Overtourism and sustainability top agenda at WTM London
- 11/7/2024
- 148 Day

The event takes place amid growing
concerns over the impact of tourism on climate change as well as extreme
weather events affecting the sector.
From Euronews, thousands of travel representatives
have arrived in London's ExCeL exhibition centre for the World Travel Market
trade event, as new data shows global tourism is now breaking pre-pandemic
records.
But more tourists means there is a higher risk of
overcrowding in many hotspots, putting pressure on local infrastructure.
Another area under threat from overtourism is
sustainability. Tourism development becomes unsustainable when the negative
social, cultural, political, and environmental impacts on the local community
outweigh the economic and societal advantages.
As a result, many communities are becoming exasperated
at the increase in tourist arrivals to their countries.
All this comes amid mounting climate change concerns
and extreme weather events impacting the sector.
The travel sector says it’s not just working to reach
net-zero, but also striving to become net-positive.
