In order to protect the local cultures, heritage and historical sites that are being jeopardised by overtourism, the World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage (WTACH) has been taken its shape.
The new organization will help in promoting ethical practices and better management relating to culture and heritage destinations which are now crumpling due to unrestricted visitor growth. Not only the popular ones, but WTACH will also encourage the implementation of sustainable practices at locations that are still under development.
About overtourism :
Overtourism occurs when there are too many visitors visit a particular destination making it over crowded. It happens when rent prices are too high to thrust out local tenants to make way for holiday rentals; when narrow roads are jammed with tourist vehicles; when wildlife is scared away; when tourists cannot enjoy their desired destinations because of the crowds; when fragile environments become degraded – these are all signs of overtourism.
As reported by the UNWTO, the global economy grew by 3.7% propelling international tourism arrivals growth to 6% for the year 2018. It is because the international tourism arrivals hit 1.4 billion in 2018 and the count that has approached two years ahead of its previous forecast of 2020. This aroused the need of creating WTACH.
WTACH has been launched with 15 specialist advisors from different backgrounds associating with culture and heritage tourism sector. They will work with destinations that need immediate help or in precautionary basis.
The brain behind WTACH is its founder and CEO, Chris Flynn, with a long 15 years of experience as a former director for the Pacific region at the Pacific Asia Travel Association.
According to Flynn emerging tourism destinations need more help. While there are overtourism abuses in economically developed, highly regulated destinations, it is in lesser economically developed destinations where overtourism has a greater adverse impact.
