In early June, a coordinated campaign across Europe took cities like Barcelona, Lisbon and Palma de Mallorca by storm. According to The Guardian,

“The seeds for the joint day of action were sown in April after groups from Spain, Italy, Portugal and France gathered in Barcelona for a days-long conference under the umbrella of the Southern European Network Against Touristification.” 

This movement isn’t limited to Europe. Last year, Kyoto implemented a ban on tourists entering the geisha district of Gion, following numerous incidents of visitors harassing geishas for photos and touching them without consent. Our SEED CLUB members had a lot to say on the topic, starting with Jessica Pinkett who shared that on a recent trip to South Korea, Seoul’s Bukchon Hanok Village had a visitor curfew, allowing access only between 10am. and 5pm.

But what’s the real issue here? Is it mass tourism or the housing crisis? Is the problem really tourism – or is it the “Instagram tourist”? Is it perhaps time to rethink how we travel?