Tourism is one proven way cities can boost their economy in addition to promoting cultural awareness. However, how much strain is tourism putting on these cities? According to recent CityLab coverage by Molly McCluskey, "overtourism" is a term city development and tourism councils are using more frequently. Take Vancouver for example. McCluskey shares that the city will reach its 95% tourism capacity by the end of the summer. What does this mean exactly, and what steps can be taken to manage overcrowding?

According to Gwendal Castellan, manager of Sustainable Destination Development at Tourism Vancouver, he and his colleagues think, perhaps they should "just stop promoting the city?" Castellan continues, "We've been watching this happen all over the world. We haven't hit those edges [of oversaturation] yet, but we're not far off." Cities strained from "overtourism" must not only react to visitor demand but respond to residents and local officials. From overcrowded parking lots, busy streets, and an influx of house-sharing availability, Castellan and his team have been evaluating the most appropriate ways to react to this growing issue. 

"In Vancouver, city officials are listening closely to residents: At the beginning and end of every high season, the tourism board polls residents about the impact of tourism on their city. So far, Castellan says that the results have been consistently positive; if that were to change, he and his colleagues would recalibrate their strategies accordingly. But despite the growing crowds, they don't plan to stop promoting Vancouver altogether." 

What may be new for Vancouver, mitigating overtourism and oversaturation within cities is nothing new for Europe and other high-traffic cities in the United States. These areas have adopted several techniques to help "dissuade, disperse, or delay visitors," says McCluskey. Efforts like ticketing, surge pricing, reservation policies for frequently visited attractions and better management plans can help with crowds.