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South Korea to introduce curfews to combat overtourism

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Bukchon Hanok Village in South Korea has introduced new measures to combat the negative impacts of overtourism after residents complained about noise disturbances, invasion of privacy, littering, and more.

In response to this development, the government plans to execute a trial curfew in November before a full roll-out in March, 2025. It will restrict access to certain areas of Bukchon from 5pm in the evening to 10am the next morning. Those who violate the restriction could face fines more than $70.

However, unlike other rules imposed on other popular destinations, many have raised concerns over the new curfew, claiming it has caused more harm than good. Kwon Young-doo, the owner of the Asian Cultural Art Museum, argued it gives tourists a “bad impression” of South Korea.

However, others claim it is for the greater good, particularly after tourists engage in certain behaviours to generate friction with locals. Some have been caught on camera trying to enter private homes or peeking inside residences without permission, making locals feel uncomfortable.

The rise in tourism has contributed to the area’s population drop, which has dropped 27.6 per cent in the last ten years. Moreover, tourism numbers heavily outweigh the village population, especially as last year saw the village attract six million visitors compared to its just over six thousand population.

District head Chung Moon-hun said the curfew’s goal is primarily to protect residents’ rights and will be adjusted if needed. While some tourists agree with the curfew, others claim there are too many loopholes and criticise the removal of their right to walk down a public street.

How are other destinations responding to overtourism?

South Korea joins a growing list of popular holiday destinations addressing the negative impacts of overcrowding in public and residential areas.

Many have been forced to launch greater restrictions on holiday let licenses following the impact of tourism on rent prices and the housing crises, while others have introduced fines for those who decide to act indecently, like walking around shirtless or drinking in public.

In San Sebastian, protests recently broke out as part of a country-wide ‘October Against Tourism’, which saw residents using banners with emotive language to convey their concern about the country’s current handling of excessive tourism.

Marseille, a city in southern France, also recently announced a new proposal to tackle over-tourism in the city with new restrictions on short-term lets, while the Andalusian city of Seville implemented a similar infrastructure to curb the impact of over-tourism on rent prices in popular destinations.

Many cities worldwide are beginning to launch caps on let licenses, as Barcelona and Madrid recently announced plans to execute a similar restriction, with Barcelona planning a full ban by the end of 2028.

Majorca, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, and more are also introducing new restrictions ranging from bans on local disturbances to fines issued to those walking around without shirts on or drinking in public places.

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