A picturesque village described as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ is being “ruined” by social media as “TikTok tourists” use it for clicks, a local councillor has complained.
Bourton-on-the-Water has become increasingly popular with tourists in recent years, with Jon Wareing saying it is being used for people to shoot videos for Instagram and TikTok reels, as well as taking selfies.
“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,” Mr Wareing said.
He also stated that there had been an increase in rubbish, particularly “on the green” which is popular among tourists.
Residents have also reportedly received verbal abuse and have struggled with traffic congestion.
“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,” he said.
In May 2024, Wareing tabled a motion to get the council to accept that tourism was a problem for the village, which was rejected by six voted to four.
“The recent bank holiday weekend provided an illustration of volatile public sentiment on this topic on social media,” Wareing said.
“This is so destructive for our community and is deeply worrying.”
Bourton-on-the-Water is not the only village in the Cotswolds which has become overwhelmed by tourism.
In Castle Combe, residents said their privacy had been “invaded” by tourists’ drones, while the community was ruined by short-term holiday rentals. The 356-resident village is visited by hundreds of people each year.
Meanwhile, minibus operators that tour the Cotswold villages have seen a surge in business.
Bourton-on-the-Water is renowned for its five low, arched stone bridges while its houses and shops are famous for their yellow limestone.
The village often has more visitors than residents during the peak tourist season. It is estimated that 300,000 visitors arrive each year as compared to under 3,500 permanent residents.
Each August, thousands gather to watch a game of medieval football which is played with goalposts set up in the River Windrush itself.
