Will travel cost more in 2022 and beyond? Overtourism threatens popular destinations from Venice to Thailand’s Maya Bay, but the hospitality sector might have sustainable solutions …

Mar 24 , 2022

Remember this? Air travel will eventually return, but are we ready to pay more for it to be more environmentally responsible? Photo: Getty Images

Travel may become more globally available again in 2022, but expect it to cost more if we are to be serious about tackling overtourism and sustainability

Airlines are increasing prices to make up for revenue lost amid Covid-19 travel restrictions, while popular destinations may introduce visiting fees to manage foot traffic

In 2018, the white sand beaches and turquoise waters of the idyllic Maya Bay on the Thai island of Phi Phi Leh faced an alarming threat, one that resulted in a now four-year closure in an attempt to restore the coral reefs and natural habitat that had suffered.

The threat? Tourists. At that time, the bay attracted boats swarming with an estimated 5,000 visitors each day, all arriving to holiday in the warm sun and take selfies in the spot that was the star – alongside Leonardo DiCaprio – of the hit movie The Beach. Fast forward to the present and there’s renewed talk of the bay being reopened, but will this put it at risk of suffering from overtourism once more?

Resorts like Oman’s Six Senses Zighy Bay stress efforts to be more sustainable and look after the environment. Photo: Six Senses

Pre-pandemic, the canals of Venice, the beaches of Boracay, the Great Barrier Reef, and the calles of Barcelona were all overrun by visitors – and they are merely a few of the most famous examples. Overtourism, the point at which the impact holidaymakers have on a destination excessively affects the quality of life of its citizens and/or the natural ecosystem, has put many beloved global destinations at risk and has disrupted the lifestyles of their locals.

Natural heritage sites are most commonly affected by this problem, but the pandemic presented a unique opportunity for global tourism to reset, rethink and plot a more sustainable course. As international travel is picking up again, authorities and businesses are making preparations to prevent overtourism from occurring again. One solution that tourism boards are adapting is a ticketing system to limit foot traffic.

“Natural tourist sites around Asia have no regulation or visitor management, while museums worldwide carry ticket and reservation systems, which help manage footfall,” says Willem Niemeijer, CEO of the Bangkok-based sustainable travel group Yaana Ventures.

Authorities in Venice, Italy, plan to charge all tourists a daily fee to visit the city. Photo: Bloomberg

Tourism authorities can look to Venice as a prime example, where leaders recently announced that the city will start charging visitors a daily fee of US$3-10 (€3-10), beginning in the summer of 2022. This is an attempt to temper its 80,000 visitors a day. Aside from this, Venice officials will be tracking movement in the city, monitoring who and how many enter and leave, through a network of 468 security cameras, ticketing and a smartphone-tracing system.

International travel, which had become more accessible to millions in the past few decades, will soon become a luxury again as tourism businesses look to regain lost revenue by upping rates. Airlines are planning to make up for the US$138 billion in revenue lost in 2020 by increasing prices, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).