Mass tourism: understanding the problem to travel differently

There is a paradox in travel: you set off to see a place unlike any other, and sometimes find it surrounded by thousands of people who came for the same reason. Nobody in particular is to blame. It is the result of a model.

What is mass tourism?

Mass tourism means tourism on a very large scale: huge numbers of travellers concentrated in a few destinations, at the same times of year, on standardised trips built to host many people at low cost.

It grew in the twentieth century with paid holidays, the spread of the car, then air travel and low-cost flights. That was real progress: travel stopped being for the few. The aim is not to turn the clock back, but to look at what the model has become.

Mass tourism and overtourism: what is the difference?

The two terms are often mixed up. Mass tourism describes a model: many travellers, standardised trips. Overtourism describes a situation: a place receives more visitors than it can absorb, to the point where residents and the site itself suffer.

The first often leads to the second, but not always. A well-run place can welcome many people without being damaged, and a small village can be overwhelmed by a few coaches a day.

What it changes for the places we visit

When too many visitors arrive in the same place, the effects show quickly:

• Natural environments are damaged: eroded trails, trampled reefs, litter, disturbed wildlife.
• Resources come under pressure: water, energy and waste systems are sized for residents, not for a seasonal influx.
• Housing gets tighter: short-term rentals can push residents out of town centres.
• Local benefits stay limited: when a stay is booked, housed and fed by large groups, only a modest share of the spending remains locally.
• Cultures turn into a backdrop: a tradition performed at a set time for visitors is no longer quite a tradition.

Several destinations have already had to respond. In Thailand, Maya Bay, made famous by film, was closed to the public in 2018 so its coral could recover. In 2024 Venice introduced an access fee for day visitors on certain busy days. Dubrovnik limits the number of cruise ships that can call at the port.

Travelling differently, in practice

There is no perfect traveller, and nobody is asking you to stay at home. Still, a few simple choices change a great deal:

• Travel off season, or choose a region next to the best-known sites.
• Stay longer in one place rather than rushing between stops.
• Use local guides and hosts, so that the money stays in the country.
• Take time to meet people and understand, rather than ticking off a list.
• Respect places and their rules, especially around wild animals: no contact, no feeding.

How we travel

Planeta First is the responsible travel brand of Freepackers. Our tours are designed with our local partners to discover a country in depth: day trips, cultural or adventure weeks, retreats and road trips.

This is not volunteering: here, you travel. But you travel with local guides and hosts, at a pace that leaves time to meet people, taste and understand. And if you feel like getting involved along the way, our volunteer programmes can be combined with a tour in the same country.

Discover all Planeta First tours