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How does tourism affect local people?
With mass tourism, fascinating places are becoming overwhelmed by millions of tourists. Enormous tour buses block roads and make getting to school or work difficult for residents. International chains take over from local businesses, tourist apartments take over from ordinary housing, and rising prices force local people out of their homes.
Barcelona in Spain and Venice in Italy are two examples of places where the local population have demanded that tourism is controlled more tightly. In Barcelona, regulations related to short-term rental accommodation were introduced to help local people have access to flats. In Venice, the number of large cruise liners entering the port is now controlled to protect the historic city and its natural environment from further damage. Locals also complained about the huge crowds of cruise passengers, who were putting pressure on the city's resources but contributing little to the economy. Maybe tourism in the 21st century will continue to be regulated to protect people and local environments.
