The town of Hallstatt in Austria is battling overtourism.
The town, a World Heritage Site, has just over 700 residents but sees up to 10 000 daily visitors during peak season.
Following several altercations between locals and tourists, and issues with traffic and illegal parking, the local community is advocating more measures to be put in place to address the challenges posed by mass tourism, reports traveldailynews.com.
The town initially erected a barrier blocking a famous viewpoint to discourage tourists from causing traffic delays as they stop to take photos. But according to bbc.co.uk, the barrier has since been removed, and Hallstatt’s authorities have put up a banner at the site to discourage excessive picture-taking.
Now, the residents want more stringent regulations to protect their town from overtourism and, on August 26, staged a protest to demand more measures to limit tourist numbers. Protesters occupied the tunnel that provides the only access to the town, preventing visitors from entering.
Hallstatt and its surrounds feature historic dwellings, a crystalline lake and rugged mountains. What appears to have triggered the radical increase in interest was its appearance in a South Korean romantic drama released in 2006. In 2012, a replica of Hallstatt was built in China.
Now, residents fear for the safety and preservation of the town’s historic monuments and its natural environment as masses of tourists crowd the town. Locals now believe the surge in foreign tourists has become unmanageable.
The town is currently debating exactly what so many enormously popular tourism destinations are grappling with – how to balance the economic benefits of tourism with the preservation of the town’s authentic identity.
