Residents Gatekeep Local Spots as Overtourism Pressures Mount
Residents in popular global destinations are increasingly withholding information about local haunts from tourists, a direct response to overtourism. This practice, dubbed 'gatekeeping', aims to preserve local culture, manage rising prices, and protect environmentally sensitive areas from excessive visitor numbers.
Local Resistance Grows in Tourist Hotspots
A growing trend sees residents in highly trafficked urban centres actively concealing their preferred local establishments and natural sites from visitors. This pushback, often termed 'gatekeeping', stems from concerns over the adverse impacts of high tourist volumes on daily life, local economies, and environmental integrity.
Luz Celaya, a 27-year-old resident of Mexico City, observed significant changes after moving to the metropolis from Caborca, Mexico, in 2018. Initially, she freely shared her favourite spots, including local 'paca' (secondhand clothing) markets.
However, with Mexico City drawing approximately 14.4 million hotel guests in 2023 and targeting 19.5 million visitors by 2030, these local markets became tourist attractions. Celaya noted that prices subsequently increased, with some vendors beginning to list items in US dollars, reflecting the prevalence of American shoppers.
She now refuses to disclose the location of her new preferred local market, stating she has "already experienced what can happen" when local places are suggested to non-residents.
Global Phenomenon: From Milan to Albania
The practice of gatekeeping extends beyond Mexico City, with residents in other popular destinations adopting similar strategies. In Cape Town, South Africa, Duanne Aspeling, 31, refrains from revealing his favoured ballet studio and beach to digital nomads. Maximilian Rochford, a photographer in Los Angeles, California, similarly keeps his preferred bars private.
Dr Emirjona Cake, an Albanian American professor at the American Graduate School in Paris, France, no longer offers suggestions for visiting Albania, a country seeing a rapid increase in tourism.
Cake described overtourism as a "new form of colonialism," highlighting protests in Albania that began several months ago against a luxury tourism development funded by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and other investors.
This sentiment underscores a broader tension between the travel industry's pursuit of 'authentic' connections, as noted by Kimberley Cohen, co-founder and artistic director for French luxury hotel group Maisons Pariente, and residents' desire to protect their communities.
Tourist Misdirection and Local Frustration
The friction between tourists seeking local authenticity and residents seeking peace is also playing out online. A TikTok video showed a tourist asking Italians for local vacation recommendations, specifically avoiding well-known sites like Portofino or the Amalfi Coast.
The post generated nearly 4,000 comments, with some tourism-weary Italians humorously directing the tourist to less appealing or even unsafe parts of the country. Giulia Liu, 24, from Milan, for instance, suggested the city's central train station, an area known for petty crime, particularly at night. While speaking in jest, Liu emphasised the growing tension.
She described some tourists as "maleducati" (rude), citing instances of shouting on subways and littering. Liu added that Milan, hosting events such as Milan Fashion Week, Design Week, and the 2026 Winter Olympics, has begun to feel like a "theme park," forcing her to make reservations at restaurants that were previously accessible without one.
She differentiated between crowds at major attractions like the Duomo and Castello Sforzesco, which are expected, and the discomfort caused by tourists overwhelming local neighbourhoods.
Environmental Protection and Future Implications
Beyond cultural and social impacts, gatekeeping also serves an environmental purpose. Karishma Porwal, 28, a climate content creator, traveller, and hiker based in Toronto, Canada, stated she would never disclose the location of environmentally sensitive areas, such as unpopular salmon-spawning creeks.
She avoids geo-tagging such places on social media to prevent them from being overrun by visitors. Porwal noted a willingness to share information about established ecotourism sites, provided they are managed responsibly, suggesting that well-executed tourism can benefit conservation efforts.
The growing resident pushback reveals a critical challenge for the global travel industry: balancing increasing demand for 'authentic' local interactions with the imperative to maintain local quality of life and preserve natural environments.
Destinations and travel operators must consider strategies that manage visitor flows to local areas, foster respectful interactions, and promote sustainable tourism practices to mitigate these tensions and ensure long-term viability for both communities and the industry.
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