/ Overtourism – a growing concern to be addressed in a responsible and sustainable manner

Overtourism - a growing concern to be addressed in a responsible and sustainable manner

  HOTREC, the European umbrella association of hotels, restaurants and cafés, developed a position paper addressing the issue of ‘overtourism’, an issue which is of growing concern for several cities. The European hospitality industry would like to contribute to related ongoing discussions in a constructive manner being one of the key stakeholders in tourism and thus puts now forward 5 recommendations for policy makers. Only with common efforts and taking the interests of all parties into account it will be able to find common solutions to ensure, that tourism remains a sustainable and beneficial activity for everyone even in destinations considered to be over-crowded. It has been the interrelation of several factors, which has made the issue of ‘overtourism’ climb up on the political agenda. Consequences for destinations are more and more visible, also to the broader public, as they feature in different news and as people in affected destinations experience them in their daily lives. The current HOTREC position paper provides with a short overview of some of the causes as well as describes some of the consequences. “Following the 5 recommendations put forward in the document will contribute to a better management of tourism in congested destinations”, believes Ramón Estalella, Chair of HOTREC’s ‘Sharing’ Economy Task Force. “We are looking forward to cooperating with all parties involved at EU and specifically at national level where our members are directly affected and ready to work on solutions”, concluded Christian de Barrin, CEO of HOTREC.  

For more information, please contact Claudia Pinheiro +32(0)2 504 78 45, [email protected]