rather than flying between major cities, they drive into the countryside and cycle through lesser-known areas, stopping at small villages along the way. “It’s about seeing things and interacting with people on the way and seeing the local way of life,” said Struan Robertson, Managing Director of SpiceRoads, “You start to build more of an affinity with a country when you do that because you’re not just in the tourist hotspots.”

Butterfield & Robinson also embraces the concept of slow travel, leveraging it to craft memorable experiences. Their trips aren’t designed to cross off bucket-list destinations. Rather, they’re intended to be transformational experiences that give their travelers a better understanding of the world. For example, on their Iceland & Faroe Islands Hiking trip, travelers meet local farmers, learn about their lives, and enjoy home-cooked meals at their tables. 

Variety Cruises’ 2030 vision is to offer a deeper experience of the destinations. They are planning a slower cruising model where passengers spend three nights on one island, a significant shift from typical cruises that offer only a few hours at each port. “For us, it means spending more time in the destination and allowing people to really understand the place they visited,” said Filippos Venetopoulos, CEO of Variety Cruises. 

By spending more time in a region, travelers can move beyond the sensationalized attractions and discover the authentic sides of a destination. This leads to a greater sense of fulfillment and appreciation for the places visited without the pressure of rushing from one spot to the next. Not only does this enrich the travel experience, but it also extends tourism’s economic benefits to local businesses and communities that might otherwise be bypassed. Additionally, slow travel often results in a lower carbon footprint, as travelers spend more time in each location and use less carbon-emitting transportation.

Strengthen Local Economic Linkages

In overtouristed destinations, there’s growing concern that tourism benefits a select few while locals shoulder the burden. Communities endure the overcrowding, environmental damage, and cultural homogenization that come with high visitor volumes, yet feel they are not reaping the economic rewards. 

To address these concerns, tourism companies must build inclusive, local value chains to ensure local communities benefit. By partnering with local service providers, sourcing locally-produced goods, and hiring residents, companies can ensure dollars are reinvested into the communities they visit and encourage greater cultural understanding. 

The Cayuga Collection of hotels ensures revenue stays within the community by partnering with local tour guides and sourcing food, minibar drinks, furniture, and other products from nearby suppliers whenever possible. They exclusively hire local staff for all positions and invest in their long-term success through ongoing career development programs. Cayuga supports community members in achieving their personal career goals, from pastry-making to management training. This approach promotes cultural exchange, as guests hear stories and learn about the destination from the people who know it best. 

SpiceRoads takes a similar approach by introducing travelers to the flavors of the regions they explore. On their Bangkok to Phuket cycling tour, guests enjoy fruits, rice snacks, and other local delicacies that go beyond typical tourist fare. These tours often pass through rural communities that seldom benefit from tourism. By choosing fresh snacks from small-scale producers over processed products from major brands, SpiceRoads extends the benefits of tourism and offers travelers healthier, more authentic options. These snacks are often wrapped in leaves rather than plastic, reducing packaging waste. 

Variety Cruises also recognizes that local cuisine is essential to creating a distinctive travel experience. Their cruises are half-board, meaning passengers have lunch or dinner in local restaurants instead of only dining on the boat. This philosophy extends to their onboard meals and experiences, where they actively integrate local suppliers into the journey. Venetopoulos has a habit of venturing around the destinations Variety Cruises visits to build connections with local people. This led him to discover a third-generation family business that now provides the honey served on their Unexplored Greece Ionian Islands trip. They also invite local women on board to teach guests how to make traditional Greek pitas, fostering stronger connections between travelers and the communities they visit.

Tourism Cares’s Meaningful Travel Map is a valuable resource that helps tourism companies identify community-led enterprises that generate local economic benefits. For example, tourism companies can use the map to discover restaurants serving time-honored dishes, handicraft-making experiences that empower women, or Indigenous-run ecotours that tell the story of their people and lands.

Because the tourism value chain is so extensive, it can be difficult for communities to see all the positive social impacts it creates. Andrea Grisdale, CEO of the Italian destination management company IC Bellagio highlighted this, saying, “So many people are not aware that if they don’t work directly or even indirectly in our sector, that it actually touches them.” IC Bellagio uses education and communication to showcase tourism’s broader economic ripple effect and its role in preserving cultural heritage. For example, they collaborated with the World Travel & Tourism Council on a storytelling campaign that showcases how travel sustains traditional Venetian activities like glassmaking and rowing.

This video illustrates how responsible travel can strengthen community ties in popular destinations like Venice by supporting local businesses and investing in heritage preservation.

Measuring the impact of tourism on local communities is crucial but challenging, especially for international tour operators. G Adventures tackles this through its Ripple Score system, which was developed in partnership with Sustainable Travel International. This system assigns a Ripple Score to each tour, reflecting the percentage of trip services spending that stays within local economies. G Adventures is committed to improving these scores by hiring local guides and prioritizing local accommodations, restaurants, and transportation providers.

Design Culturally-Sensitive Tourism Products and Facilitate Understanding

Residents’ concerns extend beyond the economic benefits of tourism. Tensions can escalate when tourism disrespects local communities and cultures. When tourists fail to observe local customs or treat sacred sites with the necessary respect, it can offend and strain the relationship between visitors and residents. This issue is even more pronounced in overtouristed destinations, where the volume of visitors amplifies the negative impact.

Travel companies can help mitigate these conflicts by designing culturally sensitive products and encouraging mindful practices. This begins with involving local people when developing visitor experiences to ensure their perspectives and needs are respected. It also includes educating staff and travelers about local customs, etiquette, and the importance of respecting the communities and places they visit.

Cultural awareness is central to Road Scholar’s mission as an educational tour operator. Each itinerary is crafted with input from someone highly familiar with the destination, ensuring that cultural nuances are respected. Many of their trips include visits to heritage sites and Indigenous communities, such as the native pueblos of New Mexico. Instead of imposing their own agenda, Road Scholar engages local communities to determine how they want to participate. This ensures the experiences are mutually beneficial and honor the knowledge and contributions of the local community rather than exoticizing their culture.   

Road Scholar also emphasizes guide and traveler education to ensure interactions respect the cultural identity of local communities. Before visiting a pueblo, travelers receive a handout on visitor etiquette, including guidelines on photography, appropriate behavior during dances and ceremonies, and the importance of respecting private residences and sacred spaces. Additionally, guides provide context and advice, such as what isn’t appropriate to ask about when sharing a meal with an Indigenous family. 

“When tourism is done right, everybody wins,” said Meghan Flynn, Associate Vice President of Program Strategy at Road Scholar. “Not only monetarily, but it gives [local citizens] a chance to be proud of their heritage and who they are.” 

Flynn emphasized the importance of selecting suppliers who align with these values. This may entail educating partners and encouraging them to pass this knowledge down the supply chain. To facilitate the dissemination of sustainable practices, Road Scholar recently launched a training program developed by Sustainable Travel International, aimed at both their staff and external providers. By establishing clear policies and guidelines, travel companies can ensure that everyone involved in creating their offerings upholds the cultural integrity of local communities and contributes positively to their well-being.

Minimize Tourism’s Environmental Footprint 

The carrying capacity of a destination – the number of tourists it can sustainably accommodate – depends on the effectiveness of local energy, water, and waste management systems. When these systems can’t meet the demands of residents and visitors, local resources can be depleted, and natural environments can suffer. To reduce pressure on infrastructure, travel companies must minimize the environmental footprint of each traveler. This means adopting practices that conserve resources, reduce waste, and minimize ecosystem disturbances. By implementing these measures, travel companies can lessen the per-traveler impact and help increase a destination’s carrying capacity.

The Cayuga Collection takes a proactive approach by reducing waste production rather than relying heavily on recycling or waste management systems. Hans Pfister, Co-owner & President of The Cayuga Collection explains, “We want to recycle as little as possible because we don’t want to produce any waste in the first place.” This philosophy has led to impactful practices such as eliminating plastic water bottles from their hotels over a decade ago. Additionally, The Cayuga Collection minimizes unnecessary packaging through creative solutions like making condiments and reusing vegetable crates.

“Eliminating single-use plastics is a good example of how an operator can think in new ways to still deliver a luxury guest experience with Mother Earth in mind,” said Stephanie Brooks, Vice President of Product & Operations at Globus Family of Brands, the parent company of Avalon Waterways. The river cruising company has implemented environmentally friendly practices, such as providing refillable glass water bottles in staterooms and installing high-end water stations with flavored and mineral-infused options. They also conserve resources by installing energy-saving lighting, selecting energy-efficient engines for new ships, and utilizing shore power to reduce engine run time.

Implementing sustainable practices is a gradual process that requires building trust and raising awareness among guests and staff. When SpiceRoads first introduced reusable water bottles and refillable 20-liter water containers, guests were initially skeptical about the water quality and continued to request single-use plastic bottles. However, as awareness of the plastic waste problem grew, guests began embracing the concept. Robertson emphasized that the success of such initiatives hinges on educating frontline staff about the issues and the importance of sustainability action. He noted, “It has to come from the guides and the drivers, and they need to buy into it and understand it. Because if they don’t, and we’re just doing it for lip service, it gets done half-heartedly.” This underscores the need for genuine commitment at all levels to ensure practices are consistently implemented.

Supporting Preservation and Regeneration Initiatives

Reducing the negative impacts of tourism is only half of the solution. Travel companies can also support initiatives that preserve, restore, and enhance local infrastructure and natural and cultural sites. 

Travel companies can establish partnerships with local organizations working on these efforts. For instance, companies like Vaya Adventures, Wildland Trekking, and Chile Nativo have contributed to the Torres del Paine Legacy Fund, which focuses on conservation efforts within Chile’s iconic national park. Tourism funding supports initiatives such as maintaining trails along the popular ‘O’ and ‘W’ routes, installing eco-friendly toilets to manage visitor waste, placing interpretive signage about the park’s wetland ecosystem, or reforesting degraded areas. By investing in such programs, travel companies help conserve and regenerate the landscapes they visit.

Similarly, travel companies can partner to preserve cultural sites and advance community development. For example, Road Scholar collaborates with the Southwestern Colorado Canyons Alliance to safeguard the cultural heritage of the Canyons of the Ancients. Meanwhile, Butterfield & Robinson’s Slow Fund has invested in various projects, including preserving Angkor Wat, training female safari guides, and restoring olive tree groves to support the livelihoods of Italian farmers. 

Sustainable Travel International’s Climate Impact Portfolio allows travel companies to invest in projects that finance clean energy development and ecosystem preservation. By purchasing carbon offsets through this portfolio, travel companies can contribute to diverse initiatives, such as protecting orangutan habitats in Indonesia and renewable energy infrastructure in the Dominican Republic. These investments not only help mitigate the carbon footprint of travel but also support broader sustainability goals and community development.

By supporting these types of initiatives, travel companies can ensure their operations leave behind a positive impact on communities and ecosystems, fostering long-term sustainability in destinations they visit.

Other Overtourism Solutions and Ways to Leave Behind a Positive Impact

Travel companies can play a pivotal role in combating overtourism by supporting the conscientious celebration of cultural heritage, promoting responsible practices, creating inclusive and eco-friendly tourism products, and investing in sustainable development. To delve into other strategies for managing overtourism, including how travel companies can disperse tourism to reduce the burden on popular destinations, be sure to check out our blog post dedicated to this topic. 

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