Overtourism, a social phenomenon characterized by the dissatisfaction of local populations with the type of tourism in destinations such as regions or cities, presents a range of problems. One significant issue is the proliferation of vacation rentals and the dispersal of tourist offerings, which can contribute to the perception of overtourism. Consequently, traditional business models need to evolve in order to ensure the conservation or adaptation of the tourist product, as these problems are both a cause and an effect of overtourism and its consequences. Finally, the acceptance of tourism strategies and tourists is the amalgamation which guarantees the future of tourism in destinations.
To address (the perception of) overtourism, the Chair of Tourism at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt has invited leading international researchers to a digital panel discussion entitled “From Overtourism to Sustainability Governance?”, which took place on July 4, 2023. Prof. Dr. Raúl Hernández Martín from the University of La Laguna and Prof. Dr. Antonia Correia from the University of Algarve have proposed quantitative solutions to solve problems related to overtourism, such as the concepts of carrying capacity and the application of indicators on a local scale to monitor sustainability, while Dr. Regis Musavengane from the University of South Africa centers on a qualitative approach. He focuses on responsible tourism and its operationalization, using the Cape Town Responsible Tourism Declaration as an example. The growth of tourism must be driven organically to strike a balance and to avoid “dying of success”. Prof. Dr. Raúl Hernandez Martín here highlights how holiday rentals and the dispersal of tourist offerings can exacerbate the perception of overtourism. Prof. Dr. Antonia Correia emphasizes the limited sustainability of destinations and demonstrates how this can be analyzed using the example of Algarve, including projects like the Ria Project and 365 Algarve. Determining the carrying capacity of destinations is, in her perspective, crucial. The experts also tackled the question of sustainable governance and the equitable distribution of benefits, with an emphasis on communication and participation.
Héctor Fernández Manchado, the CEO of Turismo Lanzarote, examines the diverse perspectives of different stakeholders, focusing on the sustainability of the Canary Islands to achieve the 2030 goals, which include reducing carbon emissions. Measurement and consensus building among stakeholders are essential in this process. Antonio Garzón Beckmann, the founder of NutriHotel, discusses increasing sustainability by diversifying tourism at various levels, highlighting the problem of “under-management” or “under-investment” rather than overtourism. In the course of this discussion, an important statement about a future beyond overtourism was made: “the best place to visit is the best place to live”.
Some key insights of the discussion are:
- Governance of visitor management and alternative tourism development plays a significant role. A destination leadership is be needed!
- While reducing tourism numbers does not automatically result in higher sustainability, responsible, accountable, reliable, and ethical (‘RARE’) practices are essential.
- The ability to diversify and be proactive, stressing the importance of collaboration and providing tourists with alternatives, is crucial.
- Traditional business models must evolve to ensure either the conservation or the adaptation of the tourist product.
- Organic growth may be a solution for achieving a balanced tourism growth. It is important to share benefits equally and to foster communication and participation.
- The central question is how tourism can be part of the “utopia of sustainability”.
The overall message conveyed in the discussion is that overtourism is a complex issue with multifaceted problems that needs to be addressed. Overtourism can be a driver to start processes of transformation. There is a general agreement that overtourism needs to be tackled, but opinions of the best solution differ across destinations and stakeholders Hence, integration and collaboration, as well as a consensus about the development, are crucial. The discussion has shown the need for a transformation towards sustainability in the tourism industry and emphasizes the importance of responsible, accountable, reliable, and ethical practices. It highlights the role of various stakeholders, including researchers and experts, in proposing quantitative solutions and indicators to monitor sustainability on a local scale. It also emphasizes the significance of governance, collaboration, and proactive measures in diversifying tourism and finding a balance between growth and sustainability as a more qualitative approach. This raises the question of how overtourism can lead to sustainable governance and highlights the importance of creating destination leadership and transformative change in the tourism sector. Finally, governance needs to encompass “transparency, communication, trust, and participation” with the objective to balance quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Ultimately, the main question “Can overtourism lead to sustainability governance?” may be rephrased to “How can tourism contribute to a socio-ecological transformation?”