Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyNearly four years after the world shut down, global tourism is on the verge of returning to and overtaking pre-pandemic levels. And while that’s great for vacationers seeking new experiences and people whose businesses and livelihoods depend on those travels, it also means the return of overtourism. It’s about the environmental degradation from congestion, the added pollution, and many tourists’ general disregard for their surroundings. It’s about real-estate developers, often with the support of local governments, wholesale reinventing neighborhoods to appeal to tourists, ultimately creating a cycle of dependence on travelers. It’s about locals being displaced from their historic homes and wildlife being scared away.

Source: The Nation January 07, 2024 05:05 UTC