Overtourism; islands; affordable housing; sustainable tourism; lock-in

On the German island of Sylt, overtourism has caused problems, discontent and protests among the population for decades. The island struggles with touristification and has traditionally had a severe lack of affordable housing for inhabitants. As a result, Sylt now has only 18,000 registered residents, while some 4,000 people – often former residents – commute to the island every day to work. Recurring protests that Sylt has been ‘betrayed and sold off’ and ‘threatens to become an island without islanders’ find little response among local politicians. Alternative forms of development, such as sustainable tourism, invariably lose out to the jet set tourism that Sylt is known for. Vested interests on the island stand in the way of transformation and create a lock-in situation that is difficult to break through.

On the German island of Sylt, overtourism has caused problems, discontent and protests among the population for decades. The island struggles with touristification and has traditionally had a severe lack of affordable housing for inhabitants. As a result, Sylt now has only 18,000 registered residents, while some 4,000 people – often former residents – commute to the island every day to work. Recurring protests that Sylt has been ‘betrayed and sold off’ and ‘threatens to become an island without islanders’ find little response among local politicians. Alternative forms of development, such as sustainable tourism, invariably lose out to the jet set tourism that Sylt is known for. Vested interests on the island stand in the way of transformation and create a lock-in situation that is difficult to break through.