Holiday roulette? Boss of world’s richest travel firm proposes lottery to tackle overtourism
Booking.com CEO’s bold strategy to address overtourism
- Glenn Fogel, chief executive of Booking.com’s parent company, has proposed a lottery system combined with higher costs to manage overtourism in popular destinations.
- Fogel stated that his company's role is not to dictate where people travel, but to collaborate with governments on sustainable tourism solutions.
- The proposal aims to limit visitor numbers in 'honeypot' locations such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, and Venice, which are experiencing unsustainable tourism levels.
- Fogel believes a lottery system would ensure that travel to iconic places is not exclusively for the wealthy, allowing opportunities for those with lower budgets.
- Existing examples of lottery systems for visitor access include US National Parks, certain cultural events in Japan, and the Glastonbury Festival.