Overtourism: a threat to the environment and the liveability of cities

Translated by Jennifer Di Giacomo

Globalization and development of increasingly fast and safe means of transport have made it possible for many people in recent decades to travel frequently, exploring neighbouring countries as well as overseas destinations.

Although there are many positive effects, such as greater opportunities to visit new places, both in cultural and economic terms, the overtourism that some places in the world are forced to deal with hides a significant side effect linked to climate change and conditions of local communities.

According to a study published in Nature Communications, in 2013, greenhouse gas emissions linked to global tourism accounted for as much as 8 percent of total emissions.

Of course, the main factor linked to these side effects is transportation: an increase in tourism means an increase in air and sea transport, but also in fossil fuel-powered cars, which are naturally responsible for CO2 emissions.

In addition to increased emissions, uncontrolled tourism very often damages local communities, primarily by increasing the cost of living in major tourist centres.

Italy is a striking example of that: although tourism is an important economic resource for the country, some centres such as Venice and Florence are severely affected by the side effects of overtourism.

Venice, a tourist destination throughout the year, but especially during Carnival, is one of the most at-risk cities from the increasingly worrying threat of global warming, which is responsible for rising sea levels, extreme waves, and storm surges.

A study conducted by a group of researchers from Ca' Foscari University in Venice has highlighted how the Venetian coastline will suffer severe erosion in 2030-2040, while in the following decade there will be an increase: these changes will cause a deterioration in the quality of the sea.

As highlighted in the UNESCO report ‘Climate Change Impacts on Mediterranean World Heritage Cities: The Urban Fabric in the Face of a Changing Climate’ (2025), Venice is sinking at an alarming rate of about 10 cm per century, and the situation is exacerbated by the increasingly frequent exceptional tides to which it is exposed.

In addition to being threatened by the increasingly looming climate crisis, Venice is one of the centres most affected by overtourism. This is particularly reflected in the housing crisis and the cost of living.

The massive presence of properties used solely for short-term tourist rentals has led to a decrease in the supply of apartments for families or rooms for students. This has also been highlighted by the Tortuga Think Tank, which found that when the percentage of Airbnb rentals increases by 1%, long-term rental prices increase by 5.6%.

The effects are particularly noticeable in a relatively small city like Venice.

Even in a large metropolis like Barcelona, the effects of the high cost of living, due to uncontrolled tourism, make it difficult for residents to sustain the high costs.

Therefore, the damage caused by uncontrolled and irresponsible tourism is manifold, fundamentally linked to the climate crisis and the economic impact on local communities. However, it is possible to travel more responsibly: considering nearby destinations that are easily accessible by bus or train rather than by plane, choosing alternative destinations where tourism can be a boost to the local economy and not an obstacle to the city liveability.

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