The future of Big Sur is at stake. An existing plan offers a solution – we just need to implement it.

Tourism is like fire. Out of control, it can destroy everything in its path.

There is a name for this. It’s called “overtourism” and Big Sur is directly in its path. This is evidenced by the growing alarm over public safety and environmental damage from crowds of visitors competing for selfies at Bixby Bridge. It does not have to be this way.

A 12-month moratorium banning parking at Bixby Bridge is a step in the right direction to allow time to further assess the situation. But the problems of out-of-control tourism extend beyond Bixby Bridge, from hikers setting illegal campfires in the backcountry to traffic jams on Highway 1 at Point Lobos to the safety hazards of vehicles clogging Sycamore Canyon Road in a race to Pfeiffer Beach.

The good news is that when well-planned, tourism can be a powerful catalyst for protecting nature, celebrating cultural heritage and delivering positive social and economic benefits to local people. It is called Destination Stewardship, a visitor management and planning model based on the principles and criteria of responsible tourism.

In 2019, I led a team of experts to create the Big Sur Destination Stewardship Plan with the mission statement: “To protect and preserve the rugged, scenic, natural beauty of Big Sur and its cultural heritage, benefit the local economy and foster a welcoming and sustainable community for generations to come.”

“Now is the time to plan for Big Sur’s future.”

At its core, the plan addresses key challenges related to unsustainable visitation and traffic along Highway 1, including a recommendation for implementing the moratorium on parking along Bixby Bridge.

The threat of overtourism in Big Sur and the destination stewardship plan’s action-focused solutions were identified through an extensive local engagement process. Over the span of two years, there were more than 100 community consultation meetings and 347 resident surveys submitted. More than 80 percent of Big Sur residents and stakeholders supported the plan and strongly agreed with the statement, “Now is the time to plan for Big Sur’s future by taking action to manage visitation and tourism through a destination stewardship plan.”

The final plan was officially accepted by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. That was in 2020.

With the current moratorium on parking at Bixby Bridge, there is a unique opportunity to seize this moment. While the iconic bridge may be the poster child for tourism gone wrong in Big Sur, it is just the tip of the iceberg.

The question is not, can Big Sur’s overtourism problems be solved before it is too late. That answer is yes. Rather, the most pressing question is whether the will and commitment exist to truly address this problem. The Big Sur Destination Stewardship Plan provides a roadmap for how to get there.

COSTAS CHRIST is a sustainable tourism expert. He is the former National Geographic Senior Adviser for Sustainability and a co-author of Wilderness: Earth’s Last Wild Places. He is the lead author of the Big Sur Destination Stewardship Plan.