Clockwise from top left: Tom Jenkins of the European Tour Operators Association; Simon Hudson, a professor at the University of South Carolina; host Rebecca Tobin; and tours and river cruise editor Nicole Edenedo.
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In this episode we talk about the evolution of the term "overtourism," which has been used a lot this summer as the post-pandemic tourism boom has continued on. The flash point was protests in Barcelona, where protesters squirted outdoor diners with water guns and chanted "tourists go home." But it's not the only place where residents and travelers are feeling frustrated.
Our tours editor Nicole Edenedo, in writing about the Barcelona protests, wrote that travel experts "pointed out that a pitfall in discussing 'overtourism' is how the term is often used as a blanket statement."
Today we're teasing that sentiment out with Simon Hudson, a professor of tourism and hospitality at the University of South Carolina, and Tom Jenkins, the CEO of the European Tour Operators Association. and looking at the issues in a few big cities in Europe -- Barcelona, Amsterdam, Venice to name a few.
This episode was recorded July 30 and has been edited for length and clarity.
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