Councillor slams 'TikTok tourists' over rubbish and abuse in Cotswolds village

A councillor from a picturesque village has accused a particular type of visitors of exploiting the stunning location. Bourton-on-the-Water, nestled in the Cotswolds, is home to roughly 4,000 people. The village features golden stone buildings and breathtaking views that attract countless visitors.

It's also a bustling destination packed with activities and an abundance of shops, eateries, cafés, and tea rooms, creating an ideal location for a day out or brief holiday. Yet locals and councillors argue that the village is being damaged by "TikTok tourists".

This category of visitor journeys to Bourton-on-the-Water to exploit the charming landscape as a setting for their selfies, Instagram reels, or TikTok content instead of genuinely experiencing what the settlement has to offer.

Jon Wareing, Cotswold district councillor, said: "This kind of visitor tends to have little real interest in the heritage, culture or natural environment they are exploiting for clicks. They are the ultimate hit-and-run tourist."

According to Mr Wareing, the settlement, dubbed the Venice of the Cotswolds, has encountered numerous problems in recent times. The councillor revealed he had witnessed accounts of residents suffering verbal and physical harassment, alongside increasing traffic jams.

He also highlighted that litter is accumulating throughout the village "especially on the green", according to the BBC. However, tourism alone isn't the sole problem. He continued: "It's a combination of over-tourism and fast tourism, which refers to people flocking to honeypot locations for the sole purpose of content creation."

Despite Bourton's tiny population, the village attracts around 30,000 tourists a year, which is 7.5 times the number of locals, reports the Express.

In May 2024, Mr Wareing put forward a motion to get the council to acknowledge that tourism was creating issues for Bourton, but it was defeated by six votes to four.

He said: "The recent Bank Holiday weekend provided an illustration of a volatile public sentiment on this topic on social media. This is so destructive for our community and is deeply worrying."

People online have taken to social media to share their complaints, with one user sharing: "Couldn't pay me to go there in the summer, it's bad enough the rest of the year but in the summer madness". Another said: "I will never go back, used to be quiet, but horrible parking issues, expensive, overrated."

A third urged: "Don't go there in Summer...tourism has killed it...locals hate it & can't blame them. Another said how unfortunate it has turned into: "sadly tiktok bloggers have shown these places now England peaceful secrets ruined".

TikTok said it did not wish to comment.

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