The Dolomites. One of the most stunning
natural landscapes in the world. Places like “The Three Peaks”
have long drawn admirers. But these days, the crowds and
traffic jams can be overwhelming. On peak days, there are
more than 13,000 visitors. It's our first time here. It's such a famous place. You can tell by the amount
of people - it's packed! Incredible. But take a look:
The view speaks for itself. The Dolomites are a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, so they’re very beautiful! But the burden on n
ature
and the local population has reached a tipping point. If it exceeds a certain level,
of course tolerance goes down. And the people who live here - but who don't directly
profit from the whole thing - they don’t just criticize it: They've even started to hate it. A typical morning
in high season. The entrance to the 8 km long
road to Lake Braies is busy. Mountain guide Erwin Steiner is a member of the
local traffic commission. Access to the lake
has been restricted, and he wants to see for
himself how it’s working. Not much going on today. Yesterday was busy, and
the day before yesterday too. The day before yesterday
we were full by 9 a.m. It's going well, they're
less nervous this year. This one’s better than last. Ticket online. Everything is usually
full by half past nine. Depending on how
it empties out later, guests can reserve
parking spaces and drive in. So it's not about
keeping people out. It's about organizing things
in the valley in such a way that first and foremost,
the
locals still have a decent life. And that the tourists who do come, find it to be more or
less as they imagined it. Prags is one of the first
municipalities in South Tyrol to introduce a control
system like this one for visitors. The reason? Almost permanent traffic
jams during the high season and over-parked meadows. Now, drivers without a reservation are
directed to a makeshift parking lot, where they can try
to find a space online. We've never been there before. I wanted to take my daught
er on
a short hike up a small mountain and just have a relaxing day. But now it's getting
a bit complicated. We had to book
an additional shuttle for 10 euros per person
to get to the lake. Is that OK? Mass handling, I’d say. They know how to
make their money. It’s also possible to take a bus. It runs every half hour
from the nearby train stations in Monguelfo and Dobbiaco.
But very few people do. At the end of the valley
lies the famous Lake Braies. For years, this natural beauty has
ranked amo
ng Instagram’s top hotspots. Photos circulate all
over social media. South Tyrol is quite well-known, so we thought we should
take a vacation here. I think this is the
best view in Italy. With the blue lake,
and in the background, you can see the Dolomites!
It’s the perfect view. This is the perfect view
in our pre-wedding shoot. It's less crowded than I expected, still a lot of space to move,
so I'm totally fine with it. We know it from Instagram
and Google and YouTube. And we come from the
Net
herlands to come here. And yeah, we use
the car to come here. For 12 hours we drive. Erwin Steiner grew up here. As a professional mountain
guide, he depends on tourism. But preserving this
nature is crucial too. It’s fitting to use the term
“flooded” or maybe “exploded” to characterize the
situation on the ground. Tourism has developed continuously in
other well-known areas of the world, or even in South Tyrol in general. But the situation here has
really grown exponentially in just a few years
. And accordingly, there are
challenges that have come with it. Also in terms of transport, because we were not prepared
for such a large number of visitors. One irony: Erwin Steiner himself
contributed to the tourism explosion, albeit indirectly... when he acted as
a stuntman in a popular TV series. We completely underestimated
the impact - I did especially. I'm a bit to blame
for the whole thing. It was filmed here and then a
lot of Italian tourists came here in the first few years afterwards.
For an even more
picture-perfect backdrop, the series transplanted
the Three Peaks. Early the next morning, Erwin Steiner
is preparing for a mountain tour. He’s taking two women from the
area on a true nature experience, even in this touristy area. We’re allowed to come
along with our camera. In addition to the early hour, the bad weather is
contributing to the fact that it’s quiet this morning
at Lake Braies. A rain front is
supposed to pass over. Then it will get better. We’re headed out with
Erwin, he'll take us on a cool hike
you might not find on your own. Can’t wait! The lake is this
area’s obvious hotspot, it’s what most tourists come to see. But what’s often forgotten is: This is also the starting point for
a good number of mountain tours. Erwin chooses one of
his special "wild trails" quite literally off the beaten path. We live from tourism, of course,
and that’s also important. There are thousands of
people here every day. But I think nature will suffer further if even mor
e infrastructure
is built for tourists. He fears that more tourism
could scare off his target market - hikers and mountaineers looking to
experience pristine nature up close. We wanted to understand
the situation better. So we set out on a trip
through the Dolomites and almost immediately
come to a stop. The access road
to the Three Peaks was already closed that morning,
due to overcrowding. The mountain could only
be reached on foot or by bus. UNESCO commissioned a study
in 2018, to explore co
nditions here. The study looked
at individual hotspots and determined the limits
of their "carrying capacity.” In other words: How many
tourists can a place tolerate? The study found that Lake Braies
could tolerate 2,000 visitors per day. But on an average day in August,
this limit was exceeded sixfold. And on peak days in 2018, more
than 17,000 people crowded here. The Prags municipality aims to have a maximum of 5,000 people
at the lake at any one time. Measures like these traffic
controls are
meant to help. But do they actually work? Or do restrictions on cars lead
to even more traffic congestion... merely shifting the
problem elsewhere? A traditional village in South Tyrol. Here, there are almost 6,000 beds
for guests - and 3,360 residents. The Hotel Santer is located
in the Neu-Toblach district. This was once a place
where people stopped to change horses
on the way to Venice. Today, the hotel with 130
beds is among the best. Hello Stephanie. Herbert Santer runs this hotel, and one
of his daughters
works at the reception. It’s a family business. Santer is also a politician and vice president
of the tourist board. Over the past 50 years,
entrepreneurs like him turned what was
once a farming region into the tourist
destination it is today. Celebrities flock here. ....and now let's go to the Pope. That was wonderful, we brought
the Christmas tree to Rome. Then I played soccer with Breitner. FC Bayern was my guest
at the time. Beckenbauer too. It was just extraordinary
with t
hese people. The 4-star hotel is fully booked. But all guests are out and about, enjoying the
beautiful local nature. Herbert Santer is constantly
working on new ideas. The wellness area
needs a lot of space so that people don't
feel crowded in any way. They need a lot
of breathing room. And by opening up to nature,
this breathing room is twice as big. There’s this spaciousness. It’s not just about the space,
it’s about the nature. However, he needs enough paying guests
to sustain this high leve
l of comfort. And the guests need beds. This could be a sticking point, as the province of South Tyrol
instituted a "bed freeze,” designed to limit the number
of hotel beds in the region. The "bed freeze" came about as part of the region’s “Tourism
2030+” development concept, the brainchild of
councilor Arnold Schuler. He manages
tourism in South Tyrol. He explains that new beds can
only be added when old ones are lost. The measure is radical. This upper limit will have an effect. It is already
having an effect. And that means we
have to reorient ourselves. The growth rate we have been
seeing will no longer be possible. It makes no sense and
is counterproductive. It’s not only the healthy development
of tourism that’s important. The approval of the local
population is needed too. The number of overnight stays
in South Tyrol has risen by some 40% in the last 30 years. From around 23 million
to more than 33 million. The number of hotel beds
remained comparatively stable. But there has b
een a shift from smaller operations
to luxury resorts. Renowned Alpine researcher Werner
Bätzing questions the effectiveness of restrictions that focus
primarily on the number of beds. The “bed freeze” does not solve a whole host of
problems in tourism at all. Like the fact that overnight
guests in South Tyrol are staying for shorter and shorter periods. And that small businesses
are dying out, namely the 2- and 3-star hotels
run by locals, which tend to be down-to-earth
and operate relatively
sustainably. Meanwhile, the large resorts,
the 4- or 5-star hotels, are booming. These are all
negative developments that are not influenced
at all by the bed freeze. Day tourism is also booming,
and it’s not affected at all. In other words, the bed freeze
would be one good measure, but it would have to be
followed by other measures. And that’s not happening. The owner of the 4-star Hotel
Santer is not overly worried. I believe that this is a new challenge
for South Tyrol at the moment. We're se
eing a lot
of political zigzag. But I think it will
resolve itself in the end. I believe the economy can’t
be steered and managed. The economy will develop on its own
and make the best of this situation. That's why I believe this
is much ado about nothing. The mountain guide Erwin
Steiner and the two hikers have now reached open terrain.
The rain has let up. And there's no sign of
the crowd down by the lake. If you know your way around, it doesn’t take long to get to a
place where there are few
er people. Of course, as locals, we especially
like it if we can avoid the crowds, even in peak season. We’ll stay on the path for
a while, walk along the trail, and then branch off,
cross over without a path, along the grassy ridge,
to the climbing route. Erwin Steiner wants to make
things even more exciting today with a special climbing route,
on the way to the summit. Solitude and tranquility. The contrast to the crowds
500 meters below at Lake Braies couldn't be greater. Word has gotten arou
nd that the area
is extremely popular with tourists. And probably, the mountaineer who
really wants to get out into nature, does their research. Perhaps they hear that
there are so many people here and then think to themselves: “I'm not going there for
mountaineering anymore.” It’s almost gotten quieter
up here on the mountain. The rocky summit route
opens onto a spectacular view. But then there’s rain again,
and a thunderstorm. The wind and weather conditions
make further ascent impossible. Nat
ural World Heritage, up close. But what does receiving the
UNESCO designation actually signify? The meaning has
gone a little sideways. I have the feeling that a lot more
people are coming here because of it. But what that means is more people
drive their cars over the passes, and don't really stop to look at
the area or experience it by hiking. That's why the UNESCO idea
hasn't quite caught on. A shift in scenery. A visit to Lake Carezza,
not far from Bolzano. This beautiful attraction
has bee
n off-limits for years. That was the only way to protect it. This famed mountain lake in
the Dolomites can only be viewed like an exhibition in
an open-air museum. Marlene Roner has brought
her family here today. For years now, the architect
has been campaigning to protect the region and its
nature from overdevelopment. She’s a municipal councilor,
member of the Alpine Club, and is passionate about
local heritage conservation. In recent years, the area around Lake Carezza has
repeatedly been the
site of conflicts: over proposals for a new cable
car and other development projects. Somehow I'm amazed at what
has happened in recent years in terms of new buildings and
conversions and expansions. I'm surprised at how nature
has to be subordinated. I have the feeling that I
have to do something about it. Because if I remain silent,
I don't feel good. But when I point out that not
everything that's going on is OK, it feels like I’m
doing the right thing. You can't always
accept everything. To
day, Marlene Roner
plans to meet representatives of the most important nature and
landscape conservation organizations in South Tyrol. They’ll adopt a manifesto for
the protection of the Dolomites. Then, they’ll present this manifesto
to lawmakers in the province. The more we install, the more
we destroy our very foundations. And psychologically,
I think we're losing so much because we're just
focused on “more”: How can we build
more, stand out more, be the center of
attention even more, compet
e even more
with other ski resorts, with other mountain resorts. It's pure competitive thinking, and I think that's what's
destroying people. It ruins tourism.
It's not good for people. New facilities at tourist spots
attract ever-bigger crowds. The latest project planned
for the mountain top? A seven-storey glass tower. The plan was met with great resistance
from nature conservation associations and the UNESCO World
Heritage Foundation. The idea is now being rethought
by the province of South T
yrol. But signs of construction work
can still be seen at every turn. The activists work for different nature and heritage
protection associations. They’ve chosen the “Kölner Hütte” as
the place to compose their statement. It stands under the landmark
Rosengarten mountain range, part of a landscape that is being
more and more heavily developed, in a push for more tourism. The group talks about how
to stop the development, and how to reach as
many people as possible. They are simply
staging our l
andscape. It doesn’t need staging! Some South Tyroleans
think it's not enough. The important thing is that
this is not just a gut feeling. Studies prove it. Every survey shows that people
come here because of the landscape, because of the authenticity,
because of the mountains. So we’re basically
ruining the basis of our own quality of life on the one
hand, and tourism on the other. They also discuss the
new tourism concept, which they don’t think
will make much difference. The papers always tal
k
about the importance of nature and landscape conservation,
and environmental protection. But in the end,
the problems are buried in the details, in the legislation,
and certain regulations when it comes
to implementation. And the problem is, then
these big ideas no longer apply. In the last couple of
decades especially, economic interests have
gained the upper hand. The development of the
Alps is one direct result and something the South Tyrolean
Alpine conservationists want to put a stop to.
The aim of the manifesto
is to wake up the population, although some people are already
tuned in to these discussions. But there is still a lack of
awareness in politics and business. It’s unacceptable that for example, the province of South Tyrol is
financing 75% of this cable car. And no climate check was carried out. We already have cable cars that can transport more people
up the mountains every day than the number of
people living in South Tyrol. And there are already
some 35 additional pr
ojects waiting in the wings. When I hear about the Olympics
and the rumors that are buzzing around that the ski areas in the
Dolomites are to be merged into the largest ski resort
in the world, I just don't understand it!
What are these people thinking? The Rosengarten mountain range is one of the crown jewels of the
UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has served as an advertising
backdrop for South Tyrol for decades. Now, there’s a new, artificial lake,
here under the mountain peaks. A reservoir for
artificial snow. We meet mayor Markus
Dejori in the resort village. Since 2010 he's head of the
municipality of Welschnofen, which includes the Lake Carezza area. How does he deal
with the criticism? Many visitors tell us
they don’t even notice that there are winter
resort operations here, because the slopes are
actually located on meadows. They’ve always been meadows. So they’re not the huge forest pistes
that have simply been carved out, like in other ski resorts. The renovation of the ski
ar
ea is now almost complete. We want people to come to us.
We’re a welcoming community. We just need to control
the development a little so that it doesn't get out of hand. The state road will be relocated. Starting next year, it will run
to the far end of the parking lot. And the road here will simply
serve as a distribution point for pedestrians and cars
heading to the parking lot. So next year the situation here should be a bit more streamlined
and no longer as difficult. You’ll be able to get
across the
street, you’ll know where to park. Parking spaces will
also be nicely organized. It’s sort of organized now,
but only in a makeshift way. He’s here now because
his office got a call saying the parking lot was littered. The mayor decided
to go see it for himself. He cares deeply about the
image of his municipality. And he doesn't want tourism in this
community to be discredited, either. A couple of tissues and
so on, nothing unusual. It will all be gone by
tomorrow morning. The informa
tion we received
made it sound worse. Well, false alarm! Another sight: Signs of destruction
caused by storm Vaia, which knocked down millions of trees
in the Dolomites in October 2018. We can see the impact of Vaia here. We’re back on track now. I’d say we're somewhere
between cleaning up and then doing the necessary safety,
maintenance, and repair work again. It was perhaps a little
worse the first year because the areas
were completely brown, the color of the
earth under the trees. Now it's s
tarting
to turn green again, and some people don't
even notice it anymore. So the community is moving on. In fact, a major tourism
event is on the horizon: The 2026 Winter Olympics. The games will take place both
in Milan and in Cortina D'Ampezzo. The city is located in the
Italian province of Belluno, not too far from South Tyrol. New ski slopes have already
been built for the occasion. In South Tyrol,
the councilor for tourism, Arnold Schuler, has opted
for a different approach. There will be
no
more new ski lifts here. We’ve reached our limits, and we have to recognize that
we are at full capacity already. As I said, we want to remain
an attractive tourist destination. Nobody comes here on vacation to sit
in traffic jams or stand in queues. South Tyrol is not alone
in its struggle with the dark side of tourism. All throughout the Alps, the relationship between nature
and tourism is increasingly fraught. Cultural geographer
Werner Bätzing has followed these
developments over decades.
He lauds some aspects of
South Tyrol’s new tourism concept. First of all, I think it's good that the situation is laid bare in
a tourism concept like this one. The strengths and
weaknesses of tourism - noise, stench, waste, heavy traffic, the high cost of
housing and land. These are all the major
problems of tourism which are addressed
very clearly in this concept. I would like to see
something like this done in Bavaria and
in other Alpine regions. This kind of unsparing
assessment of tourism.
But will measures be
implemented in that same spirit? And whose interests
will prevail in the end? In Toblach, the hotel run by
Herbert Santer and his son Jürgen, is an example of a tourism
concept that focuses on growth. It’s a recipe for success that’s
practically part of the family's DNA. It’s crucial to keep
investing year after year. If you don't do that, you
won't be able to keep up. The business needs
to keep up somehow, become more modern, more
interesting, more professional. And we’ve a
ctually
shown that, to this day. The problem is there are
quotas right now for everything. There’s a quota for the number of
beds and for people in the hotspots. In other words, we’re
legislating a bit too much. For me, a free market economy, a
social market economy, means that an entrepreneur can
develop freely, in every area. I agree with certain rules. But just going around
and imposing quotas, I think that's the wrong approach. Today, a book launch is taking
place here, at this scenic locati
on. Marlene Roner is
among the attendees. She wants to meet the author. I wanted to connect with you
about the big mobility issue. Happy to! In his book, Michil Costa
- himself a hotelier from Corvara - has written a scathing critique
about the development of tourism. He believes that South Tyrol
is at a tipping point. Why don't we close
the Dolomite passes? Because the people in charge
lack the courage! I’m also a colleague of yours, and
I have some advice and a question. I don't like the fact
that we,
who work in the tourism industry, are blamed for everything
that goes wrong. We’re essentially spitting into
a plate we’re all eating from, because we depend on tourism -
some more, some less. And as for the bed freeze: Why do we want to build bigger
and bigger hotels? That doesn't help. We can't find any more employees and
are only causing ourselves problems. After decades of continuous growth, people here feel an
urgent need for discussion. About a bed freeze, and the
future of touri
sm as a whole. It's about mass tourism. We have a small area, we
can't cater to everyone here. We have to set a limit, we have
to restrict mobility especially. We want guests to come for the
beauty of nature first and foremost. Not for the saunas, or another
swimming pool, or another steam bath. That's all nonsense,
we don't need any of that. I drove up at 6 a.m. last week to enjoy the Gardena Pass and
Sella Pass in peace and quiet. And today I had to drive up
at 2 p.m., and it was terrible. Car
s, motorcycles,
buses, cyclists everywhere. Plain and simple -
this is not how it should be. My idea would be to
follow the American model, where you pay admission to
enter a park, a real national park. So that it doesn't become
an amusement park, where you have fun and
it's practically a playground. Instead, it’s a place
where nature is respected. Because we’re part of nature
and we have to protect ourselves. If we don't protect nature, then nature survives
quite well without us, I think. So it
’s about more than just
overcrowding at the hotspots. Could access to the
mountains be blocked? Quotas are not anti-social. Quotas mean that if I want to go
to the New Year's concert in Vienna, I have to register
three years in advance. Or if I want to go to Bhutan or the
beautiful Montecristo Island in Italy, I simply have to reserve in advance. And that means I also
appreciate the area. I would stay longer,
spend more time there. Because this fast, mass tourism
doesn't do anything for people.
And it doesn't do anything
for us, the people living here. About a month later, we visit Markus Piccolruaz at
his 4-star hotel "Jakoberhof.” The bed freeze has been adopted, and the municipality is
now collecting statistics. Unlike his colleague in Toblach, he welcomes the decision
in favor of more regulation. I think that the bed freeze
has come at the right time. A lot has happened here in South
Tyrol over the last 10 or 20 years. A lot has developed - sometimes for
the better, sometimes to an
extreme. We have to understand that it
will eventually come to an end. Markus Piccolruaz
is proud of his hotel, which bears the unmistakable signature
of his father, a wood carver. He is delighted that his
daughter will soon be attending hotel management school, so she
can take over the business later on. The transition to the next generation
doesn't work in all families. And there are already
large corporations waiting to buy up businesses. So the real South Tyrol
is getting a little lost. For
me, what we should be most
afraid of is selling off our homeland. That's a big problem. The larger the hotels become, the more outside capital is involved and the more the locals are
squeezed out of the market. These local businesses
have long been indicative of the quality of
tourism in South Tyrol. That kind of tourism
was down-to-earth. The interesting thing is, the new "Tourism 2030+" concept
formulates exactly that, as a goal. It doesn’t call for a
marketing strategy, but rather a living s
pace strategy. Tourism should become part
of the living space of the locals and not the other way around. The locals should not become window-dressing
for the tourist resorts. On this day in September, an event
demonstrates one possible approach. On Sellaronda Bike Day, the Dolomites
pass roads around the Sella massif are closed to car traffic. It’s closed, yes. Yes. Marlene Roner is also here -
with her husband and children. An event for everyone,
not just for tourists. Lots of locals already,
right, Florian? It's mainly locals
who are out and about. There’s a mix. Quite a lot of people
use it for climbing, although not today
because it's snowing. Normally it's total
chaos on the passes. Motorcycles, cars without end. And so you can cycle or
climb in nature - without cars. It's the greatest
thing for any cyclist when passes like these
are blocked to traffic. This cyclist and his friends have
taken part in the event before. He’s thrilled to be back. This is our third day here. All tol
d, we'll be there
for four or five days. And of course
today is the highlight. If they’re up for it, cyclists have
four mountain passes, 53 kilometers, and a good sixteen hundred
meters of altitude ahead of them. Marlene and Florian's
sons also have fun - despite the cold
and tough uphill ride. It really is such a community feeling,
the way everyone enjoys this time. The snow is great!
The mountains are great. A dream! A total dream. So beautiful with the snow. For over 15 years,
this event has
been held as part of an appeal to stop
traffic on the pass roads more often. A step in the direction of
a gentler kind of tourism. The idea is gaining more
and more supporters. Bravo, terrific! Well done.
They did a great job! And the road closure doesn’t prevent this mountain eatery from
getting a lot of business. Two hours later,
down in the valley. The cars have reclaimed the roads. Gerhard Vanzi works
in the tourism industry, and lives here in
Selva, Val Gardena. He tells us about how
people
’s attitudes have evolved. These are our friends! When the "Sellaronda Bike Day"
was organized for the first time, there was resistance. Especially from the people
running the mountain huts. Some of them threw
broken glass on the road to prevent the event
from taking place. After many years, they’ve been
able to serve so many people and they’re happy the event exists. Gerhard Vanzi knows that every
innovation has its opponents. Especially when there’s
a fear of losing business. That's why he’s t
aking a
different approach with his project. We don't want fewer people. We just want people
to move differently. And use environmentally-friendly
and sustainable means of transport. Simply to reduce the impact on the
environment and on our population. He is pushing for a
low-emission zone in the area. This would reduce the share of
motorcycles and cars in total traffic from 92 to 42% by 2030. Public transport and
cycling, on the other hand, would increase from 8 to 58%. South Tyrol, Trentino, a
nd Belluno
have agreed on common transport goals, to be implemented from 2024. It could be a turning
point in transport policy - with far-reaching impact
across this Alpine region. But the policies
haven’t taken effect yet. Today, mountain guide Erwin Steiner
is instructing climbers under conditions that he
doesn’t especially enjoy. It does affect me. But I have the feeling that I'm
perhaps more sensitive than others. There's a super nice
climbing area here. Easily accessible,
but very close to
the road. And that means: Noise! For me as a mountain guide,
teaching someone something, it's very important to
have peace and quiet. To be able to concentrate and also to have the feeling
of being up on the mountain. That’s why I prefer to be up on the
mountain pasture, rather than here. For many locals, the peak season is
the most stressful time of the year. It's over now and time to take stock. The checkpoint at the entrance to
the Braies Valley has been dismantled. Did the vehicle restrictio
ns
help control visitor numbers? There were concerns everything would
be blocked by the valley entrance on the stretch of road
we’re driving along now. That didn't happen. There was always a bit of an opening,
so that no traffic jam formed. And the goal of limiting the flow
of visitors was, in fact, achieved. For many years, the Braies Valley
has not been so well perceived, by tourists and locals alike. This year's efforts have
certainly proved very successful. So this is how it could work. Sout
h Tyrol is taking the first
steps to tackle unbridled tourism, to improve the lives of locals
and to protect its natural heritage. Perhaps it could serve as an
example for the entire Alpine region.
Comments
The problem of the excessive number of cars and the pollution they produce can be solved in a simple way: public transport and a ban on private vehicle traffic throughout the region.
In many National parks in the United States a bus is the only option especially during peak seasons. Or reservations booked at times months in advance
I hate to say it, but if you want less tourists, then charge the tourists more for access. Another option is a lottery for park admission.
Of Course, Mr. Herbert Santer doesn't care about the "Bed Freeze" or the current state of the economy for lower Income Businesses. Because it doesn't affect Him, He needs to be removed from the Tourist Board for obvious Corruption. And Mr. Arnold Schuler also Needs to be Removed from the South Tyrolean Council for Neglect and Dereliction of Duty for mishandling the Situation.
Only allow drive in access for people that are handicapped or disabled. Everyone else can walk or bike in, this would promote public fitness while also reducing crowding.
I learnt about the environmental issues of tourism back in '96 when I saw the pollution tourist dumped rubbish into Rarotonga from 2 sources, 1 by dropping rubbish out car windows or from motor bikes, 2 from the rubbish generated from the Hotel & Motels that has to be shipped out & 3 from all the shops selling goods to tourists that end up on the roadside or in rubbish bins that again needs to be shipped out. All this tourist rubbish just piles up as it cost too much to remove. The Australian Aborigines closed down access to Uluru (Ayers Rock) due to people walking up & down it wearing it away. Tourism = pollution for profit.
Nice documentary shared by 🙏 (DW )channel. Documentary showed positive and negative sides of this super wonderful tourist position ( Italian dolomite and the lake) .human activities are responsible for preserving that wonderful nature from ( air,water, and soil pollution) .
Same thing happens in Japan too especially in Kyoto and Mt.Fuji.
I cycled the Dolomites in 2008 with Ciclismo and watching this, sure makes me glad I did it then! Can't imagine climbing 10-15 km with rush hour traffic passing you.
Nice documentary Dw
it's not about keeping people out but it's about organizing things in the valley in such a way that first and foremost the locals still have a decent life and the tourists who do come find it more or less as they imagined it.
This is very similar to the Banff - Jasper corridor in Alberta, Canada; the scenery is identical as is the bloat of tourists. Other similarities are theat the Columbia Icefield glaciers are constantly receeding. Add to this DW News recent Youtube post that the world has for the first time tripped past the 1.5 degree threshold for tweleve months in a row. This is a global phenomena on all continents. As one post below says: "Welcome to Yesllowsonte National Park", and, and, and etc.
Same thing is starting to happen in New Zealand
the woman at 32:00 who says she wishes it was like american national parks doesnt realize that our parks are incredibly crowded and the system is run by the for profit military contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. I wish it was still the same national park system that i grew up revering.
do a reservation system for cars to spread out the people
The American National Park model still suffers from the same issues of overcrowding and overtourism. Same with the Canadian model. Selling off the business to big conglomerates is very problematic, hang tight to small businesses. As one interviewee said, more spas, and pools etc, are not needed.
Dolomites have "reached a tipping point" with nature and the local residents vs tourism... so definitely all good to host The Olympics in 2026! (???)
People should go to the Dolomites in Friuli Venezia Giulia - just as spectacular and way LESS busy!!!
Sort of off topic, but I hope one day if we can make farming more efficient, we can start turning areas of farmland back into rewilded, natural areas.
I hear realised i went to Lake brais in 2018 but it was in early may and literally no one was there. We were there for 45 mins, used a toilet, but didn't see a single person.