A Gloucestershire village famed for its stone bridges and riverside charm faces destruction from social media-obsessed visitors.
Local politicians warn that Bourton-on-the-Water, dubbed the "Venice of the Cotswolds", has fallen victim to tourists who arrive solely to film TikTok videos and Instagram reels before departing without engaging with the area's heritage.
District Councillor Jon Wareing claims these visitors show "little real interest in the heritage, culture or natural environment they are exploiting for clicks," describing them as "the ultimate hit-and-run tourist."
The village has experienced mounting problems including waste accumulation across its famous green spaces and severe traffic disruption from coaches operating in prohibited zones.
Local residents face harassment ranging from verbal attacks to physical confrontations, whilst witnessing visitors engaging in activities such as cooking and starting fires on the village green.
Unauthorised parking on protected grassland has become commonplace, with tour buses regularly flouting restrictions by stopping on the High Street despite bans.
The councillor highlighted particular concerns about two-way coach movements at an ineffective designated drop-off area on Meadow Way, creating dangerous conditions for pedestrians and motorists alike.
The Liberal Democrat councillor distinguishes between traditional tourism and what he terms "fast tourism" - visitors who flock to scenic locations purely for social media content creation.
Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds is a tourist hotspot
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His attempts to address the crisis formally failed when Bourton Parish Council rejected his motion to acknowledge overtourism by six votes to four in May 2024.
Councillor Wareing pointed to the UN World Tourism Organization's definition of "overtourism" to describe what is happening in the town.
He told The Independent: "Overtourism is defined as the impact of tourism on a destination, or parts thereof, that excessively influences perceived quality of life of citizens and/or quality of visitor experiences in a negative way,"
He expressed alarm at the parish council's refusal to recognise the issue, calling the majority decision "a disaster for Bourton."
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Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds ihas become "overcrowded" according to a councillor
The councillor revealed that approximately 300,000 tourists descend on the village annually, overwhelming its fewer than 3,500 permanent inhabitants.
Recent bank holiday periods have intensified social media tensions, with Councillor Wareing describing online discourse as "destructive" and "deeply worrying" for community cohesion.
The tourism surge has created multiple negative impacts to the local area
Councillor Wareing said there had been infrastructure strain, environmental damage, cultural heritage threats and escalating tensions between visitors and locals.
The annual river football match in the River Windrush draws in tourists from across the country
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Mr Wareing has appealed to Conservative North Cotswold MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown.
He has also written to Gloucestershire County Council and Cotswold District Council to formally acknowledge the overtourism crisis and develop strategic solutions.
Bourton-on-the-Water joins other Cotswolds communities struggling with visitor numbers.
This includes Castle Combe where drone invasions and holiday rentals have disrupted the 356-person village.
According to residents, the number of people who live in the village full-time has fallen in recent years - with houses that go up for sale being snapped up and used as second homes or Airbnbs.
Georgina Kingshott, 44, a post-doctoral scientist, told The Independent: "In the hotter months people pitch up like it is the beach which can be a bit annoying.
"It is terrible because during lockdown it was great. The other bad thing is that people will fly their drones across the village.
"It feels very intrusive. They are not supposed to do that and there are signs up and down. You will wander into the garden and hear the sound of a drone and think 'what is going on?'"