Overtourism in urban environments

Abstract

Recent discussions in the academic literature raise the question of the appropriate level – global, regional or national – at which policies and actions can be developed and implemented in order to move towards increased sustainability in tourism. This chapter will first review the context of sustainable tourism within an urban context and the issues involved in moving towards this goal. It will then define and discuss the problems associated with the term overtourism, generally accepted as a significant and negative result of non-sustainable tourism practices, particularly in urban environments, where it has been most intensively discussed. The discussion will then demonstrate how urban areas illustrate some of the advantages and difficulties in resolving problems of unsustainable forms and levels of tourism. Approaches to the mitigation and control of excessive and unsustainable tourism development in urban areas include policy considerations for planning and their implementation, as well as administrative and political implications involving other levels of government. Different urban areas in a variety of political and environmental settings globally will be highlighted, with examples ranging from Europe to North America and Asia used to highlight overtourism successes and failures at the urban level.