Hallstatt, Austria's Alpine jewel, debates post-corona tourism

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Only a few months ago residents of the impossibly picturesque Austrian village of Hallstatt were debating how to stem the influx of tourists thronging its narrow streets, nestled between soaring mountains and a sparkling lake. Image Credit: AFP

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Careful what you wish for: with the collapse in international travel brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, the tour groups that used to jam the streets - with up to 100 coaches arriving daily in the high season - have disappeared. Image Credit: AFP

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In pre-coronavirus times the main concern for locals was that Hallstatt would be turned into an open-air theme park and become yet another symbol of the phenomenon of "overtourism". Image Credit: AFP

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With a million visitors per year for just 750 residents, the tiny village competed with the likes of Venice and Barcelona in the rankings of most tourists per inhabitant. Image Credit: AFP

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A river boat is seen at lake Hallstatt. Image Credit: AFP

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"There are more than 600,000 photos of Hallstatt on Instagram!" says local mayor Alexander Scheutz, still a little incredulous at the worldwide fame Hallstatt has garnered. Image Credit: AFP

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The number of tourist coaches coming to Hallstatt doubled in the space of five years, reaching 21,254 in 2019. Image Credit: AFP

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Many of the bigger tour groups were made up of visitors from China, Taiwan, South Korea and the United States. Image Credit: AFP

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A major draw has been Hallstatt's apparent similarity to the village depicted in the wildly successful Frozen film series, with its sloping, snow-laden timber houses and pointed church spire. Image Credit: AFP

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A woman cleans river boats at lake Hallstatt in Hallstatt. Image Credit: AFP

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Hallstatt village is a World Heritage-listed town on Lake Hallstatt's western shore in Austria's mountainous Salzkammergut region in Austria. Image Credit: AFP

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The unveiling of a replica of Hallstatt in 2012 in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, as well as its starring role in a Korean TV series, have also helped its international fame. Image Credit: AFP

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COVID-19, changed everything for the 780 locals of this Austrian village. Between the pleasure of a return to calm and the worries of a loss of income linked to tourism, the residents hesitate. Image Credit: AFP

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