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WHATT
11,5 Introduction
What smart and sustainable strategies could be
used to reduce the impact of overtourism?
Vanessa Gowreesunkar
484 University of Africa, Bayelsa, Nigeria, and
Hugues Seraphin
The University of Winchester, Winchester, UK

Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to provide an overview of the significance of this theme issue. To develop a
better understanding of the context, the phenomenon of overtourism is introduced. The paper also sheds light
on perverse impacts of overtourism on key stakeholders and seeks to provide justification for the need for
smart and sustainable strategies.
Design/methodology/approach – The research design follows a mixed approach and draws from a
combination of case studies, online sources, literature reviews and an industry paper. This combination of
primary, secondary and tertiary data enables more meaningful analysis of overtourism from destinations
with different specificities and characteristics.
Findings – The paper provides valuable insight on the causes and consequences of overtourism on the
destination and its people, which arguably include both tourists, residents and other stakeholders. Based on
empirical evidence, the paper presents common strategies that are used to tackle overtourism and seeks to
draw insights from those case studies to propose smarter and more sustainable strategies.
Originality/value – The value of this theme issue is that it presents a variety of case studies that might be
used as examples to mitigate the consequences of overtourism. Destinations showing similar symptoms may
draw from the paper to manage the strain of overtourism. As one size does not fit all, the variety of strategies
proposed within those papers might help practitioners and destination managers to select and adapt them to
their respective contexts. Further, the research findings may be applicable to other geographic regions with
similar contexts.
Keywords Visitors, Sustainable strategies, Overtourism, Destination marketing organizations,
Locals
Paper type Conceptual paper

Worldwide Hospitality and
Tourism Themes
Vol. 11 No. 5, 2019
pp. 484-491
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1755-4217
DOI 10.1108/WHATT-06-2019-0044
Introduction
Overtourism and tourismphobia have become buzz words while discussing tourism in the
twenty-first century. With sophistication, globalisation and emancipation, people are
increasingly indulging in tourism and this is well supported by indicators from the United
Nations World Tourism Organisations (UNWTO), which reports that the number of
international trips taken yearly has increased from 25 million in the 1950s to 1.4 billion in
2018 (United Nations World Tourism Organisation, 2019a, 2019b) and this has consequently
put some additional strain on many destinations, which have different carrying capacities.
To cite as an example, the national airline of Iceland (Icelandair) proposes free-stopovers,
which has encouraged people to indulge in tourism on the accessible Golden Circle route; the
trip takes in the historic site of Thingvellir, the Gullfoss waterfall and geothermal Geysir.
The first two tourism places are large enough to handle several hundred of visitors but
compact Geysir shows signs of overtourism with overcrowding and a tourist-trap sprawl
mall right across the road (The Guardian, 2019). As a result, debates on overtourism are Smart and
becoming more and more active (Perkumiene and Pransk, 2019), as it not only interferes sustainable
with the tourists’ right to travel but also compromises residents’ right to live peacefully in
their local environment. While earlier tourism studies have focused on the need to generate
strategies
socio-economic benefits to locals when addressing intra- and inter-generational equity
(Gowreesunkar et al., 2018), sophisticated locals are today discussing equity in terms of their
quality of life (Coldwell, 2017; Séraphin et al., 2018a). Examples abound, for instance, in
Venice, historic houses have slowly been converted into hotels and the rising popularity of
485
holiday letting companies has created a new class of landlords who buy up properties to
service the new market. The result is that residents have been priced out of their city and
they can no longer live peacefully in their local environment. This situation has given rise to
new challenges:
 how to cope with traveler’s right to travel and residents’ right to live; and
 what sustainable and smart strategies can be proposed to satisfy both parties.

Purpose of this theme issue

The literature provides a range of well-rehearsed arguments about how to tackle
overtourism. In contrast, this theme issue is unique in that it exposes varying contexts of
overtourism and proposes smart and sustainable strategies based on lessons learned from
other destinations. The variety of topics covered in this issue shows that overtourism needs
to be investigated, understood and studied via a multi-disciplinary approach. Indeed, the
articles it contains emanate from the field of social media, new technologies; leisure and
recreation; ecotourism; local community action; legislation and regulations and the role of
events. That said, a few unifying themes are emerging. The first one is based on
destinations’ performance. At the moment, the main criteria of performance is the number of
visitors (and income generated from the number of visitors). It is clear that this approach
needs to be reviewed as the number of visitors, far from being exclusively positive criteria is
now considered to be a source of concern. Destinations should, therefore, evaluate their
performance using multi criteria factors. The “level of happiness” has emerged recently as a
factor that needs to be taken into consideration when discussing the performance of
destinations. The other unifying theme is based on the resilience of destinations (and the
local people). Indeed, what might be considered as too much in some destinations and by
some locals is tolerated elsewhere. Some destinations and some groups of people with more
or less a similar profile have proven to be more resilient than others (Séraphin et al., 2017).
This theme issue, therefore, presents a rich variety of case studies and success stories
derived from a number of destinations experiencing overtourism. While some examine its
effect on the quality of life, others propose solutions as to how to tackle overtourism, which
also causes tourismphobia.

Overview of the context

“Tourism is widely recognised as one of the world’s most significant forms of economic
activity” (Hall and Page, 2014, p. 1). As a major economic activity, tourism contributes to
countries foreign exchange earnings and balance of payments. Among the benefits of this
economic activity for a destination are: increase of revenue; job creation; diversification of
the economy; products on offer by the destination; improved balance of payments; good
prospects for new businesses; and economic integration and contribution to gross domestic
product (Edgell and Swanson, 2013). Lesser-developed nations are particularly keen to
WHATT develop their tourism industry as tourism triggers economic development and contributes to
11,5 the multiplier effect quicker than any other industries (Edgell and Swanson, 2013). The
increase in income and leisure time has led to an increase in demand for leisure and the
expectations of consumers. The growth of the tourism industry is, therefore, simply
responding to an existing demand (Tribe, 2012). However, it is worth highlighting the fact
that tourism and its impacts are not evenly distributed over space and time (Hall and Page,
486 2014). Indeed, despite the fact destination marketing organisations (DMOs) are putting in
place strategies to encourage visitors to come and visit their territories, not all destinations
are getting the same attention.
The growth of the number of visitors in the world could be perceived as positive for the
industry (Hall and Page, 2014). That said because of the fact tourism as an activity is not
evenly spread in the world (Hall and Page, 2014) and also because of the Janus-faced
character of the tourism industry (Sanchez and Adams, 2008) that growth can also be seen
as detrimental for many destinations:
While it appears a quick fix for socio-economic development, the industry has potentially counter-
productive effects that can undermine a developing country’s national aspirations [. . .]. Countries
wishing to combine economic growth with social equity, risk falling victim to the Janus-faced
character of tourism (Sanchez and Adams, 2008, p. 27).
Among the counter effect of tourism as an industry could be mentioned as follows:
environmental degradation (Page, 2013); the exploitation and sometimes over-exploitation of
animals and other natural resources; and the disturbance of indigenous peoples and the
development of unethical forms of tourism such as sex tourism (Lovelock and Lovelock,
2013). The industry also has some positive social aspects as highlighted by Obama at the
World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit in Seville (Spain) on April, 2019:
Travel also reminds us of what we share and what we have in common [. . .] the ability to
recognise ourselves in each other. If you are wandering through a small village in Kenya and see a
mother and child, that’s not different from the mother and child back home in Virginia or Hawaii
(Shillinglaw, 2019).
The previous century’s effort in marketing tourism has been so successful that after
deriving profitability from an increasing number of tourists, the same effort is now having a
detrimental impact. Many destinations are currently finding themselves in a difficult
position: too many tourists are now visiting and this is known as overtourism.

Overtourism
As a phenomenon, overtourism can be defined as a large influx of visitors going to the same
place at the same time, encouraged by a certain number of factors such as the low cost
and variety of methods of transport; the low cost and easy access of tourism, hospitality and
leisure products and services; the variety of mobile applications that facilitate and
encourage consumption (Milano et al., 2018; Oklevik et al., 2019); and the marketing strategy
adopted by some destinations that make them even more desirable (Séraphin et al., 2019).
The first sign of overtourism is not usually the crowds but when a community shrinks,
closes in and stops supporting tourism. Overtourism can also interfere with the Janus-faced
character of the industry and create further complications in the management of a
destination. Likewise, the terms overtourism and carrying capacity will be discussed in
relation to each other, because of the fact that the carrying capacity of a destination is the
maximum number of people that the destination can accommodate at the same time without
impacting negatively on the life of locals and their perception of tourism, as well as
damaging the experience of visitors (Gonzalez et al., 2018). Basically, overtourism can be Smart and
summarised as any destination suffering from the strain of tourism (Singh, 2018). A sustainable
destination that is a victim of overtourism can be visually identified by the fact that the
number of tourists is higher than the number of locals (Singh, 2018).
strategies

Causes of overtourism
The causes of overtourism are varied (from easy border crossings to low prices throughout
the supply chain). Some argue that because of the earth’s expanding population – it has
487
tripled since the 1950s, the world’s middle class is expected to reach 4.2 billion by 2022
(Perkumiene and Pransk, 2019). Moreover, technological evolution is facilitating virtual
tours, online booking, e-marketing; tailor-made tourism products like cruise ships carrying
town-size populations and these developments – among others – have revolutionised travel.
Another factor that explains overtourism is over-exposure and the visibility of a destination.
The successful marketing campaigns conducted by DMOs and image building also attract
more tourists. Further, the image of a destination plays a significant role in its ability to
attract visitors, and therefore, impacts on its tourism performance; the more positive the
image is, the more it contributes to the attractiveness of the destination and vice versa
(Séraphin and Gowreesunkar, 2017). Sophistication and the progress of technology is also
another important factor that attracts tourists to a destination. People are now living in a
wired world with higher purchasing power, greater propensity to spend and a better
standard of living, thus making travelling (and hence, tourism) more affordable. Being
permanently connected, many travellers share their travel pictures on the various social
media platforms, and this is also where they find inspiration for their next experiences.
Exposure of destinations on social media and TV shows complete the traditional campaigns
of promotion and communication from official tourism boards and maximises their visibility
(Gowreesunkar and Dixit, 2017). Last but not least, tourism destinations comprise many
stakeholders nurturing compatible and conflicting interests. While some stakeholders might
be willing to decrease their tourism intake, others might not necessarily support the
initiative, given the loss of revenue. Therefore, overtourism may still persist if all
stakeholders do not align their decision about overtourism. On that basis, it is very
important to understand both tourists and residents’ expectations to minimise the perverse
impacts.

The perverse impacts

Tourism is usually associated with the processes of globalisation, which encapsulates both
sophistication and the emancipation of people. Technology, which was once considered to be
an important determinant in tourism growth is now blamed for overtourism. For instance,
people in the present century are permanently connected and motivated to look for
information on tourism destinations. Technology is a necessity in the twenty-first century
and being sustainable implies the use of smart technology (Gretzel et al., 2015).
Gowreesunkar and Dixit (2017) explained the mechanisms for information search used by
tourists in the twenty-first century. The study shows that technology-savvy tourists draw
extensively on the internet, and these interactive mediums not only yield information but
also provide feedback, and hence, encourage followers to visit certain destinations.
Overtourism represents a potential hazard to popular destinations worldwide, as the
dynamic forces that power tourism often inflict unavoidable negative consequences if not
well-managed. In some countries, this can lead to a decline in tourism, as a sustainable
framework is never put in place for coping with the economic, environmental and
sociocultural effects of tourism. The impact on local residents cannot be understated either.
WHATT For instance, more than 125,000 people visited Venice during Easter, 2019 (The Guardian,
11,5 2019). This represented a peak within peaks, as Venice is already experiencing overtourism.
Residents play a vital role in developing sustainable tourism as they are the cultural agents
and the social group in which tourism is delivered (Gonzalez et al., 2018) that said, in the case
of Venice, residents are not routinely consulted about tourism development. However, even
where tourists and residents of destinations are able to take steps to ease the problem, it can
488 be hard to see a solution in a rapidly developing world, and in an industry that can operate
in the free market, with stakeholders representing conflicting interests.
Some further consequences of overtourism and exceeding carrying capacity include:
locals have a negative perception of tourists because they impact negatively on their
heritage; quality of life; and so environmental sustainability is jeopardised. As a result of
that locals are less willing to engage with visitors (Gonzalez et al., 2018; Milano et al., 2018;
Séraphin et al., 2018a). Tourismphobia and anti-tourism movements have emerged as a
result of locals giving priority to their quality of life, rather than the benefits related to
tourism; and also a refusal of locals to interact with those who are damaging their quality of
life (Panayiotopoulos and Pisano, 2019; Séraphin et al., 2018b, 2019). As a destination, Venice
is now epitomising the consequences of overtourism and the related perverse impacts on
destinations. One of the most striking examples, is the title of a research article written by
Séraphin et al. (2019), and entitled: “Overtourism and the fall of Venice as a destination”.
Additionally, Milano (2017), came up with the term “Venice syndrome”, “often used to refer
to the phenomena of tourism saturation and the exodus of local residents to the surrounding
urban centres” (Milano, 2017, p. 9).

Tackling overtourism using smart and sustainable strategies

The literature provides a range of well-rehearsed arguments about how to tackle
overtourism and it is important to learn from past lessons and formulate adaptive strategies
to face the phenomenon. However, in today’s era of technology, studies are increasingly
focusing on strategies and coping capacities to tackle overtourism using technology. Yet, the
question remains: how to align the tourist’s right to travel with residents’ rights to live the
way they wish to live in their living environment. Because technology has been largely
blamed for influencing overtourism, a smart way of tackling overtourism could be to use
reverse logic – that is – using the same technology to tackle overtourism. Drawing from an
old adage – “only iron can cut iron”, it would seem that technology can be used to mitigate
the damage caused by technology. Technological or smart solutions are important but they
will not solve the issue of overtourism. According to United Nations World Tourism
Organisation (2019a, 2019b), smart technologies are considered to be the most effective
solution to tackling the effects of overtourism. Images of the consequences of overtourism
may be posted and shared online and this could help to create virtual pressure groups that
help to convey the message that the destination intends to reduce the strain of tourism.
Cities threatened by overtourism such as Barcelona, Venice, Berlin, Hangzhou, Macau,
Porto, Amsterdam and Bruges have already developed smart measures to combat the
negative impacts of overtourism and ensure responsible and sustainable tourism. For
instance, in Barcelona, the city uses a team of over 50 inspectors, as well as a website where
residents can report illegal tourist apartments in their buildings. There are also reported
instances of residents who make false reports about their neighbours because of personal
conflict. In Iceland, tourist authorities have embarked on campaigns to market under-visited
tourism cities beyond the crowded capital, Reykjavik. Moreover, the city council has
prohibited the construction of new hotels in the centre and it has established a tourist bus
line to the beaches, at the same time as focusing on unregulated rental apartments, closing
many of them. In Amsterdam, efforts have been centred on rental apartments, limiting the Smart and
length of stay and prohibiting the construction of new hotels since 2005. In addition, to avoid sustainable
great crowds of people on public roads, each tourist guide can take only 20 people at a time
instead of the 60 people that they could take in a group up until recently. Bruges is an
strategies
example of harmonious coexistence after imposing a series of sustainable tourism measures.
It is not permitted to have parties in the street and tourist buses cannot access the centre of
the city, where the use of scooters and tourist taxis is also restricted to ensure that Bruges’
100,000 inhabitants are not inconvenienced by the eight million annual visitors. Berlin is
489
also suffering from the havoc caused by overcrowding of overtourism, and hence, the
number of private apartments has been limited. Further, the UNWTO is expressing
increased concern about this phenomenon because of the unequal distribution of market
share. While a growing number of tourist destinations are experiencing over-demand, and
hence, overtourism, other places are struggling to get their market share and a position on
the tourism map. Based on popular case studies of destinations suffering from overtourism,
the UNWTO Report (2019) proposes 11 strategies to manage the flow of visitors at
destinations suffering from the strain of tourism:
 Strategy 1: Promote the dispersal of visitors within the city and beyond.
 Strategy 2: Promote time-based dispersal of visitors.
 Strategy 3: Stimulate new itineraries and attractions.
 Strategy 4: Review and adapt regulation.
 Strategy 5: Enhance visitors’ segmentation.
 Strategy 6: Ensure local communities benefit from tourism.
 Strategy 7: Create city experiences for both residents and visitors.
 Strategy 8: Improve city infrastructure and facilities.
 Strategy 9: Communicate with and engage local stakeholders.
 Strategy 10: Communicate with and engage visitors.
 Strategy 11: Set monitoring and response measures.

Source: UNWTO Report, 2019.

To tackle the issue of overtourism and related perverse impacts, a wide range of solutions
have so far been suggested and/or implemented. Among these are: better cooperation between
the different stakeholders involved in the tourism industry of the destination (Séraphin et al.,
2018b); the repositioning of some destinations as special interest destinations (Séraphin et al.,
2019); the development of community-based festivals as a way to foster the development of
dialogical spaces between locals and visitors (Séraphin et al., 2019); and Trexit or tourism exit
strategies (Séraphin et al., 2018b). This profusion of definitions and solutions to tackle
overtourism and related perverse impacts show that the phenomenon is not clearly understood
and the right solution(s) still not found (Koens et al., 2018). This situation calls for a consensus
to be found among all the proposed strategies and making this point is the main objective of
this introductory article. Nonetheless, it would be plausible to suggest that overtourism is a
shared responsibility and the impacts should not be borne solely by the destination and its
residents. Prioritizing the welfare of residents above the needs of the global tourism supply
chain is as important as satisfying the increasing demand for tourism and sustaining tourism
stakeholder businesses. Regardless, a prime consideration must be given to ensuring that the
level of visitation fits within a destination’s capacity. The global tourism supply chain also
bears a major responsibility and it needs to ensure that product development achieves a
WHATT balance between the optimal tourist experience and a commensurate local benefit. Tourists
11,5 must also play their role by making travel choices that are sensitive to the places they visit and
those who live in and around them.

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About the authors

Vanessa Gowreesunkar is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Africa Toru Orua (Bayelsa State,
Nigeria – www.uat.edu.ng) and she heads the Department of Hospitality and Tourism. Vanessa is an
editorial board member of several scientific journals and has a number of publications in
international peer refereed journals. From a community-based perspective, Vanessa is President of
the African Network for Policy, Research and Advocacy for Sustainability (ANPRAS) and a regional
Non-Governmental Organisation affiliated with the African Union (AU). Vanessa also serves as
National Coordinator for WAELE [Women Advancement for Economic and Leadership
Empowerment – (www.waelearcelfa.org)], an international organisation, which caters for the cause of
women, widows and young girls. She is also the Executive Assistant for the Woman and Gender
cluster of AU Economic and Social Council (ECOSOCC). Her research interests span island tourism,
post-conflict, post-disaster and post-colonial destinations, tourism management and marketing,
informal tourism economy, women entrepreneurship and sustainable tourism.
Hugues Séraphin is a Senior Lecturer in Event and Tourism Management Studies. Dr Seraphin has
expertise and interests in tourism development and management in post-colonial, post-conflict and
post-disaster destinations. He has recently published in the International Journal of Culture, Tourism
and Hospitality Research; Current Issues in Tourism; Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure
and Events; Journal of Business Research; Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes; and the
Journal of Destination Marketing and Management. Hugues Seraphin is the corresponding author
and can be contacted at: hugues.seraphin@winchester.ac.uk

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