Why are tourists a problem around the world?

Tourists are good for the economy, but not always for residents, says Alex Rankine

Crowded streets of Gothic Quarter on a sunny summer day, Barcelona, Spain
(Image credit: Alexander Spatari)

Authorities have been imposing restrictions on tourists at overcrowded tourism sites worldwide, from tolls and quotas for those climbing Japan’s Mount Fuji to a new €5 pass for day trippers to Venice. Some cities and their residents have deliberately made themselves unwelcoming. Last year, Amsterdam ran online advertisements aimed at discouraging young British men from visiting, with warnings about potential fines and criminal records if stag dos get out of hand. Anger about “overtourism” has been especially acute in Spain, which has seen protests across major cities. Activists in Barcelona made global headlines in July when they fired water pistols at visitors.

Aren’t tourists an economic boon?

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Markets editor

Alex is an investment writer who has been contributing to MoneyWeek since 2015. He has been the magazine’s markets editor since 2019. 

Alex has a passion for demystifying the often arcane world of finance for a general readership. While financial media tends to focus compulsively on the latest trend, the best opportunities can lie forgotten elsewhere. 

He is especially interested in European equities – where his fluent French helps him to cover the continent’s largest bourse – and emerging markets, where his experience living in Beijing, and conversational Chinese, prove useful. 

Hailing from Leeds, he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford. He also holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Manchester.