Tour operators and advisors plan around overtourism

Summer began with a new wave of protests in southern Europe, punctuated by Barcelona residents once again turning water guns on visitors to highlight their frustrations over mass tourism. 

But this year, many travelers to the Continent will avoid its most popular spots or go during off-peak times, as tour operators and travel advisors have reconfigured itineraries to promote responsible tourism.

Overtourism concerns reached a fever pitch last summer when Barcelona protestors first sprayed tourists with water guns, which demonstrators did again on June 15 as part of a day of tourism protests in Lisbon, Mallorca and Venice.

Striking a balance in attracting tourism while catering to local needs proves to be "a conundrum for the popular tourism destinations," said Jungho Suh, a teaching assistant professor of management at the George Washington University School of Business. And while some destinations already work to promote lesser-known areas and off-peak travel, many tour operators are doing that on their own. 

G Adventures tries to deviate "from the path most taken and offer other options to see a destination," said product vice president Yves Marceau.

The tour operator limits its time in places like Barcelona and Rome. But while there, it collaborates with local organizations to try to make positive contributions. For example, G Adventures partners with Migrantour Rome, where migrants lead tours of the city, providing an "intercultural experience that tourists in Rome rarely see," Marceau said.

Intrepid Travel has responded to community concerns about crowding by modifying some itineraries, said Leigh Barnes, president for the Americas. The tour operator avoids visiting sites like the walls of Dubrovnik during peak hours, shifting to evenings when it's quieter. On the Amalfi Coast, the company booted popular Positano from its Explore Southern Italy itinerary and swapped in Minori, a lesser-known -- and less crowded -- coastal town.

"In places like Venice, Barcelona and beyond, our partners are seeing the social and environmental strain up close," Barnes said, adding that one of the company's tour guides in Venice said the city is "'like a crystal: beautiful but fragile.'

"We take that insight seriously, empowering our leaders to help shape our itineraries and shift trips away from overcrowded hot spots toward lesser-known neighborhoods and offseason travel."

Last year marked a "breaking point" for overtourism, Barnes said, adding that an Intrepid survey recently found that over 60% of Americans seek out alternative destinations, commonly known as dupes. 

"Many don't want to just tick off bucket-list sites anymore," he said.

Alex Bentley, product head at tour operator Audley Travel, said the company saw a rise in clients this year who want to avoid peak travel times in crowded destinations. Clients are booking lesser-known places, like switching out the Douro Valley for the Alentejo region in Portugal.

"Our country specialist talks the client, or their travel advisor, through their recommendations before the itinerary is prepared, allowing them to explain the benefits of including less-visited places that deliver experiences or views that rival the 'big hitters,'" Bentley said, "and generally, the clients are delighted with the suggestions as their experience in the destination is far more authentic."

He recommended swapping Santorini for Syros or Tinos in Greece. And for those who want to see hot spots, he suggests the offseason. 

Imago Artis Travel, a travel agency in Italy, tries to pair popular sites with hidden gems, like visiting a private home after the Vatican, said co-founder Fulvio De Bonis. "We constantly search for beautiful and amazing places, the unknown," De Bonis said. Imago also partners with little-known vendors to highlight a destination, like truffle hunters with no website or art restoration workshops not typically open to the public. 

Who are the locals mad at?

Portugal-based travel advisor Miriam Martinez of Revigorate, who specializes in Portugal and Spain, said two of her clients recently expressed concern about their travel due to the protests. However, Martinez said the protests are more in opposition to short-term rentals than they are anti-tourism. 

"It's not that we're mad at the tourists, we're mad at the government itself," she said of locals' perspective. "We're mad at how the government is dealing with tourism versus other problems that the country has. The increase of tourism leads to an increase of overall costs. ... We need the tourists to be here. The main issue is related to other issues that are not being taken care of."

Like tour operators, Martinez, who mostly works with Americans, tries to ensure her clients' travel goals are met, which might include visiting Barcelona, but also recommending less-crowded areas, like Spain's Costa Brava.

"It's about balancing things out," she said