Naughty or Nice: Tourism from a Locals Eyes
A Local's Take: Why Vacation Towns Need a Drastic Balance of Tourism 🏡
Welcome to our beautiful corner of the world. Here in The Ocean State (Rhode Island, USA) Tourists rush in between Memorial Day and Labor this is not including our summer only residents that have their 2nd or 3rd homes. Tourists come here for the New England Coastal charm, the history, and the natural beauty—generally, we're happy to share it. We have seen a boom with the increase of interest in the Gilded Age of the Newport Mansions and TayTay buying a house in Westerly. Tourism is a vital part of our local economy, we appreciate the jobs, interest and revenue it brings. We can’t overlook the fact that we are grateful to those that choose to spend their time and hard earned finances in our State, no matter how short or long, so long as you are a respectful visitor.
Our State is the smallest and has felt the most impact in recent years. Land in size we are only 1,034 square miles; with our water bodies 1,545 square miles. According to the 2024 Census Bureau our population was 1,112,308 residents. Rhode Island hosted 29.4 Million visitors for all of 2024!! If my math is correct (honestly I checked it with Google AI, ChatGPT and an old fashioned calculator) that breaks down to 26 visitors to every 1 resident. If we take the amount of visitors plus the amount of residents and divide that by the land square mile (see below for math formula, yes I used words and AI spit out the formula for me) we get 29,509 persons per square mile!!
(30,512,308 people / 1034 sq. mi. = 29,509 persons per square mile)
We running the same formula for the year of 2024 on all 50 States (adjust 5% for fluctuations and error) Top 5 are the following for total people including visitors per square mile for 2024:
New Jersey
Rhode Island
Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York
What we can't ignore is the ongoing discontent among long-term residents. The very success of our tourism industry is starting to erode the quality of life for the people who call this place home year-round and rely on the vital services which these towns provide, especially when it is the height of tourist season.
Long term housing was an issue prior to 2020, then in 2020 it blew up. People start investing in short term rentals. Which caused housing costs to sky rocket. Not just here, but Europe as well. We can currently watch places like Paris, London, Athens, and others to understand what problems we will face should we not find drastic balance now.
It’s time to move past simply promoting tourism and start demanding responsible tourism. The need of local requirements are balanced with visitor receipts.
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đź’° Cost of "Over tourism" on Local Life
For many of us, the daily disruptions have moved beyond a minor inconvenience and nuisance. They are now a significant challenge to daily living:
Housing Crisis: There is no argument, this has the most severe impact on local life. Every traditional rental home converted into a short-term tourist rental (like an Airbnb) is one less apartment for a local family, student, or essential worker. Shrinking our housing supply, causes rents and home prices to skyrocket far beyond what local, often tourism-related, wages can support (think your coffee shop, restaurant, hotels pay a minimum wage or lower for bartenders/servers).
By not having limits or a balanced allowance of short term to long term rentals the housing crisis will only continue. In Barcelona, for example, residential real estate prices increased by an average of 38% over a decade due to this trend, pushing many locals to relocate. Leaving the locals needing to work in the travel industry needing to have to live further and further away; which forces a cost of transportation that was not a prior factor. Locals have been asked to incur additional costs with little to no assistance.
Now, some would say that is the cost of living in an area that is in high vacation demand. Not for a couple that wants to raise a family in the same town they were raised in, or the empty nesters that want to downsize but don’t want to leave the town never mind the area, what about the young single person that is ready to start adulting (until they find out it sucks and move back home). How do people that don’t live in the area, only rent for up to 30 day stays and most of the time have some company running the show, dictate over the locals, that in some areas go back generations? There has to be a balance, quick!
Resources Overload: Having an honest conversation, this would include with ourselves, when away from home we tend to loosen the rules when it comes to conserving water, power and waste. This in turn adds to a crisis that is already peaking.
Water consumption when traveling can be up to three to four times more use per day (that’s here in R.I.), long showers, swimming pools, and landscaping, straining already outdated infrastructures.
As recently as 2025 in Greece, Spain, Mexico, Italy & Cyprus, some areas of these countries relied on portable desalination units to cover the shortcomings. Houses, hotels, and pools, and farmers have faced severe yield reductions due to a lack of fresh water for irrigation. Using water also contributes to the draw on the power systems.
These same countries have also seen massive power outages due to the intensive demand for lighting, HVAC and that the amenities that come with hospitality. One that made International News was in Spain/Portugal in April of 2025. Leading to the sudden disruption of everyone’s day(s). When the electricity fails, so do the systems that (re)move the waste that is generated. In general, high tourist areas (especially coastal) are generating two to three times as much waste, 52% more roughly, that can be directly linked to beach tourism. This is not just the trash left behind, this also all the food that has been consumed…
“what goes in must come out…” ~unknown
Overloading these systems can not be disruptive, it can be down right deadly. If a wastewater treatment system fails and the emergency back is outdated, shit will flow upwards! Business, homes, hotels, restaurants … everything overed in crap; causing a public health crisis. We haven’t even discussed the clean up bill! There be finger pointing before that ever gets paid out.
Stagnant Wages vs. Rising Costs: The influx of tourist money drives up the cost of nearly everything—from a morning coffee to a quick haircut to basic groceries—but the wages for those who serve the industry (cooks, guides, cleaners) often remain stubbornly low. Hospitality and leisure sector, which has historically been associated with lower wages and fewer benefits compared to other sectors. In the US, for instance, a study found the average weekly wage for leisure and hospitality workers was significantly lower than the overall average weekly wage across all industries.
According to a study analyzing national wage data, a $1 increase in pay across the entire economy generated only an 81-cent pay raise for workers in the hospitality industry, indicating a persistent wage gap. Remember that many tourism jobs are seasonal, leading to periods of unemployment or possible underemployment during off-peak times, which makes any long-term financial stability difficult for workers.
We find ourselves stuck in a town or towns that have become noticeably more expensive to live in while still offering paychecks that simply don't match the new cost of living.
Daily Life Not So Simple: Easy quick things become a struggle and become disruption of our daily life. Imagine trying to get to work or your kids to school on time but there is a herd of people trying to get to a location right by the school, or by your work. How about just needing to walk down to the corner store for milk or whatever, only get half way there and all there is are warm bodies as far as your eye can view…… that “normal” 5 minute walk to the store now just became 30 minutes and you don’t know what is waiting at the store for you…… Everyday for MONTHS.
Overcrowding public transport, traffic jams, packed local grocery stores, and noise pollution late at night are now a daily reality. Our shared public spaces, like parks and beaches, become congested and less accessible for a quiet afternoon with the family.
Did you know that an European Parliament found that 29% of case study cities identified public transport congestion as a main impact of over-tourism. Visitors contribute to crowding on buses, subways, and trams, making daily commutes longer, more stressful, and less reliable for residents. For example, locals in Amsterdam frequently report longer commute times due to packed transport systems.
When tourists do not use public transport, they add to road traffic. The same European Parliament report cited "traffic" as a key concern in an even higher number of cities than public transport congestion. Prime example in the U.S., the "Road to Hana" in Maui, Hawaii, is struggling with traffic jams and illegal parking as more tourists make the drive, turning a scenic trip into an aggravating experience for residents and visitors alike. Having more flexibility with a car and using public transportation is not the only concerns for us locals. We also contend with congested with our local grocery stores, which once served a small community, become packed, turning simple tasks into arduous struggles. (Here is Rhode Island we do have major chains, so this is a bigger player in Europe)
Loss of the Public, Personal Spaces and
We LOVE SHARING our public spaces with our guests. We DON’T LIKE being pushed out of them. When there is an influx of travelers to public parks and beaches, they become less accessible and enjoyable for a quiet afternoon with the family. Sidewalks in towns or cities that don’t have pedestrian only walk ways create a game of doge people, cars, bikes, joggers, dogs, and opening doors all in a space of less than 6 feet wide.
New England Historic districts with narrow streets or those famous ones of Europe, Venice and Dubrovnik, are particularly susceptible to severe overcrowding, making it difficult for us residents to navigate our own neighborhoods. These areas have historic value for our future generations, at the current rate of exposure to vehicles & masses of people our historic areas require TLC (TENDER LOVE & CARE). Travelers want to use our historical towns as social backdrops. Please take those photos have fun, just do it respectfully. We do unto others, the difference is…… we promise what we do won’t be well received.
Noise Pollution: Excessive noise from throngs of tourists, often late at night, is a major source of complaint and has been linked in studies to poorer quality of life and health effects for residents. Here in Rhode Island the nightlife shuts down at 2 a.m. However, that doesn’t mean that the noise ceases. It now pours out onto the street like the rum soaked patrons. Most are respectful of noise, property and such…. but there is always those few. It is these few that sadly turn the lovely wine of tourism to local vinegar. We encourage you to sample our wineries, brewers and such with the same dignity and respect that you would your communities.
In Barcelona, Mallorca, Venice, and other areas residents have held protests, complaining of noise pollution and the disruption of daily life that has turned their city into a "theme park".
Bad Tourists
Massive visitor numbers, see a rise in tourists who disregard local customs, litter, trespass, or treat our community spaces with disrespect. We have all heard of them, sadly some of us have personally seen them. Maybe even some of you reading are them…. if you are DON’T BE AN 🫏
Thanks to the popularity of Social Media the “Bad Tourist” seem to be the norm instead of the one-off. Leaving resentment among the locals who feel their home is being commodified and invaded. In some places, residents actual feel that they are in a “war” against tourism. When visitors surround your home because someone posted it on Instagram, cut through your pastures but don’t shut the gate, stand in the middle of a road because they saw a gargoyle that needed a close up; this is not disruptive it’s being a poor guest.
Traveling to another place is going to another person’s home. Your invited in with the understanding that you will be respectful & helpful. It is also understood that it is to be treated as if it was your own. Just because it is called a “vacation” does not mean you leave your respect and human decency at home, quite the contrary.
If you would like a further detailed look at over-tourism in general or some of the world’s top cities facing this crisis now, I recommend the following article by Tourism Analytics.
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⚖️ Balancing the Scales: Responsible Tourism Solutions
We know it is possible to welcome visitors while simultaneously protecting the local community. The solution is never not to stop tourism, but to reset it. So the focus is local well-being as the first priority. We propose & demand practical, equitable policies:
Affordable Residential Housing is Non-negotiable.
Inequalities between short-term rentals and long-term homes in high tourist locations must be corrected.
1:3 Rule: For every short-term rental license granted, the municipality must enforce or incur the cost to find or build three new units of long-term affordable residential housing. Cities may find that by not incorporating this into their ordinances, a once vibrant local city is now only functional when it is tourist season. Once the tourists move on, what is left is just a facade of a city; no thriving cultural center, tourist money has dried up till next season and the city is left with the last remaining hold outs of residents.
Strict Licensing, Limits, Fees & Enforcement: Stringent fees need to be implemented on all limited short-term rentals, with the revenue strictly earmarked for local affordable housing funds and infrastructure maintenance. Fees alone will not deter a surplus of STR’s, just make it harder for more people to break into that type of business market. Laws/Regulations/Ordinances are a crucial aspect of curbing the excess. Short-Term Rental’s are NOT A RIGHT by law, therefore demand regulation and should be treated, regulated and built to code as a commercial property, not residential.
Local-First Perks and Access
Locals should not have tourist priced receipts in their own city. Our very essence is the sustainable driving force.
Resident Discounts: Mandate a significant discount (e.g., 20-30%) for residents at all local businesses and restaurants, especially during the peak season. This helps mitigate the rising cost of living. By mandating resident benefits or generally free access often improves the quality of life for the local community. During peak season(s), locals receive free entry to all historical attractions, museums, and natural parks that charge a tourist fee, combined with three hours on a chosen day dedicated "local-only hours” for quiet enjoyment.
Reinvesting, Revitalizing & Re-Localizing in Our Community
Tourism revenue shall stay and be circulated within the community.
Tourist Impact Tax: Implement a modest visible tax on all tourist transactions (hotel stays, car rentals, major attractions). The funds must be strictly and visibly directed to local infrastructure (water, waste management, roads) and subsidized services (childcare, community centers) for residents. We (locals) are inclined to be a bit more tolerant of government and tourists when we visibly see tourist taxes assist us in paying for roads, public services, beaches and also beautifying our spaces. All things utilized by them as well, the burden should not be on the vacationers, though a shared cost is necessary.
Supporting Fair Wages: Requiring the Tourism & Hospitality Industry to pay workers area living wages reflecting their cost of housing, ensures that they afford continue to live & serve their community. As recently as September 8, 2025 Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance implementing a tiered minimum for workers in this industry, LOS ANGELES, CAL., ORDIANCE NO. 188610 (2025), a/k/a “Olympic Wage” due to the final tier being parallel with the 2028 Olympic Games.
Residents don’t mind sharing. We have no choice but to require these changes to our tourism in order to save our culture, communities and sanity.
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🤝 A Call to Action For All
Working the in the travel industry for over 20 years, I demand travel not just from myself but from others as well. Traveling outside our own borders gives you a different perspective on issues, helps gain foresight, and gives you a better sense of preservation. It is of the utmost importance that we preserve our history (good, bad, ugly & in-between), our local communities and our humanity.
To Our Beautifully Curious Visitors,
We first ask you to travel with respect. Second, We welcome you! Third, we graciously implore you to choose locally-owned businesses and remember you are a guest in OUR HOME town. Act as how you would like a me to act in your home (you never know when I may visit). Last, if you are ok with our asks, enjoy our gives.
Truly grateful for your curiosity in our town,
Locals of High Demand Global Locations
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To Our Government Officials,
Let me not mix words, most STR owners are NOT REGISTERED VOTERS of the local cities they own the properties in (they are out of State, Country or Owned by a company which legally can’t vote). Unless they are required by law, such as Newport, R.I.
“Residential Zones (R3-R160): In nearly all residential zones, short-term rentals (rentals for less than 30 days) are prohibited unless the property is the owner's primary residence”
The time to comprehend that short term rentals are commercial rental properties and should be treated as such which there means that prioritizing quantity over quality is over. Sustainable growth means nurturing the community and the culture(s) surround it, that makes a destination unique. We can create a tourism model that is an asset, tourist friendly, and ensures that our residents can afford to stay in the homes they love.
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Our Final Thought
“Live Life Thinking You Will Cease Tomorrow, Plan Your Life Thinking You’re Immortal. The Choices You Have in Front of You TODAY Are the Ones That Matter NOW” ~ Heather Original Quote
🌏💋❤️ Stay Feral, Never Fragile.
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