Tempting as it may be, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to tackling the issue of overtourism. Some nations have introduced variable pricing; others have restricted access entirely; others again have employed technology to attempt to address the problem, whilst some have begun to reward visitors for good behaviour. Altogether, these are unique to the to each location and can even appear extreme.
Overtourism currently occurs when a well known and beautiful location suddenly experiences a spike in popularity. A thriving tourism industry can evolve over time into ever increasing numbers of visitors to the point of producing traffic congestion, damage to infrastructure, generating local resentment toward visitors and damage to the environment, even though the location is generating a tremendous amount of monetary revenue to the area.
Japan’s Case Study – Blocking the View to Preserve the View
In an off beat retrofitted example of saving a location from overtourism, the city council at Fujikawaguchiko was in 2020, through use of a large wall, effectively prohibiting view of The Fuji from the City. The City set up high barriers around locations where all visitors were climbing rooftops to capture a ‘perfect’ shot of Mt. Fuji or even to take a photo of themselves on the rooftop with Mt. Fuji in the background, without being aware of the consequences of climbing onto the roof top, and the potential safety hazards that climbing onto a rooftop creates for each and every person.
The city of Kyoto also experienced the effects of overtourism when visitors crowded small alleys of the historic district of Gion, where the houses and shops are small in comparison to other areas, in order to take a photograph of a geisha without prior authorization from the individual. The City of Kyoto has since implemented photography restrictions and reduced accessibility to certain privately owned streets and alleyways.
Japan has gone beyond creating barriers through rules. Kyoto has also developed tools for predicting congestion so that visitors can better plan their trips by avoiding peak times. They have created real-time navigation apps that allow visitors to see how many people are currently in the area. Their goal is to encourage smart travel rather than discourage travel altogether.
Japan has also implemented alternative destination marketing programs that promote lesser-known attractions to encourage visitors to look beyond the most widely visited spots. Also, they have increased the supply of luggage delivery services to minimize crowds and reduce the amount of congestion in public transportation.
In the United States: Increase Prices
To reduce crowd levels, the most obvious thing to do is to raise prices.
U.S. national parks have been facing overcrowding issues because of the large concentration of visitors at only a few very well-known locations, including, but not limited to, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park and Grand Canyon National Park. Out of the 400+ national parks in the country, just over 25 of those parks account for approximately 80% of total visitors.
Beginning in 2026, international visitors to certain heavily visited national parks will be charged an additional $100 fee per person. At the same time, the cost for non-residents of the U.S. of an annual pass will increase substantially over the cost of an annual pass for the residents of the U.S.
Will it solve the issue of overtourism? That’s still under consideration. Some analysts believe that ticket prices don’t have the same impact on travel patterns and how travelers vacation as much as things like parking, holidays/school schedules within each country, or travel habits domestically. By raising prices, it may also help direct some international travelers to less popular parks that don’t usually make the Instagram.
Jamaica: Rainpay
Jamaica has taken a unique approach to address its tourism issue; while various countries are restricting tourists, Jamaica wanted to do the opposite.
The country had suffered from Hurricane Melissa in 2025 and was trying to bring back tourists during the less busy, rainy months rather than discourage tourists during off-peak times. Jamaica partnered with airlines and a weather insurance company for rain protection for vacation packages.
As part of this deal, Jamaica will pay you if your total amount of rain exceeds a certain amount during your trip. And there are absolutely no forms to fill out; just compensation.
The program is not only about providing reassurance to those worried about the weather on their trip, but also to help ensure that the bulk of the tourist traffic is spread throughout the entire year. The increased number of tourists during the off-season will decrease the pressure during the on-season.
Spain: Sustainable Tourism management via Digital instead of Physical Limitations
In Mallorca, anti-tourism protests have occurred due to overcrowding at some sites; therefore, instead of permanently prohibiting tourists from visiting popular sites, digital solutions are being implemented to manage visitor levels.
AI-driven solutions are developed for real-time data regarding transport options, places to sleep, things to do as well as recommendations to visitors about the best times to visit popular locations. Visitors will also be provided with alternate recommendations so as to avoid busy areas
The purpose of this is to move attention away from over-populated areas and to more effectively manage visitor flow through the location
Another campaign encourages visitors to treat the Island as home. To respect the place, to respect the culture, and to respect the people who inhabit it.
Denmark: Be Green, Get Rewarded
Copenhagen has decided that maybe we inspire tourists instead of punishing them.
In 2024, the city began implementing a program that allows travellers to “pay” for some experiences through sustainable practices. For instance, if someone kayaks while picking up trash from one of the canals, they will be eligible for payment. Alternatively, if someone bikes from a restaurant to the museum rather than driving there, that will also be acceptable to earn credit.
The performance of the program truly exceeded even the most optimistic expectations; a greater number of people participated, and bike rental usage significantly increased during this same period. Many visitors stated that they had wanted to experience a “meaningful” rather than “forced” coming to their destination.
As opposed to capping access directly, the solution developed by Denmark to address overcrowding was to influence participation at the earliest stage possible.
The most notable aspect of these destinations is that there is no single solution adopted across all of them; however, they all have a common goal: to protect their destination before the demand for a destination overwhelms it.
- Some would simply exclude access to their destination.
- Others would increase fees charged to participants.
- Another would use artificial intelligence, etc.
- A fourth would provide rain insurance, while the last one would incentivize “green” behavior.
Although overtourism in general is viewed as a consequence stemming from the large quantity of people visiting a particular destination, overtourism is also about an imbalance of demand for those destinations. Countries that are proactive in addressing this issue were willing to adopt experimental solutions to overtourism; even though their solutions appear, on the surface, to be unconventional, they seem more likely to yield positive results than if they were not. Since tourism is projected to increase, the strategies for managing tourism will also need to evolve at a similar pace.
