Seoul is a city full of sleek skyscrapers, sprawling green spaces, and bustling markets. And, it’s having an international moment, with more tourists flocking there than ever before.
But this surge in travellers has left many of the city’s residential areas overwhelmed, leading to widespread complaints from locals about noise, littering, public urination and invasion of privacy.
In Buckchon Hanok Village, one of Seoul’s most popular tourist destinations, the number of visitors far surpasses that of the residents.
To address the issue and relieve pressure on the community, South Korea is implementing a new rule in the historic neighbourhood, limiting tourists from accessing some regions of Buckchon between 5pm and 10am each day.
The curfew is set to be trialled in November before an official launched in March next year, with fines of up to 100,000 won (£56) to be imposed on those who break it.
Buckchon – in the Jongo District, around 4km or a 17-minute subway ride from Seoul’s centre – is known for its winding alleyways and traditional ‘hanok’ houses dating back to the Joseon dynasty (1392-1897).
Last year, it attracted around 6million visitors, a stark difference when compared to its resident population of around 6,100.
Chung Moon-hun, the Jongo district head, says the goal of the new initiative is to protect the rights of residents. Restrictions (which span an area the size of roughly five football fields) will also be adjusted if necessary, Reuters reports.
But not everyone is on board with the decision, and some residents are sceptical about the policy’s effectiveness.
Kwon Young-doo, owner of Buckchon Asian Cultural Art Museum, who moved to the area 18 years ago, asked: ‘Who would want to visit? They’ll leave with a bad impression of South Korea.’
Others, however, have chosen to leave as a result of rising tourist traffic, with a 27.6% drop in the village’s population over the past 10 years, according to the Jongo district office.
South Korea isn’t the only holiday destination to address the issue of overtourism.
In San Sebastian, in Spain’s Basque Country, protests recently broke out as part of a country-wide ‘October Against Tourism’, to address concerns about the local authority’s handling of excessive tourism.
Over in the south of France, Marseille announced a proposal to tackle overtourism, with new restrictions on short-term lets. The city’s mayor, Benoît Payan, arguing landlords who rent holiday apartments on Airbnb should ‘buy back’ another property to let to long-term renters.
It follows a summer of anti-tourism protests across Europe, and a wave of new legislation on travellers including restrictions on where they can and can’t take selfies, tourist tax hikes, fines for hogging sun loungers or hiking in flip flops, and limited access to certain beaches.
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