Latest news with #Fodor
Tokyo Weekender
18-07-2025
- Tokyo Weekender
Visiting Kyoto in an Age of Overtourism
In recent years, as Japan has seen a steady surge in overseas visitors, the issue of overtourism has come to the fore. Kyoto, in particular, is bearing the brunt of it: reports tell of disrespectful tourists crowding streets, hounding apprentice geisha, defiling legendary temples and generally treating the ancient capital like a theme park or a mere backdrop for Instagram photos. By now, the phenomenon is known throughout the world, having been documented in nearly every major media outlet. Kyoto and Tokyo both made Fodor's 'No List' this year, and a recent New York magazine article detailed at length the current state of affairs: swarms of disrespectful tourists treating the historic city like 'an amusement park' or 'a safari.' As a traveler with good intentions and a sense of respect, overtourism creates a difficult conundrum. After all, overtouristed places are heavily visited for a reason — they're beautiful, unique and rich in history. It's hard to fault visitors for wanting to experience the ancient capital's magic; truthfully, when my friends visit Japan, I still highly recommend Kyoto to them. So what's the best way to address this problem? According to locals and insiders, it's still quite possible to plan a trip to Kyoto in a way that honors local culture and doesn't cause a disturbance. You just have to be mindful, conscientious and prepared to forgo some of the most raved-about sites. List of Contents: The Overtourism Problem in Kyoto The Tourist Dilemma The Problem of 'Must-See' Places Traveling With Intention Related Posts The Area Surrounding Kiyomizu-dera The Overtourism Problem in Kyoto I've lived a large chunk of my life in Japan, but I've only gone to Kyoto a handful of times. Admittedly, I find that the packed crowds — particularly in the areas surrounding Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari Taisha and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest — detract from the serene energy these sites are known for. Ironically, though, when I went on a trip to Kyoto with my college friends who were visiting from the States, these were the very spots I took them to — because, well, 'you just have to.' The city of Kyoto has a population of about 1.4 million, and in 2024, Kyoto drew 10.88 million foreign visitors. According to New York , roughly 150,000 people visit the city every day. Most of these visitors crowd the same few places — the ones I mentioned above, plus a few others (Kinkaku-ji, Nijo Castle, etc.). For Kyoto residents, the constant influx of tourists can be incredibly disruptive. Daily life is often affected by overcrowded public transport and large groups of inconsiderate visitors, particularly in popular districts like Higashiyama and Arashiyama, which can feel nearly impassable at peak times. In a survey conducted by Yomiuri Shimbun in fall 2023, around 90% of 5,500 local respondents expressed frustration with the congestion on buses and trains caused by tourism. And it's not just in public places that the disruptions occur. New York describes a phenomenon of clueless tourists 'opening the sliding doors into unmarked machiya on the presumption that anything inside was meant for their entertainment, only to end up walking into someone's living room.' Fushimi Inari Taisha Torii The Tourist Dilemma On a rainy June day, I was visiting the Tokyo National Museum with a friend from the US, catching the temporary special exhibition of modern-day ukiyo-e paintings. As I was struggling to get my umbrella out of its locked holder, my friend offhandedly mentioned that seeing other, conspicuously American tourists — inappropriately dressed, loud and pushy, acting with little regard for Japanese cultural norms — makes him feel embarrassed about his country. 'Tourism inevitably dilutes a place, especially somewhere like Japan,' he said. I hadn't really thought much about tourists in that way. I didn't think much about them at all, beyond being mildly annoyed by the masses filming videos at Shibuya Crossing when I have places to be, dammit . Like a true Tokyoite, I generally have tunnel vision as I walk and think of the people in my path not by country of origin but obstacles I must avoid. I didn't really understand what my friend was trying to say until I went to Milan for vacation the following week. Suddenly, my role was reversed. The ongoing joke is that everyone and their mothers are either going to Japan or Italy right now, but there's some truth to it. I heard more English than Italian on the streets. When I visited Lake Como, I was stunned by its beauty — but also heartbroken by how gentrified it felt. Many longtime residents have been pushed out by soaring prices, their homes replaced by tourists and millionaires. My Japanese instinct for kizukai (consideration for others) kicked in as a tourist in Italy. I was extremely aware of the fact that I was a visitor, taking up space in a city that wasn't mine. I felt bad about my limited Italian vocabulary, stammering my lunch order to a waiter who smiled generously and responded in fluent English. I instantly felt more sympathetic towards foreigners in Japan, where it's much harder to get by with just English. I couldn't help but feel strong parallels between Milan and Kyoto. Both cities draw massive crowds largely because of their deep, tangible histories — steeped into the architecture and embedded in the land itself. The shrines and temples of Kyoto evoke a similar awe to Italy's grand cathedrals. In my mind, the Duomo di Milano and Kiyomizu-dera feel like two sides of the same coin. As a tourist, I felt surprisingly guilty. Guilty for potentially, in a however minute way, changing the landscape of a country with so much history. For being one of the thousands of people visiting the Duomo, contributing to an already packed place that's supposed to be a spiritual refuge. Kinkaku-ji Temple The Problem of 'Must-See' Places Overtourism is, in many ways, fueled by the collective desire to check out a select few 'must-see' spots. It doesn't help that so much of travel has become performative nowadays, fueled by a desire for bragging rights and perfectly posed and filtered Instagram posts. On TikTok, influencers tout 'must-eat' and 'must-visit' items, which their followers bookmark in order to create content of their own. I'm not criticizing this phenomenon — I understand that this is what it is to travel in the modern world. I do the same things myself: When I'm getting ready for a trip, I bookmark travel TikToks and reels, and I commemorate my international adventures with curated photo dumps. But it's important to remember there's much more of a city than what one sees on the Explore Page, and that travel isn't meant to be effortless. It requires thought and planning. 'The thing that gets me is that Kyoto is huge, and there are so many places that are still almost empty,' Joshua Lassman-Watts, CEO of luxury travel company Untold Japan , says. 'The problem seems to be that tourists only want to go to the same spots. What happened to curiosity and adventure?' As we've written before , it's an oversimplification to say that Japan is plagued by overtourism. The real issue is the concentration of visitors in just a handful of well-known spots. As Lassman-Watts points out, even within Kyoto, there are countless historic neighborhoods, shrines, temples and traditional cafes that remain largely untouched by overseas tourists — often just minutes away from the city's most crowded landmarks. Take, for instance, Maru Sankaku Shikaku no Toku , a cafe-gallery located in a renovated 100-year-old house in Enmachi, a quaint neighborhood within walking distance of Kinkaku-ji. The owner, Yoko Tokuji, says she genuinely wants more tourists to stop by, and even tries to advertise to English speakers online. 'Once visitors arrive in Japan, many don't know where to go, so they end up heading to the famous spots by default, leading to severe overcrowding,' she explains. 'We need more people to learn about historical areas like Enmachi, which are not as well-known.' Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Traveling With Intention When traveling to a heavily touristed location, changing the narrative about what you 'have' to see in order to truly experience a city is a good first step. 'The vast majority of people visiting Kyoto for the first time are going to visit the top spots,' Jordan McChesney, a tour guide at Untold Japan, says. 'We typically encourage our guests to explore Kyoto off the beaten path. Kyoto is a lot bigger than people might think, so there is no shortage of sights to see and stories to tell if you know where to look.' It falls on travelers to do their research properly — or enlist the help of expert local guides. It falls on you to anticipate cultural differences, and to properly prepare for them. 'Our network of local guides, comprising both Japanese and long-term international residents, actively helps our guests navigate local customs and etiquette,' says Laura Abril, a project manager at Kyoto Daily Tours. 'This includes speaking softly in public spaces, properly announcing themselves in restaurants, responsibly disposing of garbage and facilitating clear communication through translation of menus and local guidelines.' It's important to remember that, above all, you're a guest in someone else's home, and that calls for humility and flexibility. Being an outsider doesn't exempt you from local rules or etiquette, and not every business will cater to Western tastes. You may come across places without English menus, or staff who can't accommodate non-Japanese speakers. Travelers hoping for a 'truly authentic' Kyoto experience without speaking the language — or doing proper research or hiring a local guide — are likely to be disappointed. Travel can be full of surprises and serendipitous encounters, but stumbling into the perfect hole-in-the-wall with no reservation and a warm welcome isn't a given. This is Kyoto, not Narnia. That said, one of the great joys of visiting Japan is noticing the subtle thoughtfulness and quiet generosity of the people. Locals are often kind, and many are genuinely pleased that their culture is receiving so much interest from abroad. Emulating and understanding culture is a huge part of travel — and leading with respect and consideration is probably the most Japanese thing you could do. Related Posts A Kyoto Itinerary That Skips the Crowds, Not the Culture Alternative, Less Crowded Temples and Shrines in Kyoto Drunk American Tourist Damages Kyoto Temple Tied to Samurai Legend
Daily Record
30-06-2025
- Daily Record
NC500 alternative in Scotland with dark skies, medieval castles and scenic crowd free roads
The road trip is a 300-mile route through Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire, offering quiet roads, castles, forests and coast without the crowds Scotland's iconic North Coast 500 may have become the country's most famous driving route, but its soaring popularity has created new problems. With overcrowding, traffic jams and pressure on small communities, it has now been named one of 15 tourist hotspots to avoid in 2025 by travel guide Fodor's. But travellers keen to experience Scotland's scenic beauty without the downsides of overtourism are turning their wheels south, towards a quieter, lesser-known alternative that many say is even better. The South West Coastal 300, or SWC300, is a 300-mile circular route that winds through two of Britain's most overlooked counties, offering rugged coastline, ancient castles and peaceful forests, all without the crowds. Described as one of Scotland's best-kept secrets, the route meanders through the Dumfries and Galloway region and parts of Ayrshire, passing through harbour towns, rolling countryside and dramatic clifftops. It takes in the most southerly point of Scotland at Mull of Galloway and climbs to Wanlockhead, the highest village in the country. 'This is a great option for those looking to discover Scotland,' said Ed Maughan, Managing Director at 'More travellers want authentic experiences that don't require battling crowds, sitting in traffic jams or booking accommodation years in advance. The SWC300 offers some of the country's best landscapes and history as rich as the more famous routes, but with the peace and space to actually enjoy them.' which specialises in large holiday properties and outdoor adventure stays, has recorded a 20 percent year-on-year increase in interest in southwest Scotland, double the growth seen in Scottish tourism overall. The route's highlights include the UK's largest forest, Galloway Forest Park, which spans 300 square miles of waterfalls, wildlife and woodland trails. The forest is also Britain's first Dark Sky Park, with virtually no light pollution, making it a prime spot for stargazing. History buffs will find plenty to explore, from the remote Threave Castle, which can only be accessed by boat, to the fairytale-like Culzean Castle, perched on a clifftop overlooking the Firth of Clyde. Other curious landmarks include the world's oldest working post office, in Sanquhar, dating back to 1712, and Britain's highest narrow-gauge railway at Leadhills and Wanlockhead. The route is peppered with charming towns and villages that each bring something unique. In Wigtown, Scotland's National Book Town, literary lovers will find the country's largest second-hand bookshop and a lively annual festival. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Portpatrick charms with its pastel-painted harbour houses, while Dumfries, known for its links to Robert Burns, offers visitors a chance to walk in the poet's footsteps. Killantringan Bay, Whithorn, Kirkcudbright, and the Solway coast all feature along the way, with detours revealing yet more hidden gems. At Mull of Galloway, a lighthouse designed by Robert Louis Stevenson towers 260 feet above sea level, offering panoramic views and seabird sightings. Despite all it has to offer, the SWC300 remains under the radar. Unlike the NC500, there are no battles for parking or queues at every viewpoint. Accommodation is easier to book, and the warm welcome from locals is still a big part of the journey's appeal. It is also increasingly accessible. The circular route connects easily to major roads like the M74 and M77, and VisitScotland has recently launched a new guide for electric vehicle drivers, making the trip even more sustainable.
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Instant Scholar: Jerry Fodor's 'where cognitive science went wrong'
Jerry Fodor (1935–2017) was one of the most influential philosophers of mind and cognitive science in the 20th century. A towering figure in analytic philosophy, Fodor advanced a rigorous framework for understanding the mind, language, and computation through his Language of Thought hypothesis, his support of modularity, and his resistance to certain trends in evolutionary psychology and connectionism. However, what makes Fodor particularly compelling is not just the framework he proposed but also the trenchant critique he launched in his later years against what he saw as the failings of cognitive science. In Fodor's view, the discipline had taken a wrong turn by abandoning the classical computational theory of mind and succumbing to vague, often biologically speculative, models of mental architecture. The Foundations: Fodor's Language of Thought Hypothesis At the heart of Fodor's philosophy is the Language of Thought Hypothesis (LOTH), proposed in his 1975 book The Language of Thought. According to LOTH, human cognition is structured like a formal language—a mentalese—that has its own syntax and semantics. Just as a computer operates by manipulating symbols based on formal rules, the mind works by computing over internal representations. This view aligned with the classical computational theory of mind (CTM), which posits that cognitive processes resemble digital computation: they manipulate structured symbols according to algorithmic rules. Fodor argued this approach offered a rigorous and scientifically tractable model for explaining mental processes such as reasoning, problem-solving, and language use. Modularity of Mind and Encapsulation In his 1983 work The Modularity of Mind, Fodor made a further contribution by proposing that certain cognitive functions—particularly perceptual systems—are modular. That is, they are: Domain-specific (dedicated to a specific type of information), Informationally encapsulated (do not draw on beliefs or knowledge from other domains), Fast and automatic, and Innately specified. He made a distinction between modular systems (like vision or language parsing) and central systems (like belief formation), which he considered non-modular and much harder to formalise. The modularity concept provided a bridge between psychology and neuroscience and offered a counterpoint to holistic models of cognition. Where Cognitive Science Went Wrong: The Shift to Connectionism and Evolutionary Psychology Fodor's discontent with cognitive science began when it moved away from classical models toward connectionism—the idea that cognition arises from networks of simple, neuron-like units operating in parallel. While this model captured some aspects of learning and pattern recognition (as in artificial neural networks), Fodor argued it failed to account for the structured and systematic nature of thought. 1. Rejection of Structured Representation Fodor and his co-author, Zenon Pylyshyn, in their paper 'Connectionism and Cognitive Architecture: A Critical Analysis' (1988), argued that connectionist models could not explain systematicity and compositionality in thought. For example, if someone understands the sentence 'John loves Mary,' they should also understand 'Mary loves John.' This ability to recombine elements of thought is systematic and compositional, and Fodor believed connectionism could not replicate this feature without covertly reintroducing symbolic structure—thus undermining its own claim. 2. Against Darwinizing the Mind In his 2010 book What Darwin Got Wrong, co-authored with Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini, Fodor mounted a major critique of evolutionary psychology and the application of Darwinian natural selection to explain cognitive traits. While not denying evolution as a fact, Fodor attacked selectionist explanations for mental phenomena. His central concern was what he called the 'problem of correlated traits': when two traits are correlated, natural selection doesn't 'know' which one is being selected for. He also questioned the explanatory power of adaptationism, arguing that just-so stories about how cognitive traits evolved were unfalsifiable and speculative. In Fodor's view, these evolutionary narratives lacked the precision and predictive capacity of genuine scientific theories. The Hard Problem: Central Cognition Is Still a Mystery Fodor consistently acknowledged the limits of cognitive science. While he believed that perceptual and linguistic systems might be successfully explained in modular and computational terms, he argued that 'central cognition'—how we form beliefs, make decisions, and reason abstractly—remained a scientific mystery. He wrote: 'Nobody has the slightest idea how anything could be a cause of anything else in a system as plastic and context-sensitive as central cognition.' For Fodor, this was not a temporary limitation but a deep epistemic gap. Unlike modular systems, central cognition was not domain-specific or encapsulated. It was holistic, global, and sensitive to virtually all information available to the organism. That made it hard—perhaps impossible—to model computationally or neurologically. The Linguistic Turn: Alignment with Chomsky Fodor's intellectual kinship with Noam Chomsky reinforced his critique of mainstream cognitive science. Both thinkers defended nativism, modularity, and the poverty of the stimulus argument (the idea that language acquisition cannot be explained by experience alone). They shared a skepticism toward behaviorist or empiricist accounts of the mind. But while Chomsky remained primarily focused on linguistics, Fodor ventured more directly into philosophy of mind and cognitive theory. Both, however, resisted the neurobiological reductionism that sought to reduce cognitive science to brain science. The Legacy: A Disciplinary Provocation Fodor's legacy is not one of solving all the mysteries of the mind but of articulating them with clarity, precision, and honesty. He had no patience for fuzzy theories or metaphysical speculation disguised as science. His central warning was that without a coherent notion of representation and computation, cognitive science would become incoherent or revert to descriptive psychology. His critics accused him of being overly pessimistic or stuck in outdated models. But many also admitted that his challenges forced the field to sharpen its assumptions. Fodor's insistence on rigor, his wit, and his philosophical sharpness made him a thorn in the side of many, but also a guardian of scientific seriousness. Jerry Fodor believed cognitive science began with great promise—applying computational and representational models to explain the mind. But he saw the field go astray by embracing connectionism, evolutionary storytelling, and neurological reductionism without first solving foundational problems about mental representation, compositionality, and central cognition. Fodor didn't claim to have all the answers—but he was unafraid to say when a discipline didn't either. In doing so, he preserved a space for serious philosophical inquiry within a field increasingly tempted by technological and theoretical trends. 'Instant Scholar' is a Times of India initiative to make academic research accessible to a wider audience. If you are a Ph.D. scholar and would like to publish a summary of your research in this section, please share a summary and authorisation to publish it. For submission, and any question on this initiative, write to us at instantscholar@ Read full pdf: Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
See - Sada Elbalad
07-06-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Tourism in LA May Suffer Due to Increasing Wildfires
Rana Atef On Saturday, several reports revealed that Los Angeles is suffering due to the increasing impacts of wildfires and climate change; therefore, the tourism sector of the city may be deeply impacted. Visitor numbers, which were already slow to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, took another blow in early 2025 when a series of wildfires swept through communities near Malibu and Pasadena. While most of the affected neighborhoods were residential, leaving the major tourist attractions and other infrastructure largely intact, there was a drop in visitor numbers. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board told SF Gate: "With more than 510,000 Los Angeles residents and over 1,000 local businesses relying on tourism for their livelihood, we are concerned about any factors that could negatively impact the U.S. image as a preferred travel destination," according to travel and tourism site Fodor's. The California Tourism Board (Visit California) quickly issued a statement after the fires, rejecting the common belief that the fires had impacted the city's appeal as a tourist destination. The statement read: "Los Angeles has always been a beacon to the world, a place where dreams are born and stories unfold from the silver screen to iconic landmarks. Now, this resilient city needs your help in its recovery journey, and one of the best ways to support Los Angeles' return to normal is by planning a visit." In addition to the fires, Los Angeles is also experiencing a drop in international tourism, largely driven by concerns over the difficulty of entering the country. Increasing reports of European tourists being detained for weeks at border checkpoints due to visa concerns have led to a decline in enthusiasm for U.S. travel, which is a major source of incoming traffic to Southern California. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan
The Independent
13-05-2025
- The Independent
The major holiday hotspots cracking down on overtourism
For destinations the world over, there's a delicate balance to be struck. Following the pause of tourism during Covid restrictions, many places reliant on visitors were champing at the bit to lure back holidaymakers once travel opened up again. But there are tourists – and then there are too many tourists. Post-pandemic, the influx of millions of visitors to tourist-strewn towns has, in some cases, risen to levels above those seen in 2019. Too much tourism threatens to disrupt residents and natural ecosystems and contribute to transport pollution. Unesco has warned of potential damage to protected areas, and Fodor's ' No Travel List ' recommended reconsidering a visit to 'suffering cultural hotspots' with overstretched infrastructure, such as 'plastic apocalypse' Bali, Barcelona and Koh Samui, Thailand, in 2025. Some destinations themselves have started taking a stand. Spain's hardened approach to tackling the issue is leading the charge against overtourism in peak season, and countries looking to maintain tradition and encourage sustainability through redirection to low-impact tourism have followed suit. Bans on cruise ships and short-term holiday rentals such as Airbnb, and caps on visitor numbers are among the ways destinations are trying to get a handle on escalating tourism, alongside championing considerate behaviour. Here are the destinations cracking down on tourism, from Mallorca to the Galapagos Islands. The destinations tackling overtourism Italy In September, Italy proposed increasing its tourist tax to €25 a night for holidaymakers staying in its most expensive hotel rooms. The Italian government is considering the €25 (£21) tax – currently between €1 and €5 per night in cities such as Venice – to make tourists 'more responsible' and help financially disadvantaged areas fund services like refuse collections. Venice Venice heeded Unesco warnings of 'irreversible damage' to its historic centre and introduced an entry fee for daytrippers between 8.30am and 4pm in spring and summer 2024. Day-tripping tourists incurred a €5 (£4.30) charge and were subject to a ticketing system as part of plans to tackle overtourism in the popular canal city flooded with 30 million visitors annually. This year, a new pilot system will run from April until 4 May before continuing every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the end of July for a total of 54 days. Daytrippers visiting during peak hours – 8.30am to 4pm – will have to pay the daily fee, while overnight tourists with hotel reservations are exempt from the charge. Last-minute tourists who make reservations less than four days in advance will pay €10 (£8.35) instead of the usual €5 (£4.20). The tax followed the Italian city's decision to ban cruise ships from the centre in 2019 after an incident where a cruise liner hit a dock. The canal city has also introduced new rules banning the use of loudspeakers and limiting tour group sizes to no more than 25 people. Portofino In Portofino, tourists lingering in viral Instagram spots to take selfies could be fined €275 (£242) for creating a dangerous situation. Implemented red zones or 'no waiting' areas are intended to prevent traffic jams and congested pavements in the picturesque Italian Riviera town during peak season – April to October. Mayor of Portofino Matteo Viacava said tourists pausing to take pictures cause 'anarchic chaos' and added in a statement to The Times: 'The objective is not to make the place more exclusive but to allow everyone to enjoy our beauty.' Capri The island of Capri proposed a barrier of buoys to stop boats from sailing too close to shore and prevent damage to its cove-filled coastline. Plans for a perimeter of 40 buoys 100m offshore for 3.7 miles around the Italian island's western coast were put forward by the local council in July 2024. The mayor of Anacapri, Franco Cerrotta, said that the barrier would also protect children in swimming areas from dangerous encounters with boats. Rome Visitors to Rome may face severe fines or even bans at attractions in a crackdown on out-of-line tourist behaviour in the Italian capital. Since 2019 men are no longer allowed to go shirtless in public, 'love padlocks' are forbidden from being attached to bridges and those caught snacking on messy foods around busy tourist attractions (specifically the Trevi Fountain), could also be fined. The regulations may also incur a warning from police patrolling attractions. Sardinia In 2025, the beach of Tuerredda at the southern tip of Sardinia, Italy, is taking digital measures to tackle crowds and overtourism on its idyllic white sands by introducing an app to book a visit. Tuerredda Beach is already capped at 1,100 beachgoers a day in the peak summer season, which has been in place since 2020, but the app will now organise the flow of people looking to visit for a beach session. Travellers to Sardinia are also warned against wandering on the inviting pink sands of Spiaggia Rosa at risk of a fine ranging from €500 (£428) up to €3,500 (£2,993). A stricter enforcement of the Budelli Island beach ban, first introduced over 30 years ago, stems from concerns that tourism poses a danger to the pink micro-organisms that live on the shore. In 2022, visitor numbers on five Sardinian beaches were capped at 60 and €3 per person, per day visitor fees were implemented in a bid to protect the island's shores from litter. Florence In June 2023, Florence banned the use of Airbnb and short-term private holiday rentals in its historic city centre. The Unesco World Heritage Site is home to around 11,000 short-term private rental properties, and rentals in the area have depleted the availability of affordable housing for full-time residents. Last September, Mayor Sara Funaro's cabinet also approved a 10-point plan that, among other things, would ban key boxes on buildings in Florence's historic centre as well as the use of loudspeakers by tour guides, a statement from City Hall said. Trentino Alto Adige Rules limiting the number of overnight guests in Trentino Alto Adige made it more difficult for holidaymakers to find accommodation in the Italian region's areas of natural beauty in 2023, including a famed glacial lake, Lago di Braies. The number of visitors staying in the area is capped at 2019 levels to combat overtourism. Top attractions, including the Alpe di Siusi, will require pre-registration and no new guest houses are permitted to open. Greece Athens The famed Greek Acropolis capped visitor numbers at 20,000 in September 2023 to reduce footfall at the ancient monument. Visitors will also have to book a time slot in advance, with caps changing from hour to hour between 8am and 8pm. The Greek culture minister, Lina Mendoni, said: 'The measure will address the need to protect the monument, which is the main thing for us, as well as [improving] visitors' experience of the site.' Greece is set to reduce the number of cruise ships that can call at islands, including Santorini and Mykonos, in a bid to tackle the impact of overtourism. The new measures would be introduced to cap cruise liners and reduce the footfall of thousands of passengers on the Cycladic Islands. Limiting the availability of berths and anchoring slots could alleviate the growing pressure on Greek ports, and a bidding process would reportedly be implemented for vessels to secure the slots. In September, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece plans to impose a 20-euro levy on cruise ship visitors to the islands during the peak summer season. The Greek government also plans to ban building in the caldera zone of Santorini as concerns continue to grow about infrastructure development in the region. Hallstatt, Austria The Austrian town said to have inspired Frozen's Arendelle, Hallstatt, took measures to deter tourists from visiting the fairytale spot by constructing wooden fences that obstruct lakeside views of the area that make a popular selfie backdrop. Pre-pandemic, foot traffic to the protected Unesco site was averaging 10,000 visitors a day, prompting Alexander Scheutz, Hallstatt's mayor, to cap the number of tour buses and cars allowed to enter the area with the intention to ' reduce tourism numbers by at least a third.' Locals also took to the streets in October 2023 to protest overtourism with signs that read 'tourism yes – mass tourism no'. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador Tourism in the Galapagos is tightly controlled, with strict regulations on land and sea enforced by the Galapagos National Park Service. These include walking on marked trails, visiting protected areas with a specialised guide only and not visiting the islands' main natural beauty spots on privately owned yachts. As of 1 August 2024, all tourists visiting the archipelago must also pay an increased entry tax – $200 (£155) for international visitors and $100 (£78) for visitors from Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Boracay, Philippines In 2018, Boracay, a popular tourist island in the Philippines, was closed for six months after the country's president declared the once-white sand beaches 'cesspools'. Sewage problems from hotels and restaurants accommodating the tourism industry threatened to take the environment of the idyllic island past the point of no return. Maya Beach, Thailand Famous as the setting for the Hollywood blockbuster The Beach, Maya Bay in Ko Phi Phi Leh, Thailand, was closed in the summer of 2018 to restore the natural landscape, ecosystems and coral reefs previously overwhelmed by 5,000 tourists a day. The beach reopened in January 2022 and again on 1 October 2024 after a two-month closure, but swimming in the bay remains banned to protect the restored coral and black-tipped reef shark population. Visitors are also only allowed to visit for an hour, and motorboats are banned from the bay itself. Penang, Malaysia Penang became the first destination in Southeast Asia to ban short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb holiday homes in June 2023 as a result of the behaviour of international tourists negatively impacting local residents. Under the regulations, only commercial properties are now able to host guests on a short-term basis – this is subject to registration fees and a 75 per cent approval from the other residents in the host's building. Bali, Indonesia In February 2024, Indonesian tourism giant Bali introduced a $10 (£7.70) tourist tax to discourage unruly tourists from visiting the 'low-cost' island. Visitors will be forced to pay the 150,000 rupiah levy before they can enter the popular backpacking destination, plus a tourist handbook outlining acceptable behaviour could also be distributed to travellers as part of further measures by the Bali Tourism Board. Japan The 'Galapagos of the East', Okinawa in Japan, introduced a cap on visitor numbers to combat overtourism and protected an endangered species of indigenous wild cat, the Iriomote cat. As of April 2023, a maximum of 1,200 tourists a day are able to travel to the Iriomote island of the Okinawa prefecture in a bid to preserve the ecosystem and the quality of life for permanent residents. Ginzan Onsen From 7 January 2025 until the end of March, the Ginzan Onsen Association imposed strict rules limiting the number of daytrippers during peak hours. Tourists experienced no restrictions between 9am and 4pm. But between 5pm and 8pm, only 100 day trippers were allowed in the town, and they needed to have a confirmed ticket or a reservation to enter Ginzan Onsen, which can be purchased in advance on the town's website. Kyoto in Japan is significantly raising accommodation tax by spring 2026 in an attempt to curb overtourism by reducing visitor numbers. The city plans to raise lodging tax for hotels and other accommodations to a maximum of 10,000 Japanese yen (£52) per person per night – nearly 10 times the current cap of 1,000 yen (£5.20). South Korea Seoul's historic Bukchon Hanok Village launched a curfew policy aimed at mitigating overtourism in the area. The curfew, officially launched in March, limits tourist access to specific areas of Bukchon from 5pm to 10am. Amsterdam, the Netherlands The latest measures in Amsterdam's campaign against overtourism include a limit on the number of river cruises that enter the Dutch capital's waterways and plans to reduce overnight visitors by banning the construction of new hotels. The proposals to restrict the way tourists enter and stay in the city predict 271,000 fewer visitors per year via river cruise and aim to limit overnight stays to just 20 million tourists annually. Ocean-going cruise ships were banned from docking in the city centre in July 2023, and Brits were urged to 'stay away' by authorities in Amsterdam due to complaints of antisocial behaviour during stag parties and pub crawls. The Dutch capital's campaign in March 2023 targeted search engine keywords including 'stag party Amsterdam' and 'pub crawl Amsterdam' when entered by British internet users; a warning video consequently popped up. Spain Catalonia Visitors to Catalonia could face a tourist tax of up to €15 (£12.30) per night following new legislation signed by the government in February. The Spanish territory, which is home to Barcelona and the coastal region of Tarragona, is set to double the existing levy in a bid to tackle surging tourist numbers. Barcelona is expected to bear the brunt of the tax, with tourists facing a maximum of €15 (£12.40) per night. Barcelona Barcelona increased its municipal tourist tax from €5.25 to €6.75 per night in April 2024 for guests staying in a five-star hotel, with the sum paid to Barcelona's Generalitat and the City Council. The surcharge is on top of the general nightly tourist tax (now €3.50) paid to the region and, as a result, means that five-star hotel guests will pay €47.25 (£41) per seven-night stay on top of their hotel room rate. In October 2023, the Spanish city cut the number of cruise ships able to dock at its central port at any one time from 10 to seven and recently the 116 bus route, one of the few to stop outside Parc Güell 's main gates, was removed from tourist maps to deter holidaymakers from visiting in peak season. The Catalan capital also pledged to eradicate short-term tourist rentals, including Airbnbs, by the end of the decade and introduce strict new measures to restrict souvenir shopping and displays in 'bad taste'. In 2025, the city announced plans to create a large public square to ease congestion in front of its top tourist attraction, the Sagrada Familia. The new square, an 'anteroom to the temple', will be located on Marina Street between Mallorca and Provença Streets, Gaudí Square and the Nativity Facade of the Sagrada Familia. Malaga Malaga, an Andalusian port city on the southern Mediterranean coast of Spain, has prohibited new rental properties in 43 neighbourhoods of the city where those rentals exceed 8 per cent of the residential stock. The policy went into effect earlier in January 2025 and will be tested for three years. Alicante Authorities in Spain's popular Costa Blanca region of Alicante have approved new curfews on bars, restaurants and nightclubs due to noise complaints from residents, expected to come into force this spring. The new ruling means bars will have to close at 12.30am on weekdays and 1am on Friday, Saturdays and on the eve of national holidays. Nightclubs will be required to close their doors at 1am during weekdays and 3am on the weekend. Seville Holidaymakers visiting Seville will soon be charged to enter the historic Plaza de España under new plans to tackle overtourism in the southern Spanish city. Most of the details, including the exact charge and ticketing system, are currently unclear, but Seville citizens will be exempt from the charge. Balearic Islands Holidaymakers headed for Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca this summer face increased tourist taxes and a levy on hire cars as the government moves to control tourism. The Balearic Islands government proposed new 'tourism containment measures' to regulate rental accommodation on 7 March. Under the plans, Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) is set to rise from €4 (£3.36) to a maximum of €6 (£5) per person, per night in high season. The levy will apply at four different rates between March and December, with January and February exempt from the charge. Mallorca A string of anti-tourism protests stormed Mallorca last summer. In March and July 2024, more than 10,000 people marched through Palma, chanting, 'Let's save Mallorca', and on 1 June, residents protested on the Spanish island's beaches organised by the social media group Mallorca Platja Tour. Protesters demonstrating on the streets of Palma de Mallorca say that the marches against overtourism will continue until the Balearic government introduces measures to counter the housing emergency on the island. In 2025, the Spanish group Menys Turisme, Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life) called on its members to 'regroup' and 'redouble' their efforts against the impact the tourist industry has on island residents. Tourists visiting the popular town of Soller will also no longer be allowed to drive through its historic centre after 'residents only' traffic zones were proposed in March. Menorca The 195 homeowners in Menorcan village Binibeca Vell put up ropes and chains with keep-out imagery to stop a parade of tourists from crossing the line into private properties. Tourists were also asked to only stop off in Binibeca between the hours of 11am and 8pm to reduce noise and respect residents. Ibiza Authorities in Ibiza have implemented new regulations for cruise ships docking at their ports. The Council of Mayors announced plans to limit the simultaneous arrival of cruise ships to the Spanish island in September by allowing no more than two cruises to dock at the same time. In March, residents in Ibiza vowed to continue anti-tourism protests this summer, barricading a famous viewpoint with boulders and 'no entry' warnings. Angry locals in Cala d'Hort de Sant Josep blocked tourist access to the Es Vedra lookout and its car parks in a bid to curb overtourism and 'wild parties' in the area. French Polynesia The pristine Pacific islands of French Polynesia plan to cap annual tourist numbers in a sustainability push. Local cruise lines with up to 700 passengers will take priority over international cruise ships, and the cap will not exceed 280,000 visitors a year – equivalent to one tourist per local. France French tourism minister, Olivia Gregoire, presented a roadmap to combat overtourism by regulating tourism flows and supporting local authorities experiencing visitor surges. French attractions such as the Mont-Saint-Michel abbey in Normandy and the Louvre Museum previously risked being overwhelmed by the volume of visitors. Marseille In November, the mayor of Marseille announced a ban on key safes mounted outside holiday lets in the latest crackdown on seasonal rentals in the city. City hall agents will be permitted to dismantle the now-illegal lock boxes with angle grinders if hosts do not heed warnings to remove the self-check-in service. Mayor Benoît Payan wrote on social media: 'The people of Marseille can't take it anymore, and we're taking action. 'Stop seasonal rentals invading Marseille!' Machu Picchu, Peru In 2019, the bucket-list Unesco site Machu Picchu introduced a strict ticketing system and time slots to tackle overtourism. Visitors must now arrive within a specific time slot with a four-hour time limit for each visit and a set closing time of 5.30pm. Previous rules already outlined that visitors were only able to enter Machu Picchu with an official tour guide, group sizes were limited to 16 people, and defined routes had to be followed around the site. UK Liverpool Liverpool will become the latest city in the UK to introduce a 'tourist tax' for visitors, charging £2 for overnight stays at hotels in the area. Hoteliers voted to introduce a £2 per night charge to guests in the city in a ballot carried out by Accommodation BID, representing 83 hotels. The organisation says that a £2 'city visitor charge', to be rolled out from June, is projected to bring in £9.2m over two years, £6.7m of which will go towards supporting the city's visitor economy through a subvention fund. Cornwall Cornish holiday lets are facing a compulsory registration proposal to combat overtourism during peak periods. Short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo have created an influx of additional holiday accommodation properties, adding to the already growing housing crisis in Cornwall. In March 2023, the government also proposed a £160m crackdown on 'problematic' behaviour, including in short-term holiday lets. Wales A bill has been proposed by Welsh lawmakers to introduce a 'small' visitor levy that could see visitors to the country paying up to £1.25 per night by 2027. Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford introduced the bill on 25 November for consideration by the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament, which will scrutinise and vote on the legislation. Edinburgh Edinburgh is set to introduce a tourist tax on accommodation in a bid to raise up to £50 million a year towards improving the city. If agreed, from 24 July 2026, guests in the Scottish capital will have to pay a five per cent visitor levy to stay overnight. The city's council approved the 'Transient Visitor Levy' proposal in August to charge visitors at hotels, B&Bs, campsites and holiday rentals let out through Airbnb five per cent of the cost per room per night. Glasgow Glasgow has approved a formal consultation on a visitor levy that would apply to all hotels, hostels, guest houses, bed and breakfasts and self-catering accommodation. Scotland's largest city is discussing the proposal of taxing visitors by five per cent on accommodation spend, which could provide the local economy with a net income boost between £11.2m and £11.4m. Yorkshire Dales Authorities in the Yorkshire Dales have proposed a plan to ban the building of second and holiday homes in its villages to uplift rural communities and counteract overtourism. The authorities have set a target of developing new housing within the national park, but the plan states that all new housing should be permanently occupied rather than used as a second home or a holiday let. Dubrovnik, Croatia A ' Respect the City ' campaign in Dubrovnik introduced new measures for visitors to the Unesco World Heritage city, including bans on walking around in swimwear, driving without special permission, eating and drinking around cultural monuments and climbing on the city walls. All offences are punishable by fines and criminal charges. Visitors to Dubrovnik must also pay €2.65 (£2.25) per person, per night from April to September. Hawaii, US In May 2025, Hawaii lawmakers passed a first-of-its-kind legislation that will increase the state's lodging tax to raise money for environmental protection. Hawaii already levies a 10.25 per cent tax on short-term rentals. The bill adds a 0.75 per cent levy to the state's existing tax on hotel rooms, timeshares, vacation rentals and other short-term accommodations. It also imposes a new 11 per cent tax on cruise ship bills, prorated for the number of days the vessels are in Hawaii ports. Bhutan, the Himalayas Since the country opened to tourism in 1974, visitors to Bhutan must pay a 'Sustainable Development Fee', now US$100 (£80) per day – the world's most expensive entrance fee – to restrict footfall on the landlocked Himalayan nation and encourage 'high value, low impact' tourism. Sintra, Portugal For years, summer tourism to Sintra's Unesco world heritage site has threatened to overwhelm residents, with traffic congestion preventing locals from running everyday errands in the town centre. Local association QSintra says that traffic and disrespectful tourists have made Sintra, to the west of Lisbon, a 'congested amusement park' and are calling on the council to take action. Prague, Czechia A district council in Prague has proposed that outrageous costumes worn by stag and hen party groups be banned to tackle overtourism and reduce the toll of nightlife on locals in the city. The suggested 'silly costume' ban intends to address noise pollution and unruly tourist behaviour in the area's nightlife scene. Pub crawls in Prague have also been banned at night by city councillors aiming to attract 'more cultured' tourists to the Czech capital. The city's deputy mayor, Zdenek Hrib, said in October that all drinking tours organised by tourism providers between 10pm and 6am could no longer operate.
