Leading tourism into balance
local economies, which have come to rely on the tourist dollar. The answer is not in small individual reactions, but joint actions working together. Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve in Patagonia won the South American Responsible Tourism Award at the World Travel Awards as Chile prioritised partnerships with indigenous and rural communities. The GSTC provides destinations with GSTC Destination Criteria, global standards for sustainable management guiding policy-makers on strategy and implementing plans for long-term sustainability. CEO Randy Durband says: “Success stories come from those destinations that have developed true management mechanisms that include three key components: a whole-government approach led by the tourism agency but reaching out to other public agencies, interaction with the private sector, and some means of gaining community input into planning and development.” Spreading tourism’s economic value Iconic locations such as Rome, Machu Picchu, and the savannahs of East Africa are unlikely to see declining demand, but the challenge is whether pressure can be deflected to lesser-known destinations. Skyscanner’s Travel Trends report found that 34% of travellers now actively seek quieter places, while 31% plan to visit popular destinations in shoulder seasons, indicating that overtourism is influencing decisions. However, the same research found that 77% of travellers revisit the same destinations for at least 20% of their holidays. This may reflect how destinations market themselves and who they reach, with 17% continuing to visit overcrowded places simply
The Faroe Islands has launched
self-navigating tourist cars guiding visitors to lesser-known areas
them.” Some forward thinking efforts from destinations across the globe include Dubrovnik’s partnership with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) reducing congestion through cruise coordination and community dialogue; Iceland, which reinvests tourism levies directly into environmental protection; Turisme de Barcelona Consortium, which operates under a public-private partnership model, guided by the principles of sustainable development goals; and Amsterdam introducing a 12.5% tourist tax, restricted large buses, and imposing a €14.50 charge per cruise passenger. A 2025 Responsible Tourism Award winner, The Netherland’s Brabant’s region, launched a digital route planner, Wandelstarte, to manage hordes of hikers, and the Faroe Islands has launched self-navigating tourist cars guiding visitors to lesser-known areas. Outside Europe, Japan has capped numbers and introduced trail fees on Mount Fuji, while Tanzania and Kenya have raised permit costs and limited numbers following incidents of overcrowding during the Great Migration. However, curbing numbers or raising fees alone is not a complete solution. Better infrastructure can increase access, and therefore numbers, while higher costs may exclude many travellers and harm
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