Yes, there is such a thing as too much tourism.
Japan is learning that the hard way.
Japan is taking steps to protect itself from what it calls overtourism.
This appears to be a case of be careful what you wish for. While most countries hoped that the decrease in tourism because of the pandemic would return, it is now back and then some. The pent-up demand to travel has resulted in record numbers of visitors.
At least in Japan, several government officials met last week to take measures against too much tourism. Japan and many other countries are happy to see tourism rebound, but it’s been too much, too soon. Especially when it affects local life.
“Many tourist destinations are rapidly regaining their popularity and while having a vibrant tourism industry is positive, there are concerns about overcrowding and breaches of etiquette,” said Kenji Hamamoto, director for Visitor Experience Improvement at the Japan Tourism Agency during a briefing on Wednesday.
It has been almost a year since Japan fully reopened its borders to tourism. That includes visitors from the populous nation of China.
That has created such problems as long lines for public transportation.
Government officials did not say when tourism countermeasures will be complete. Nor did they say what, exactly, those steps would be. But they are expected in the fall.
Hamamatsu did say that the steps would not be just for Japan’s biggest population centers, like Tokyo, but for small villages that are becoming increasingly popular and may not have the infrastructure to handle overflow crowds.
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