Cotswolds locals lose access to village amid tourism boom

More than 90 per cent of people living in a village dubbed ‘The Venice of the Cotswolds’ say tourists are blighting their lives, a survey found.

Bourton-on-the-Water, over the Oxfordshire border, attracts 300,000 holidaymakers and day trippers a year, but a new study says locals have had enough.

The village is regularly crowded with people from across the world, and local councillors have already claimed it is being ‘ruined’ by TikTokers.

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The Cotswolds village of Bourton-on-the-Water. (Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)

There have also been extensive rows about parking in the village, as dozens of coaches regularly arrive packed with sightseers.

But a new survey of its 4,000 residents says 94.6 per cent of residents believe there are too many visitors, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

The survey by Bourton Residents’ Voice, completed by 200 locals, also found 90.8 per cent report a negative impact on quality of life.

It found 92.6 per cent felt traffic and parking are not run properly, and 82 per cent say Bourton has lost its sense of community, the LDRS says.

A spokesperson for Bourton Residents’ Voice said: “This survey shows that what many residents have been experiencing for years is real, widespread, and getting worse.

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The Cotswolds village of Bourton-on-the-Water. (Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)

“Bourton is not just a destination, it is a community. And right now, that community is being pushed aside.

“This is not about stopping tourism. It is about restoring balance and ensuring that the village remains a place where people can live, not just visit.”

Cotswold District Councillor Paul Hodgkinson said: “The County Council is leading a new initiative to get to some solutions as quickly as possible in place – in April there’s a workshop of all stakeholders to look at the whole village and its parking and traffic challenges.”

Locals today reacted to the survey, as one person said: ”The infrastructure is buckled as we speak, in fact, it is broken.”

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The Cotswolds village of Bourton-on-the-Water. (Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)

Another added: ”The place is overrun. Yes, they are welcome, but the village cannot cope.”

But one tourist said: ”6 per cent response from a village of 4,000. That really is a snapshot! Not exactly comprehensive.

”They spend so long advertising it as a tourist destination, now complain about all the tourists.”

Several other Cotswolds villages and towns have seen a major increase in tourism over the past few years, including in Oxfordshire.

Spots such as Burford and Charlbury, as well as just over the Gloucestershire border in Bibury, have all seen dramatic rises in popularity.