Overtourism: A Challenge

  

 The boom of the tourism sector is the talk of the town and widely acknowledged as a symbol of prosperity, growth, cultural assimilation, interfaith harmony, and many other positive trends. 

  

 But, the most concerning thing is that the unchecked growth of tourism has turned it into overtourism and the perils of this uncontrolled phenomenon have been now outweighing its positive aspects. 

  The climate is bearing the maximum brunt. To carry thousands of tourists, a huge number of public-private transport services - engines running on fossil fuels- are in action every time which means that carbon emissions are reaching new heights. 

  Then, the initiation of massive infrastructure projects to accommodate tourists - by wiping out forest covers, disturbing natural habitats, and building large tourist resorts, resthouses, guesthouses, hotels, and restaurants-  has been aggravating the fragility of the climate.

  Similarly, overwhelmed tourist destinations have enhanced the scale of damages in the cases of cataclysmic events by manifold. State departments have been failing in evacuating or rescuing stranded tourists far more than their capacities in any emergency.

  Meanwhile, state institutions, governments, and local residents are also under immense pressure. From personnel of law enforcement agencies to workers of other institutions,  all are always at high alert. They have to work 24/7 and leisure time has become a dream.

  Locals have to wait in large queues of traffic for hours to cover a few kilometers while carrying out day-to-day affairs. Prices of daily-use commodities are skyrocketing.

  Cultural backlash has also been on the rise. Assaults on visitors, clashes, and harassment cases due to cultural differences are largely due to an unabated wave of tourism.

  Therefore, it is time to devise a plan for the regulation of tourism.

  At the first step, the government should conduct detailed surveys to estimate the potential of tourism for different areas and sites. Then, after careful analysis, the stakeholders should chart plans and share the policy framework with the general public.

  Based on the framework, there must be a registration & restriction of the number of travelers visiting a popular site on a particular day. And, an updated travel advisory for every monumental site can also be the right step.

  Public transport services for visiting tourist sites like electric buses with strict adherence to the timetable, an online process of seat reservation, and a conducive environment for travelling can fix traffic issues.

  Here, the digitization of the whole process can be a panacea for all worries. If all details become available with one click on a particular website or application, governance will become a paragon of excellence and confidence of people in the government will get a boost. Importantly, the tourism sector will prosper sustainably.  Otherwise, a recipe for disaster is on the pressure cooker.