Navigating the Environmental Pitfalls of Overtourism and Finding Sustainable Solutions

Abstract

Over-tourism exacerbates several crucial challenges, including soil erosion, deforestation, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Furthermore, the demand for resources such as water, energy, and food rises dramatically, resulting in scarcity and increased competition between tourists and local populations. addressing these environmental effects is critical not just for conserving popular places' natural beauty and biological integrity, but also for ensuring the tourism industry's long-term survival. Thus, reducing the environmental repercussions of over-tourism is critical to strike a balance between tourism growth and environmental preservation. This chapter will focus on the environmental consequences of over-tourism and propose ways of mitigating the impacts. By addressing the environmental consequences of over tourism and investigating practical mitigation strategies, this chapter aims to provide a comprehensive guide for policymakers, and industry professionals, to navigate the challenges of over tourism and promote sustainable tourism practices.