The tourism industry is increasingly interested in owning or running its own private destinations. That allows them to keep the travelers away from locals while raking in their tourist dollars. In the Northern Hemisphere the summer season is in full swing and tourists are on the go.

But there is a dark side of tourism and a number of popular places have complained about hordes of visitors. There have been protests against tourists in Spanish cities and the island of Mallorca . Venice has long been plagued by cruise ships and now charges an entrance fee.

Lisbon, Prague and Amsterdam have all seen tensions rise between visitors and locals . Some businesses think they may have an answer. Overtourism: The costs of a $1.

5 trillion industry To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Private-island sales increasing Sales of private islands have spiked since the COVID-19 pandemic , says Chris Krolow, founder and CEO of Private Islands Inc. , a Canada-based marketplace for private-island sales and rentals. He points to certain hotspot regions such as the Caribbean and Central America, especially places like Belize and the Bahamas.

Krolow, who is known for HGTV's popular show "Island Hunters," is a big player in the private island business. His company has around 600 islands for sale. Prices range from around $26,000 (€23,700) for a single lot on Long Caye, Belize, to $160 million for Rangyai Island in Thailand.

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