Overtourism: Issues, realities and solutions

Abstract

Overtourism has become a major concern for an increasing number of destinations as tourism numbers continue to grow, stimulated by general economic and technological growth and the expansion of the global middle class. This, coupled with relentless promotion of tourism by many organisations and destinations, has increased tourism, despite growing opposition to excessive development. This book is the first academic volume to deal with this topic and contains chapters by experienced researchers in the tourism field, taking a multidisciplinary approach to review and explain the subject. The introductory section begins with an overview of the current situation and the forces enabling the appearance of overtourism. This is followed by a number of case studies from a range of destinations around the world, both urban and rural, which share the same problems. The concluding section includes a discussion of potential mitigation methods and approaches and a final assessment of future developments. The focus and relevance of this book are not just for academics, as it offers insights into destinations, enablers and solutions for how to address the issue of overtourism on a wide variety of scales. This book offers globally relevant perspectives on destinations as varied as Venice and Barcelona, that have gained global media attention, as well as less publicised rural areas and developing destinations.