Fury in European seaside towns as camper van visitors block beauty spot views
Denmark had millions of overnight camper van stays in 2022. The country now wants to introduce regulations to appease locals.
There is fury in seaside towns as camper van visitors block all the beauty spot views and leave behind litter.
Denmark is joining many other European holiday destinations such as Venice and Tenerife that are hitting back against overtourism.
The coastline is frequently descended upon by tourists in their vans who park on beaches, causing clashes with locals. Problems are overparking in natural areas, obstructed views, and littering.
There were 2.3 million overnight camper van stays in 2022, according to VisitDenmark, who say that this number is expected to keep growing.
In the last five years, the number of camper vans in Denmark increased by 27 percent. This includes a big rise in foreign camper vans coming into the country.
Now, the country wants camper van tourism to become more sustainable with hopes of transforming the issue into a less controversial source of income.
CEO of tourist company Visit Northwest Coast (Visit Nordvestkysten), Peter Krusborg Pedersen, told EuroNews that a lack of regulations means it is like the ‘Wild West’ for both camper van tourists and local authorities.
He added that there is too little information for tourists, which can make it difficult for holiday-goers to make decisions such as where to park.
Regulations being introduced include banning parking in certain areas, providing more information for camper van tourists, and creating designated parking spots.
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Tourist organisations, local governments, and campgrounds want to take a new approach that makes tourists feel welcome and allows the country to benefit economically from tourism but doesn’t impact the local community negatively.
This comes as Copenhagen decides to reward well-behaved tourists. Visitors who act responsibly will include those choosing to ride bikes, take public transport, collect rubbish and use reusable cups.
The rewards will be both financial and other incentives, with the official tourist board Wonderful Copenhagen saying they want to find a way to create a more mutually beneficial and less disruptive relationship between tourists and local people.
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