Author: Kathleen Andereck, PhD, is a professor in the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on the tourism experience from the perspective of both visitors and residents particularly as it applies to sustainable community tourism development and visitor use management.

The best solution is prevention and a sustainable tourism plan goes a long way in managing the expectations of people and protecting the environment.

In July, tourists in Spain got “shot” with water pistols by locals who were fed up with huge crowds flooding their scenic city and disrupting their lives. Over in Japan, the authorities were forced to “hide” Mount Fuji to deter swarms of visitors who were overwhelming the area.

Overtourism is becoming increasingly problematic at destinations from Europe to Asia. The media is rife with examples of residents protesting against the number of tourists visiting their communities and attractions.

The term overtourism is used to describe visitor volumes that exceed the capacity limits of a destination. While the term is relatively new, the concept of too many people in one place and the outcomes are not. They have been studied as early as the 1960s.

Overtourism occurs when the number of visitors exceeds the destination’s ability to provide a good visitor experience while maintaining the local community’s quality of life, a concept known as social carrying capacity.

Physical and environmental carrying capacities exist as well. Too many people can overwhelm a destination’s facilities and infrastructure and harm natural and cultural attractions. In extreme cases, destinations have been closed such as the beach in Thailand made famous by the Leonardo Di Caprio film.

One reason there are more tourists is the increase in populations and growth of the middle class in many countries which have increased the number of people who can afford to travel.

Flexible workplaces and schedules due to technology changes, insufficient tourism planning and future thinking and tourists’ inappropriate behaviour also have a role. The media and social media influence residents’ perceptions of tourism and visitor choices as well.

Measuring the impact

Overtourism also negatively impacts a community’s natural and cultural environment. A variety of impacts have been identified and are often categorised as environmental, economic and socio-cultural.

This study identified several problem areas. Among them were residents acutely affected by increased traffic, congestion, increased cost of living and housing prices, and economic and employment issues. The uneven redistribution of revenue generated and poor quality jobs were further issues highlighted in the consultation.

In Barcelona for example, “everyday shops are being replaced by souvenir stands, bike rental shops and cafes which may be unaffordable — or simply unnecessary — for many local residents”.

The study, which was restricted to eight European cities and is not widely representative, claimed that employment in the tourism sector is more precarious than in any other sector of the economy and its workers are the ones least able to improve their living conditions in the city.

While somewhat more tolerant of congestion because they don’t stay long, tourists also feel the effects of long queues, overcrowded attractions and a degraded environment.

(PC: Dimitry B/Unsplash)

Off-peak visits

The best solution to overtourism is to avoid it in the first place. It is possible for a community to have a tourism sector but not let it get out of control.

For some destinations such as Amsterdam, it is too late so strategies to decrease numbers need to be employed.

These destinations can focus marketing efforts on encouraging visits in off-peak seasons. They may need a degrowth strategy by reducing promotion activities and even ‘de-marketing’ to discourage tourists. St-Tropez in France for example is telling tourists to stay away.

This can include restrictions on tourist activities, lowering arrival numbers by limiting airline and cruise ship arrivals, curbing the proliferation of short-term accommodation rentals and establishing reservation systems. In Seville, Spain, local authorities have the power to cut off water supply to illegal tourist flats.

Meanwhile, improved infrastructure such as more public transport can also help alleviate some overtourism effects.

Some measures to address overtourism are more subtle than a proliferation of regulations or restrictions.

Addressing behaviour

For instance, some destinations have used methods such as signage, codes of conduct and pledges, and promotion of the ‘Leave No Trace’ principles to attempt to positively influence behaviour. This has been adopted widely in the United States.

Sometimes crowds are exacerbated by the inappropriate behaviour of visitors. The Colosseum incident made headlines around the world while Bali is no stranger to loutish tourists.

Listening to locals will also allow tourism managers to gain an understanding of the aspects of tourism that negatively affect residents to help focus efforts on those particular issues. In Ljubljana, Slovenia, such an exercise enhanced cooperation between locals and the authorities.

Sustainable tourism planning, which incorporates the above points and more, can be used to either prevent or reduce excessive tourist numbers. Tourism planning is an ongoing, systematic and participatory process that allows a destination to specify its vision and goals and determine strategies to meet those goals.

Having a good plan allows a destination to direct its activities effectively. By keeping overtourism at the front of minds, destination managers can more effectively control how tourism affects the community. El Hierro, in Spain’s popular Canary Islands, is one success story.

It is a difficult problem to try to address all the various challenges facing besieged destinations at once. And of course, what works for one place won’t always work for another.

Different solutions

Each destination is different so there isn’t a toolbox of common solutions.  Besides, it can be difficult to get all stakeholders to agree on action as the responsibility of those involved is not always clear.

The global nature of tourism means there is no central authority and this is compounded when many of the causes of overtourism occur outside the boundaries of the destination affected.

Local businesses and governments also may not be willing to implement needed changes as they may depend on tourism revenue.

Another challenge is that community infrastructure and services are shared by tourists and residents, limiting the ability to implement effective management strategies with problems often tackled after they arise rather than proactively via strategic tourism plans.

(This article is republished from 360info under Creative Commons licence.)