Only a few short months ago, overtourism was to blame for ruining a number of the world’s most popular holiday spots. Now, with half the world under some form of lockdown, cities, seaside resorts and natural ecosystems have the opportunity to heal and recover. Sooner or later, however, the multibillion-dollar tourism industry will dust itself down and set about enticing us to start travelling again. What that will look like is unclear at present. Restrictions will be eased in stages and countries deemed to be managing the crisis are sure to be popular with risk-averse visitors. Flight costs may go up, especially if middle seats are left empty to help passengers distance, socially or otherwise, but in an initial mismatch of supply and demand, many hotels, Airbnbs and other lodging options are likely to offer discounts. Deals might also extend to entrance fees for theme parks, museums and national parks. Authorities in Venice, Italy, have already abandoned plans to introduce a tourist tax – and they won’t be the last destination to do so. Then there are the villages considered to be so attractive, authentic or otherwise desirable that we have grudgingly paid an admission fee to have a nose around. Time will tell if any of the following temporarily reduce or even scrap their entry charges. Nusfjord is an immaculately preserved fishing village in Norway’s bewitching Lofoten Islands. In the mid-19th century, more than 1,500 men stayed here, in wooden cabins, during the cod fishing season. Today, the population is down to 22, outnumbered (until recently) by dozens of daily tour groups. The cabins, which are built on stilts over the water, have been spruced up and rented out. Historical buildings that are the attractions on a DIY village walking tour include the general store, a cod liver oil factory, a blacksmith, a smokery (for smoking salmon) and a whaling museum. A coastal hiking trail links Nusfjord with the tiny settlement of Nesland. Allow five hours to complete the round trip. Entry: 100 kroner (US$10) A traditional fishing village charging people to visit? That would never happen in England. Oh wait. Entry to the car-free cobbled streets of Clovelly comes at a cost but there’s a reason sightseers have to pay an admission fee. The estate has been privately owned by just three families, the Giffords, the Carys and the Hamlyns, since 1242. And it’s thanks to Christine Hamlyn that the north Devon beauty spot retains its charm and character more than 80 years after her death. The “Queen of Clovelly” restored, rebuilt and beautified the grimy streets and decrepit cottages that tumbled down the hillside. By doing so, she unwittingly gave the place a new and lasting lease of life. Clovelly began attracting Victorian tourists wanting to escape the polluted air of England’s industrial cities and the trend continues. Last year, 150,000 people visited what remains a working fishing village. Unesco World Heritage-listed Hongcun , in China’s Anhui province, was laid out according to the principles of feng shui during the Song dynasty, 900 years ago. A watercolour painting come to life, the village was built in the shape of an ox, with Leigang Hill as the head. Dwellings are connected by a network of waterways that feed into Nanhu (South Lake) and Yuezhao (Moon Pond) that is illuminated by rows of lanterns each evening. Hongcun is one of many candidates for the title of Venice of the East and served as a backdrop for several scenes in the Oscar-nominated film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). Entry: 104 yuan (US$15) Most safaris to Kenya and Tanzania include a visit to a Maasai settlement . Sightseers not wanting to be part of what some tourists describe as a degrading human circus can skip the welcome song and adumu , or “jumping dance”, and opt for a look around the rustic mud thatched homes instead. The cattle-herding tribesmen are aware that they are commercialising Maasai culture but are prepared to play along to keep tourists happy and the coffers topped up. The men dress in brightly coloured robes and brandish spears while the women show off their beaded necklaces and bracelets, which you, lucky tourist, will have the opportunity (be pressured) to buy. You’ll pay too much, of course, but at least you’re helping to support the village. Entry to Maasai settlements usually costs US$20 per person, directly payable to the village chief. (How much he has to give to the tour company is anyone’s guess.) Cat Cat village is situated in the breathtakingly beautiful Muong Hoa valley, in northern Vietnam, a region of rugged peaks, rivers and rice terraces populated by the Hmong people. It’s a 30-minute downhill walk from the former French hill station of Sapa – cool off in the river en route and admire the giant bamboo water wheels, which are used to pound rice. Stop for coffee overlooking a roaring waterfall, photograph locals in traditional dress and haggle for souvenirs. When you’re ready to head back to Sapa, pay a couple of dollars for a motorcycle taxi. It will save you a steep 3km uphill hike. The entrance fee of 70,000 dong (US$3) goes toward the upkeep of the village and to families who have opened their homes to visitors. Almost six million tourists visited the Grand Canyon National Park last year but hidden away in the craggy sandstone formations lies the only village within the ancient gorge. Supai is 13km from the nearest road and is the most remote community in the lower 48 states of America. The only way to reach the settlement, and stunning turquoise waterfalls, is by helicopter, on foot or by mule, which is also how mail is delivered. The village is part of the Havasupai Indian Reservation – the “people of the blue-green waters” have lived in the Grand Canyon for more than 800 years and today generate income from admission and camping fees. An entrance permit to Supai, environmental fees and taxes come to US$110 per person while a four-person lodge costs a hefty US$440 per room per night. Camping permits start at US$100 per night (minimum three nights). Huai Sua Tao is one of Thailand’s many “long neck villages”. The inhabitants are Kayan tribe members whose families escaped conflict in Burma (now Myanmar) during the 1980s and were settled in refugee camps. Females traditionally wear heavy brass rings to elongate their necks in the pursuit of beauty and it wasn’t long before these so-called giraffe women became a tourist attraction. There are rumours of exploitation – the women allegedly receive little of the money they generate and exist in a state of semi-legal limbo. Without Thai citizenship they have limited access to basic services such as health care and education. For every insensitive visitor who pokes fingers into the neck rings and generally objectifies the women there are others who feel deeply uncomfortable on realising they have booked a tour of a human zoo. Entry to Huai Sua Tao and other Kayan villages is about 250 baht (US$8).