The destinations that have promised to fight over tourism in 2020

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The challenges for tourism in Latin America in 2020 6:36

(CNN) - If 2018 was the year of excessive tourism, 2019 was the year in which the destinations were defended. Or, rather, they promised to do it. So what will happen in 2020?

From Amsterdam to Venice, in 2019 the authorities developed new rules to fight the crowds and improve the lives of the locals. But how many of those rules have been implemented and how many vanished once the noise (and the most important headlines) about its release decreased?

CNN analyzed the measures announced by five of Europe's main destinations: Venice, Amsterdam, Santorini, Barcelona and Dubrovnik. All plans presented in 2019 to change tourism for the better. Have any of them worked? And what are the letters for 2020?

Dubrovnik takes strong action against all tourists

Dubrovnik is reducing souvenir stands and outdoor seating. Savo Prelevic / AFP / Getty Images

The mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, has presented himself as a fighter against mass tourism, closing 80% of souvenir stands and restricting cruises to two per day.

The posts remain closed, and the rule of two ships was fulfilled 70% of the time during 2019, he told CNN. It will be applied even more (with, he says, greater compliance) in 2020. "There is not such a big impact on the city now," he says. "Everyone should feel comfortable without [pedestrian] traffic jams."

In November 2019, Franković proposed an effective ban on new restaurants (the vast majority of Dubrovnik restaurants have mostly indoor seating, so the legislation has banned any new outdoor table).

That resolution was passed by the city and a spokesman told CNN that it will take effect by 2020.

Other new rules promised for 2020 include the introduction of a fixed number of spaces previously reserved for tourist buses and cars to avoid overcrowding. On busy days, the authorities will reserve the right to move slot machines to give the city space to breathe. There will also be bus charges, equivalent to around US $ 5.50 per person, effectively a daily travel tax.

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Starting in 2020, private shuttle buses for cruise passengers from the port to the city will be replaced by regular public transport buses. As they are smaller, there will be less feeling that hundreds of people proliferate at the doors. “It will have an effect for locals on traffic [on foot],” says Franković.

The authorities are also taking drastic measures against the growing Airbnb market, by doubling the nightly apartment tax, paid by the owners, to 1,500 kuna (US $ 223) per year from 2020. So expect the price of its "idyllic getaway to the old town" increases, to take into account the tax.

Franković says it is crucial that destinations work with suppliers, be they cruise lines or tour operators, rather than against them. “When measures are taken [to limit tourism] we must be careful because tourism is very vulnerable and we can make mistakes,” he says.

Amsterdam says: 'Pay more'

Amsterdam wants tourists to pay more.
ROBIN UTRECHT / AFP / AFP / Getty Images

Amsterdam's New Year resolution for 2020 is to take drastic measures against tourists, at least, the undesirable type of tourists.

The Netherlands government was already helping its besieged capital: it no longer promotes Amsterdam as a destination, but focuses on smaller cities and towns. But this year, the city council took additional measures for the future. Starting April 1, 2020, tours of the Red District will be banned altogether, and groups in the city center will have a limit of 15.

In addition, as of January 1, the tax for overnight visitors increased to what experts say could be the "highest in Europe": 7% of the room price, plus a € 3 floor (US $ 3.30) per person. Visitors who take a boat trip through the channels will see that their 'entertainment tax' will increase from € 0.66 to € 1.50 (US $ 1.70).

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"Every year the number of tourists visiting our beautiful city increases," Victor Everhardt, vice mayor of economic affairs, told CNN. It cost the municipality a lot to keep the city safe and clean, and ensure that the infrastructure (bridges, dock walls, streets and sidewalks) is in good condition.

“We increase the tourist tax, because we believe it is a fairer contribution to the use of public space. Of course, tourists can come to visit us, but they have to contribute a little more. ”

Santorini chases 'heavy' visitors

Donkeys are the traditional means of transport in Santorini.
Todd Warshaw / Getty Images

It is known for its spectacular landscape: a prehistoric volcano turned by eruptions on a croissant-shaped island wrapped around a bright caldera, which is now filled by the Aegean Sea. But its good looks have seen the favorite Greek island of Instagram explode with popularity, drowning tourists with beautiful whitewashed cities and making cruise ships flood the caldera.

Its steep cliffs and villages perched on top means that passengers arriving on a cruise ship have three options to reach the island itself: walk along the cliff path, take the funicular or rent a taxi, which in Santorini is a donkey.

For 2019, authorities announced a limit for cruise passengers of 8,000 per day. A new national code of practice in Greece also recommended that donkeys should not carry loads of more than 100 kilograms, or one fifth of the animal's weight; In other words, no more burly tourists in Santorini.

The mayor's office was not available for comment, but the port's schedule for 2020 suggests that the 8,000 limit has not been applied.

CNN checked five random dates for the 2020 summer season and discovered that in four out of five, there were more than 8,000 people due to anchoring.

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On September 2, the four ships scheduled to anchor have a combined minimum capacity of 9,176 and a maximum of 11,017.

On May 14 there is a small number of 2,639 - 2,793 people according to the landing, but the other dates reviewed are all between 9,000 and 11,000.

As for the donkey's weight limit, Catherine Rice of the Donkey Sanctuary, based in the United Kingdom, and who has worked together with the 'donkey taxi' unions to ensure better treatment of animals, told CNN: “Until where we know, the code of practice was approved to the municipal authorities in Santorini and other islands ”.

But a website that sells donkey rides does not mention any weight limits. He didn't answer when we asked what details were needed to make a reservation.

Venice declares war on mass tourism

Venetians have been at the forefront of the fight against tourism.
Miguel Medina / AFP / Getty Images

Given the increase in headlines about tourists who behave badly, the Venetian authorities have presented several measures to control tourism that runs the risk of destroying the city.

And by 2020, the city is taking strong measures against mass tourism, Michele Zuin, councilor responsible for finance, told CNN.

"It consumes the city and leaves nothing behind," he says. "We want a better type of tourism that brings money directly to residents."

In June 2017, they issued a ban on the development of new hotels in the city center and, a year later, continued with a blockade in new fast-food facilities.

Zuin says the council has denied requests for two new fast-food restaurants, and closed another 10 who requested permission to operate as a bar, and then opened the fast-food sale.

Any hotel that has opened since 2017 obtained permission before the ban, he says.

The only exception to the hotel ban is for those who also offer a “public interest,” for example, a meeting room that could be used by the council. Zuin says there have been "very few" of these applications.

The council is currently considering the request for a 10-story hotel overlooking the monastery and vineyards of San Francesco della Vigna, the only vineyard in Venice. It also offers a gym for use by local schools. Local media report that the request was originally denied, but it is now being considered that he has proposed the gym. The monks, however, have warned that it will kill their vines.

In 2018, Venice also introduced turnstiles along the main roads to the city, with the aim of redirecting tourists along lesser-known streets when the numbers peaked.

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During the last three years they have also found public funds for the “angels of decorum” that patrol the area of ​​St. Mark's Square, helping tourists where necessary but also preventing them from behaving badly and calling the police if a visitor should be fined And 2020 will see the introduction of a "contributo di accesso", an "access contribution" for hikers to pay upon entering the city. (Those who stay for the night already pay a municipal tax).

The announcement was news worldwide in December 2018, but implementation has been continuously delayed. Initially, it was scheduled for May 2019, then September, then January 2020.

But in October 2019, it was delayed again to July 2020.

Zuin says the delays are due to a government decision that payment must be made to transport companies that take visitors to Venice, despite the refusal of transport companies.

Now they have found a solution that will make the payment appear in a pop-up window every time someone book a trip to Venice.

Then, visitors will have to show their documentation when they arrive in the city. If you stay overnight and therefore do not need to pay the charge, that will also be verified upon arrival.

The price will vary according to the season and the day. On a normal day it will be € 3 (US $ 3.40). On a busy day that price doubles. And on a day where Venice is “full of tourists,” if you still want to come, you will pay € 8 (US $ 9), says Zuin.

The system will also help authorities monitor the flow of tourists and footprints for future use, he says. And the tax money will be reinvested in the community, reducing citizen charges for things like garbage collection and city maintenance, areas that are affected by what Venetians call "hit and run" hikers. .

But the council is very anxious to stop the explosion of the amount of Airbnbs and short-term rentals in the city, which are reducing the amount of housing options for locals.

They already charge the same level of night taxes as hotels. And in December 2019, they approved an order with immediate effect that they hope will translate into an effective “barrier” for new short-term rentals.

Anyone who wants to rent their property for a short term should now build a septic tank under the property. This is already a requirement for hotels, but not for houses in this city that, due to its lake location, has never had a real sewer system.

“We have tried to discourage [short-term rentals],” says Zuin, adding that in Italy, imposing some kind of restriction would require legislation at the national level.

Instead, authorities expect the septic tank requirement to be expensive enough to deter potential tenants. People who plan to rent long term (in other words, to the premises) will not have the same requirement.

Approach in Barcelona

You can barely walk on Las Ramblas in Barcelona these days.
Carl Court / Getty Images Europe / Getty Images

The Catalan city has acted defiantly against tourists in the past, banning food market groups in La Boquería and taking strong measures against illegal tourist rentals. But Albert Dalmau Miranda, economics, resources and economic promotion manager at the Barcelona city council, assumed a different tone at the end of 2019.

"We accept that tourism is here to stay and that the industry will continue to grow worldwide," he told CNN.

"This is not something we can stop, but Barcelona is looking for a different type of tourism: more quality but at the same time sustainable."

The goal of the authorities is to keep Barcelona “habitable”, so by 2019, they doubled the number of buses on the routes from the beach to the city (which had been obstructed by tourists), using the night tourist tax money to do it.

And they have introduced “civic agents,” such as the angels of decorum in Venice, to act as a preliminary step to the police for both locals and tourists (to complain about noise, for example). There are about 70 of them, says Dalmau, paid with the nightly tax for tourists.

They are also using marketing to manage the number of visitors, announce little-known places in and around Barcelona in an attempt to disperse the volume of tourists (Dalmau points to New York City, which has encouraged visitors to other districts outside from Manhattan). "Our own version of the Napa vineyards is 30 minutes from Barcelona," he says. To make that feasible, the council is working with transport authorities to make tourist-friendly routes to promising destinations.

The other marketing approach is culture: get cultural institutions such as the Liceu opera house to encourage tourist visits, in order to attract a different type of visitor.

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By 2020, that marketing approach will continue, says Dalmau, and the city is also increasing its municipal tax paid by overnight visitors. They expect to approve a price in February and implement it in September. And although he refuses to know how much it could be, he says that "they noticed that our tax was lower than other cities" and they want to introduce parity. People who spend the night currently pay € 0.65 (US $ 0.72) per person per night at a one-to-three-star hotel, or € 2.25 (US $ 2.50) at a five-star hotel.

In contrast, Venice charges € 5 (US $ 5.55) per person per night at a five-star hotel or at the best rated Airbnb.

The final marketing impulse is towards the premises of Barcelona. After years of resentment, Dalmau says that “we don't want [locals] to perceive tourism as something negative. We want to protect the locals, but we want to show that tourism provides benefits that we are reinvesting in the city. ”

To that end, by 2020, everything that is possible thanks to the income from the tourist tax will be marked as such. That bus? A notice will appear that says it was purchased with income from tourist taxes. That newly pedestrian street? A plate. That way, they hope to stabilize the fragile balance between locals and visitors.

The other destinations will be watching.

AmsterdamBarcelonaCroatiaVenice