Record visitor numbers are a windfall for economies and a headache for the places people love.

The return of mass travel has filled hotels and coffers — and packed streets to bursting.

Locals in the most popular spots are pushing back.

Loved to death

Governments are experimenting with caps, fees and timed entry.

"We want visitors. We just cannot survive all of them at once."

Analysts point to a handful of forces driving the story forward:

  • Record arrivals in hotspot cities
  • Rising tension with residents
  • New tools to manage the crush

The balance between welcome and overwhelm has rarely been harder to strike.