INTERNATIONAL
Too much of a good thing
Miroslav Ron č ák author of Prague and the impact of low-cost airlines, on
how tourist hotspots around the world are tackling the issue of overtourism
T
he world is undergoing a period of
tourism boom, and increasing tourist
expenditure is a priority for most
destinations. However, little has been done to
avoid the negative impacts related to tourism
development.
Residents revolt because the quality of their
lives is affected by rising prices, deteriorating
ecology and ubiquitous tourists. Local shops
for local residents are replaced by souvenir
kiosks. Additionally, many tourists do not
respect local culture and traditions.
The speed of change in communities caused
by tourism development is the most serious
issue. With the rapid expansion of social media,
and an increase in the number of tourists,
smaller destinations can become overcrowded
almost overnight.
Many destinations aim to reduce the number
of incoming tourists by using attractive off-
season offers, diversified portfolios of tourist
products, focussing on more well-off clients,
or introducing tourist taxes or legislation
amendments. One of priorities in London is
to promote neighbourhoods outside the city
centre. A good-practice example was the free
mobile app ‘Play London with Mr. Bean’,
which shows travellers different attractions
around London that, when visited, earn points
to redeem for vouchers and discounts around
the city.
The idea was to disperse those visitors across
the city to avoid congestion. The Galápagos
Islands issues permissions to groups of
tourists, which allow them to visit sights only
within a certain time period each day. Machu
Picchu introduced a daily tourist limit. Venice
plans to collect a fee for entering the historic
centre. Barcelona has changed its legislation.
By dividing the city into three zones, it
regulates construction and reconstruction of
accommodation facilities for tourists. As of 1
January, Amsterdam has charged a tax to all
transit cruise passengers who arrive and leave
by ship. However, Amsterdam also analyses the
behaviour of tourists successfully and strives
for regulation of the destination overcrowding
using the chip-stored data collected through
the Amsterdam City Card. This a smart use
of new technologies. The ‘Discover the City’
application always sends users a message
if the sight is more crowded than usual. It
also proposes alternative options. Prague
City Tourism aims to use 3D technology
and augmented reality as a tool to reduce
overtourism and to promote the locations that
are less frequented by tourists. Dubrovnik
strives to provide an information service to
keep the tourist up-to-date and to offer various
possibilities of months, days or times of day. It
doesn’t tell them to avoid a particular place, it
suggests that their personal experience will be
Tourist arrivals in London
2016: 19,190.3
2017: 19,842.8
2020 (Forecast): 22,335.0
2025 (Forecast): 25,804.3
better at 4pm, rather than at 12pm.
In addition to time management, Dubrovnik
works intensely to optimise the movement
of tourists around the city. It tries to expand
public spaces even at the expense of unpopular
measures, such as reduction of number of
tables in restaurants that reach up to the street.
A better education program and more realistic
marketing will help with these aims.
If travel agencies sell vacations to tourists
on a basis of specific promises, it can be a
problem if their actual experience differs. From
an educational point of view, stakeholders and
entrepreneurs have to present their tourism
product in a more realistic manner.
If travelling is really about getting to know
other cultures, then tourists should be willing
to respect local inhabitants and traditions.
Being a successful destination also means
providing high-quality services to encourage
satisfied tourists to return.
Understanding the impact of tourism on the
quality of residents’ lives will make it possible
to create an efficient strategy for sustainable
development of the destination and to optimise
the mutual relationships among all stakeholders
involved in its development. Analysis and
evaluation of all available data has become a
‘must do’ for destinations that want to prevent
overtourism and move towards long-term
sustainable development of tourism.
I N T E R N AT I O N A L N E W S
TOP TECH TRENDS ON SHOW AT CES
The Consumer Electronics Show took place
in Las Vegas from 8-11 January, providing
a glimpse into the future of consumer
technology. Apple, Samsung, LG, HTC and
Nvidia were among the big players in
attendance, many with new announcements
and products to show off.
Major trends include smart home devices,
AI, autonomous and connected cars, and
virtual reality.
The latest in TV technology was also on
display, as LG demonstrated a consumer
version of its ‘roll-up’ OLED TV R, which retracts
into a base when not in use.
Smart doorbells were also featured by
several companies, including Amazon-owned
Ring’s Door View Cam.
UK FIRM GIVES EVENTS EQUIPMENT
SECOND LIFE IN INDIA DBPIXELHOUSE EXPANDS INTO NORTH
AMERICA
UK outdoor events company Rat Race
Adventure Sports has sent £25,000 of leftover
equipment to Malur in India’s Karnakata
province, to create an exciting new
playground. The equipment, which includes
cargo nets, scaffolding and tyres, was originally
used for an event in Australia.
A team including members from Rat Race,
and plant, tools and equipment hire firm
GAP Group travelled from Britain to India to
construct the park themselves.
Jim Mee, founder of Rat Race, commented:
“It seemed a waste to scrap the gear and
dispose of it in an un-environmentally sound
way, so we set to work on finding a new use
for it.” DBpixelhouse has expanded its operations
into the USA. The company will be working with
several North American agencies and brands
during early 2019, helping them to engage
with delegates through the creative integration
of digital content.
The company also announced the
appointment of Jen Renfer as North American
business development executive.
CEO David Bulley commented: “This is a
really exciting opportunity for everyone at
DBpixelhouse. We’ve been working with UK
based clients on projects in North America for
many years and we’ve always had a brilliant
reception to the integration of our content and
software with the tech.”
exhibitionnews.co.uk | February 2019
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