Overtourism from the German traveller’s perspective

Germany

The term is especially well known among younger age groups.

More than half of people in Germany have already heard or read the term overtourism. According to a representative survey carried out by the Bavarian Centre for Tourism (BZT) in January 2026, the study examined awareness of the term, associations with it, personal experience of overtourism, changes in travel behaviour, and attitudes towards measures to limit visitor numbers at busy tourist destinations and attractions.

Attitudes towards overtourism

The term is especially well known among younger age groups. While 64 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds are familiar with it, this falls to 44 per cent among those aged 70 to 74. Overtourism is most commonly associated with overcrowding or simply too many tourists in one place (75 per cent), followed by pressure on local residents (15 per cent) and environmental damage (13 per cent).

To ensure a shared understanding, respondents were shown a definition of overtourism during the survey. Clear differences emerged between those who already knew the term and those who did not: 32 per cent of the latter group said they had never really thought about the issue before, but after reading the definition, 16 per cent said it concerned them strongly or very strongly. Among those already familiar with the term, 38 per cent said it strongly influences how they think about travel and make travel decisions.

In relation to Germany, 43 per cent said they had experienced overtourism either while on holiday in Germany or in the place where they live. Overall, 68 per cent agreed that too many tourists can have a negative effect on their own travel experience, and 67 per cent believed travellers have some responsibility to help reduce negative impacts. At the same time, 56 per cent rejected the idea that they do not care about local people’s way of life, while half of respondents were undecided about whether their own presence at a destination brings only benefits to the local community.

Changes in travel behaviour

More than half of those who have experienced overtourism themselves said they had changed the way they travel. Around 61 per cent preferred travelling in the off-season, while 56 per cent said they try to avoid well-known hotspots. Almost half of those who had changed their travel behaviour also said they planned to holiday elsewhere in future.

Support for visitor limits

The strongest support was for legal penalties and clear rules of behaviour for visitors. Measures such as visitor caps and advance booking systems for attractions were also supported by more than half of respondents. By contrast, higher admission prices and the closure of destinations or attractions were viewed much less favourably.

Picture Credit: Anadolu Ajansı