New World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage Promises to Combat Overtourism

International tourism arrivals are predicted to reach 1.8 billion by the end of 2030 – and that means it is more critical than ever to protect global communities from the negative impacts of overtourism. To meet this need, the World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage (WTACH)was formed with the goal of establishing strategies to ensure responsible and sustainable tourism practices for at-risk travel destinations.

WTACH posits that tourism must respect host communities – particularly cultural and heritage assets in those communities – and that the ideal time for destinations to implement sustainability strategies is during the “honeymoon phase” of tourism development. Though overtourism exists in highly regulated locations, WTACH argues that overtourism carries disproportionately greater impact in less economically developed regions – and it is these regions that require external support.

WTACH is spearheaded by CEO Chris Flynn, a former director at the Pacific Asia Travel Association. The organization is comprised of advisors from diverse backgrounds relating to the cultural and heritage tourism sector.