“The globe is overbooked,” said Elizabeth Becker. That is her way of saying that the tourism industry is getting out of hand. In 2023, tourism made up almost 10% of global GDP, which equates to about $9.9 trillion USD. Despite its success as a business industry, tourism drives overcrowding with disruptive and even destructive consequences. For Becker, the key is in raising awareness.

Elizabeth Becker is a seasoned journalist. She started as a war correspondent and later shifted to national security, international economics, and foreign policy. She is also the author of five books, including Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, a book on the beginnings of tourism and its impacts on eight different countries. 

Becker had initially intended to write about tourism as part of her regular job as a journalist, but was faced with a hurdle. “[M]y editors at the time said that tourism is not an industry—it’s what we do, you know, for pleasure.” Rather than give up, Becker decided to take a break from journalism. She was in her 60s, which she said was “the right time,” and got a fellowship at Harvard to start her research. 

When she started, she encountered a second hurdle: information was limited. “When I looked for a book about the basic history of [the] tourism industry, it didn’t exist,” said Becker. That led her to write Overbooked, which was officially published in 2013.

Eleven years have passed since the book’s publication and I was curious to know what she thought of the industry now. “[T]here’s a huge difference in recognition of the power of tourism and the problems of tourism,” she said. “Huge recognition.” 

The main goal she saw countries pursuing was to get as many people as possible. The assumption was that tourists bring in money and benefits. However, the influx of travelers had an impact on housing markets. One of the causes of such problems is Airbnb. The platform is meant to be used by homeowners looking to “host” guests for a fee, and by travelers as a way to find more affordable or unique lodging options. 

You may wonder why this would be a problem for locals. Becker highlighted that Airbnb often do not follow regulations: “They have no guardrails. They do whatever they want.” She spoke about how apartment buildings were also being rented out. This is particularly bad in places such as New York where the housing market is expensive and limited in availability. With more homeowners opting for short-term rentals, rents on long-term accommodations go up, placing a burden on residents looking for long-term housing.

I asked Becker if she had any suggestions on how to travel more sustainably and avoid such issues. She immediately said, “Oh, I’m not, that’s not my shtick.” Becker explained that she is more interested in the local perspective and helping her audience gain awareness of how the tourism industry affects their country of residence. 

One way is to bring tourism into more conversations. For a recent talk, Becker spoke about legislative action that is being taken to minimize the expansion of Airbnb. She pointed to an island community off the coast of Savannah where laws were passed to restrict Airbnbs to a small part of the island. By having more of these conversations, Becker hopes that similar legislative measures will be implemented elsewhere.

“I would like people to see how tourism really does affect you,” Becker urged. “Be brutally honest about whether it helps your community and if it doesn’t, how do you correct it?”

New York is one such place where such questions need to be asked. In 2022, New York City implemented Local Law 18—a law that mandates the registration of short-term rental properties and places strict restrictions in their operation. The main goal was to address the impacts of platforms such as Airbnb on the housing market and give residents more equal opportunity in pricing and availability. 

Airbnb’s listing in New York dropped by 15,000 rentals, but not all local residents were happy with the outcome. Some homeowners rely on short-term rentals as additional sources of income. However, with requirements for the accommodation to be registered with the city and for homeowners to be living in the dwelling while guests are present, many were forced to stop.

Countries are experiencing “overbooking,” which impacts the residents. Becker continues to cover the industry not only to raise awareness of such issues but to also encourage action. Whether that is voting or voicing the realities of a situation, residents have the responsibility to help create a better tourism environment for all.