Locals in Austrian selfie hotspot Hallstatt protest against overtourism

The Austrian hamlet of Hallstatt has long been a magnet for tourists.

Tree-lined mountains tower over the village’s timber-framed houses, all reflected in a shimmering Alpine lake. The vista has become so recognisable that a replica village was built in China about a decade ago.

But many of the 700 or so inhabitants are getting tired of dealing with up to 10,000 visitors a day, many of them day trippers bused in from Vienna or Salzburg for a quick selfie.

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Hallstatt residents have now taken to protesting against “overtourism” and on August 27, around 100 locals blocked the road and tunnel leading into the village, local media reported.

To put the numbers in perspective, France, the world’s most-visited country, has a population of around 67 million and catered to about 90 million tourists in 2019. Hallstatt’s hundreds of residents were managing up to a million visitors during pre-Covid years.

Recent months have seen disgruntled locals push back against excess visitors and visitor excesses in tourism magnets from Bali to Portofino.

However Unesco says Hallstatt “has not, and does not, suffer from the adverse effects of modern development.”

Hallstatt’s tourism website, which can be accessed through Unesco’s World Heritage site listing for the village, has been encouraging visitors who come for a photo op. “Whoever visits Hallstatt should not miss this unique opportunity,” the page reads.