Tourism row in crowded Cotswolds village as visitors 'park for free and bring picnics'

A group battling against overtourism in Bourton-on-the-Water claims many tourists add little or nothing to its economy. The picture postcard village, often called the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’, has been bursting at the seams in recent years. Many residents say the infrastructure is not there to cope with the thousands of visitors who now come all year round and not just in the summer. A group called Bourton Residents Voice was formed in September last year to try to get something done about the issue. Now its chair person, Charlotte Joynes, has spoken out in a strongly-worded statement on behalf of the group as peak season arrives. Some businesses in Bourton do not believe too many tourists visit it, saying the money they take in the warmer months enables them to get through the colder ones when trade is slow.