How to find the balance between the right to travel and the right to live

The images of streets filled with rolling suitcases, tourists searching for the perfect light and angle, and locals looking on with resignation are repeated in many cities around the world.

From Barcelona to Mexico City, from Lisbon to Cartagena, the growth of tourism – particularly accommodations like Airbnb – has sparked increasing dissatisfaction among local residents. The reason? The rising cost of living, the displacement of residents, the loss of neighborhood identity, and, in many cases, a lack of regulation that, instead of balancing the scales, seems to tip them in favor of short-term tourism benefits.

The most frequent complaint revolves not only around the rising cost of living but also the increasing cost of housing, which has ceased to be a right and has become a tourist product.

Many property owners prefer renting to tourists for short stays rather than to residents for long-term leases. But this dissatisfaction goes beyond accommodation.

Below, we analyze five activities affected by the pressure of tourism and offer some suggestions that we consider timely and sustainable for the benefit of both visitors and host communities.

1. Housing

   
   

   Impact: Increased rental prices and displacement of local residents.

   
   

   Suggestion: Clear regulation of tourist rentals, establishing a number of days per year, mandatory licenses, defining permitted and restricted zones, and tax incentives for those who rent to residents on a long-term basis.

   
   

2. Local commerce

   
   

   Impact: Replacement of traditional shops with businesses targeted exclusively at tourists, offering souvenirs, gourmet restaurants, specialized massage houses, exclusive hair salons, international boutique hotel chains, etc.

   
   

   Suggestion: Establish protection policies for local businesses, exemptions or benefits for businesses over a certain number of years old, and minimum quotas for essential goods businesses in tourist areas.

   
   

3. Mobility

   
   

   Impact: Congestion in public transport and increased traffic in residential areas due to the influx of visitors.

   
   

   Suggestion: It is essential to implement integrated urban mobility plans that encompass the current systems and include controlled micromobility (public bikes, electric scooters), pedestrianization of sensitive areas, and intelligent traffic management systems.

   
   

   It is also necessary to decentralize tourist attractions to reduce pressure on historic centers, encouraging nearby tourism or tourism in peripheral neighborhoods.

   
   

4. Public space

   
   

   Impact: Saturation of beaches, squares, viewpoints, and emblematic streets, limiting the daily enjoyment of residents.

   
   

   Suggestion: Redefine public space as a citizen's right rather than a tourist product. This means designing urban environments with residents in mind first, with areas for rest, play, local culture, and art, and then considering the visitor experience.

   
   

   Urban planning should prioritize harmonious coexistence, ensuring that space is not privatized or commodified exclusively for tourism.

   
   

5. Culture and community life

   
   

   Impact: Loss of the authentic character of neighborhoods, displacement of traditions and local residents, and gentrification, which transforms popular areas into exclusive tourist enclaves, raising prices and changing the social fabric.

   
   

   Suggestion: Support indigenous cultural expressions, encourage resident participation in tourism decision-making, and offer incentives for community-led initiatives.

   
   

   Additionally, highlight and value the everyday, the local, and promote tourism experiences that foster genuine exchange.

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Towards balanced tourism

Tourism is undoubtedly a source of development, employment, and intercultural exchange. But it can also become what some experts call “modern extractivism,” a practice that extracts value from a territory—its housing, culture, landscape, or services—for external consumption, without fair returns to the environment that sustains it. This logic, more typical of the natural resources industry, can be replicated in tourism when decisions are made without considering those who inhabit the destinations.

Now more than ever, intelligent regulation of tourism activity is needed, one that takes into account local realities, listens to residents, and fosters a fair relationship between visitors and hosts.

The challenge is not to stop or limit tourism; it's not about closing a city but about opening it with equity in mind. Because a city that expels its residents to make room for tourists stops being authentic and, eventually, stops being attractive.

Just as public policies must protect the balance between local and global, it is also essential to educate visitors to be conscious travelers who understand the historical, cultural, and social value of the spaces they explore.

Conveying the importance of respecting monuments, natural environments, traditions, and the daily life of residents is not just a matter of rules but of tourism ethics.

A visitor who arrives with curiosity and empathy, willing to learn, is the best ally for building truly sustainable tourism. After all, respect is the first step towards a transformative experience for both the traveler and the host.

"When tourism stops being a bridge and becomes a barrier, it’s time to rethink it."

Rosario Ortiz Conde

Travel Journalist

Colombia