Austria is one of the world's most popular countries to visit. But the thorny issue of apparent over tourism is proving a problem. 

In response to the perceived problem, the country has come up with an idea to redistribute its visitors away from the most popular sites.

"The queue is long but we're looking forward to skiing and snowboarding," Yanis, a visitor from Greece, tells CGTN after waiting for two hours at a ski lift near Semmering in Eastern Austria, something not uncommon during peak season. There just aren't enough lifts for the number of visitors. 

For those who want to avoid queuing, Austria is giving them access to a list of little-known gems recommended by locals... with one catch: the locations are blurred until you unlock them by signing an online Non-Disclosure Agreement, or NDA. 

Users must promise not to share the secret sites on social media - to keep them from being overrun. It works on an honor system, and is not in fact a legal contract.

A total of 120 insider tips of Austrian hidden gems are part of the NDA campaign. One of them is a small museum in one of Vienna's residential areas - not hosting historic art pieces but the birthplace of one of the world's best known souvenir products. 

We can't show you what it's famous for, in line with the spirit of the NDA campaign! We can give you a clue though... if you shake it, it snows!

"We're definitely one of the best-kept secrets here in Vienna," museum owner Sabine Perzy tells CGTN. "My great-grandfather actually invented the product." 

Perzy is hopeful that participating in the NDA campaign will bring more visitors to the small establishment. 

Unlike some other popular European destinations like Venice or Barcelona, Austria's current strategy is redistribution, not restriction. Authorities say they'll have to wait to see if schemes like the NDA campaign, funneling tourists to lesser known but still picturesque sites, could prove the solution.

The country has one of the highest tourist-per-capita rates in the world and it's starting to feel the consequences. Every year, Austria welcomes around 32 million visitors despite having a population of just nine million. 

Some Alpine villages have already introduced caps on the number of tourist coaches allowed to visit each day. Too many tourists creates multiple issues.

"There are some challenges with transportation for example, and also locals have a bit of a problem with it," says Julia Kernbichler from the Austrian national tourist office. "We're going to focus more on quality of tourism and not on quantity."

Austria's tourism chiefs hope that by thinking outside of the box, they can maintain the country's visitor numbers while keeping residents happy.