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?

Mariella Agapiou introduced the idea of regenerative tourism, which emphasises leaving a place better than you found it. While this might sound utopian, VisitBritain.org – the UK’s national tourism agency – describes it as supporting tourism businesses and growing the visitor economy in an inclusive, accessible and sustainable way, ensuring that all parts of England remain fantastic places to visit.

But how can this movement co-exist with the current “Extreme Day Trip” trend that’s all over social media? If you haven’t seen it, it’s about flying abroad early in the morning and returning to your own bed by night. A quick TikTok search returns 2,272 videos, and Google Trends shows clear growth over the past 12 months. (Carbon footprint? Never heard of her.)