By Alex
Fame comes at a cost. Overwhelmed by its reputation, the lakeside Austrian town of Hallstatt sees up to 10,000 visitors every day, with crowds filling every corner. The town’s 780 residents are struggling to cope, and Mayor Alexander Scheutz has announced hopes to reduce visitor numbers by at least a third, pleading with tourists not to visit. However, he hasn’t yet come up with any concrete or effective solutions.
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Nestled at the foot of the Alps, the town of Hallstatt reportedly rose to fame after being featured in a Korean travel show broadcast in 2006, attracting a particularly large number of Asian tourists. In recent years, Hallstatt has also been cited as the inspiration for scenes in Disney’s hit movie *Frozen*, and has been named by foreign media as one of the best spots for Instagram photos, further boosting its popularity. In fact, Hallstatt was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and is home to the world’s oldest salt mine.
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The influx of tourists has brought numerous problems for local residents. One coffee shop owner shared that his mother once woke up to find Chinese tourists in her room. Additionally, selfie-taking visitors often block streets, while many fly drones overhead. Residents are also frequently asked to share their bathrooms. The town has already closed some roads to limit visitor access and issued statements asking tourists not to come—but the crowds keep coming.
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Source: Mail Online