Bourton residents fear overtourism has hit ‘breaking point’

Overtourism in a town known as the Venice of the Cotswolds may have “reached breaking point” as residents say visitors are now “fed up” with the crammed experience.

About 100 locals aired their concerns about tourism in Bourton-on-the-Water at a meeting on Thursday with leaders from Gloucester County Council and Cotswold District Council.

Bourton Residents’ Voice, a local group that organised the meeting, said it was not against tourism but wanted to achieve a level that was sustainable for the village.

One resident told the meeting at Bourton Baptist Church that visitors seem “fed up” and “massively disillusioned”.

“They are not happy with the experience,” he said.

“It’s starting to turn. Perhaps we’ve reached the breaking point this summer.”

One woman, who has lived in Bourton-on-the-Water all her life, said the number of visitors had never been so high, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“You can’t move in the village, you can’t go into the village,” she said.

The woman said the best time for the village was during the pandemic.

She added: “I don’t walk in the village between March and October.”

One man told the meeting he had lived in the village for 30 years.

He echoed the concerns and blamed coaches for dropping people off “all over the place”.

“They cause problems, they block roads, they turn around in the wrong places,” he said. “They are a real menace.”

Council leaders at the meeting said they would use the feedback to help them find solutions.