Austria’s most picturesque town protests against overtourism

The residents of Hallstatt have been getting increasingly fed up with their town’s transformation into something of a theme park

You’ve probably seen pictures of an impossibly cute Alpine town straddling the slopes between a lake and mountains in postcard-worthy harmony. The residents of this town, called Hallstatt (in Austria), however, have been more and more fatigued with the resultant fame and constant flow of tourists to their once idyllic place.

BBC has reported that the Hallstatt locals had organized a protest (although no date was specified of the event) as a way to call attention to their plight exacerbated by the incessant tourist crowds. Apparently, the residents have demanded that a daily visitor quota be implemented, as well as a ban on tourist buses in the evenings.

The town only counts 700 people as its inhabitants, yet it gets some 10,000 visitors a day during the summer. All these throngs of selfie-snapping day-trippers fill up the narrow streets and squares making it impossible for residents to move out and about.

History of tourism discontent

Worse, this is not the first case of discontent with overtourism in the Austrian town.

Hallstatt first rose in popularity after its charming backdrop was used in a South Korean romantic drama. Then Chinese media reported that it was the inspiration for Disney’s “Frozen” movie, making it a must-see European destination for Asian tourists.

Then social media viral fame and featuring it on countless “prettiest town” lists added to its global appeal. Back in May this year, residents decided to raise a wooden wall to block the most popular spot for pictures and selfies, though it was removed following social media criticism.

Whether the rising discontent with uncontrolled mass tourism will result in some municipal legislative restrictions remains to be seen.

Of course, getting a million visitors every year is good for the local economy, but it makes it impossible not to feel like you’re just living in a theme park and not in a town with its own history and community.

That kind of dilemma has become increasingly prominent for locals in many popular European destinations, even in larger cities like Venice, Barcelona and Amsterdam.