THE’overtourism (in Italian overtourism or tourist overcrowding) is a growing and increasingly widespread socio-economic phenomenon and, in short, consists inexcessive influx of tourists in certain cities and locationsespecially European ones (including Italy), which however are not able to manage and support such a huge weight of people. This generates protests of any kind by the residents and very striking cases have occurred for example in Spain: in Barcelona and the Balearic Islands some local citizens sprayed with their water guns tourists to push them to leave. The city of Barcelona itself has committed to abolishing “hit and run” bookings by 2028 and the island of Santorini in Greece has decided to introduce a closed number for certain periods of the year. In Italy, on the other hand, the municipality of Venice introduced turnstiles to limit entry during peak periods, but theovertourism concerns many other destinations in our country: among others, Rome, Florence, the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast. The phenomenon of overtourism is caused by various factors: the increase in cruises and low-cost flights, travel driven by social networks (especially by influencers) or by the settings of films and TV series, the growth of a middle class even in countries with recent economic development. And it is true that all this brings jobs, investments and economic benefits to destinations, but we are increasingly observing a “limit threshold of tolerance” psychological, social and environmental aspects of destinations, beyond which the inhabitants end up considering tourism as excessive and unsustainable.
The definition of overtourism of the UNWTO and the causes of the phenomenon
From an academic point of view, the study ofovertourism It is still recent and a subject of discussion. TheUNWTO (in Italian, the World Tourism Organization) defines it as
“the excessive growth of visitors leading to overcrowding in areas where residents suffer the consequences of temporary and seasonal tourist peaks, which have imposed permanent changes to their lifestyles, access to services and general well-being.”
Why theovertourism it’s a problem: the consequences
In the countries affected by theovertourismthe population encounters several problems:
- There privatization of public spaces first for the use and benefit of residents.
- THE’increase in the prices of goods and services and the reduction in the purchasing power of residents (especially in the real estate market).
- Precariousness, outsourcing, exploitation of the workforce (due to seasonal growth peaks in demand).
- The environmental impact in terms of pollution and waste management.
- The excessive dependence of the economy local from tourism (which can lead to a crisis in the sector in times like the Covid-19 closures).
- The problems of accessibility to infrastructureto the places and services experienced by both residents and tourists, who end up hindering each other in carrying out their activities.
- Growth of tourist accommodationresulting in “emptying” of historic centers during non-tourist periods.
- The loss of the sense of identity and community.
THE’destination irritation index Of Doxey (Irrindex) allows us to observe that as visitation increases in a given destination, residents go through a sequence of emotions and reactions towards visitation and visitors, starting with euphoria and culminating in antagonism. Initially, visitors are welcomed. As their numbers increase and congestion increases along with rising prices and other negative impacts, social interactions and acceptance become negative.
11 Strategies to Fight theovertourism
Some cities have taken drastic measures to limit the effects of theovertourism or overtourism, including the introduction of tax agreements, fines and “demarketing” initiatives. The World Tourism Organization proposes 11 strategies to address and resolve the phenomenon of overtourism:
- Spatial dispersion of tourists: promote the distribution of visitors to less frequented areas of the city and its surroundings, reducing pressure on the most popular sites. This can be achieved by developing new tourist attractions or organizing cultural events in the suburbs. Furthermore, the implementation of integrated travel cards facilitates the movement of tourists and residents, encouraging the exploration of different areas of the city.
- Time dispersion of tourists: Encourage off-season tourism to avoid peaks in peak season. Modern technologies, such as smartphone apps, can be used to communicate real-time congestion or waiting times, guiding tourists to less crowded times to visit attractions.
- Creation of new tourist itineraries: propose alternative itineraries that allow visitors to discover lesser-known areas of the city. These itineraries can be proposed upon the arrival of the tourist or through tourist information centers.
- Adaptation of regulations: This can include changing attraction opening hours, monitoring for short-term rental platforms, and so on.
- Market segmentation: identify and attract market segments that have a lower impact on the environment and the local community. This may include tourists interested in cultural, nature or long-stay experiences, who tend to respect the local context more.
- Involvement of local communities: ensure that the benefits of tourism are fairly redistributed among the local population. This can be achieved by involving residents in the development and management of the city.
- Travel experiences involving residents and tourists: create experiences that respect the needs of residents and involve tourists with a sense of responsibility, ensuring that places are not only exploited or used, but that visitors themselves become part of the context and involved in local activities, community events, experiencing the city as if they were temporary residents.
- Infrastructure improvement: improve public transport, adequate signage, safety of pedestrian and cycle paths, also accessible to people with disabilities. At the same time, the historical and cultural heritage must be preserved and the services available to both tourists and residents must be expanded.
- Involvement of the stakeholders local: establish an ongoing dialogue with all stakeholders (stakeholders) local, creating working groups that include representatives of public bodies, residents, local authorities and other relevant actors. This involvement can occur through public debates, listening groups, research and surveys.
- Communication and visitor engagement: educate tourists about local values, traditions and regulations to increase their awareness of the impact that their behavior can have on the host community. This can be done through information campaigns and materials distributed at key points of interest.
- Monitoring and crisis measures: implement a continuous monitoring system of tourist flows using big data and new technologies to analyze the impact of tourism in real time. Authorities should also prepare emergency plans to manage unexpected peaks in attendance or crisis situations.
