In Athens, Greece, crowds pack in elbow to elbow to explore the ancient ruins of the Acropolis. In Paris, France, tens of thousands of people line up to glimpse the Mona Lisa, the world’s most famous painting. In Rome, Italy, masses of tourists jostle for selfies near the centuries-old Trevi Fountain.
And that’s just in one day. From 2021 to 2022, the number of visitors to Europe doubled. Nearly 90 million arrived in July 2023 alone, according to the World Tourism Organization. As a result, many treasured sites are suffering from overtourism.
Overtourism happens when too many people flock to a particular place, causing damage. Historical sites are especially at risk. Fragile ruins can wear away when too many people walk on them day after day, for example.
“A lot of these places were not designed to handle the amount of people that they now see,” says Danielle Willkens, an architectural historian in Atlanta, Georgia. She studies how historical locations around the world are affected by tourists.
Still, while overtourism causes problems, tourism itself is good for cities and towns. Visitors stay in local hotels, eat at local restaurants, and shop at local stores. The money they spend helps local
So what should be done to protect these sites without banning tourists entirely? Here are three approaches officials are taking. Decide which you think is best—and why.