Overtourism has become one of the most publicized issues in contemporary tourism debates in recent years, capturing the attention of international media, local administrations, and researchers. This phenomenon, known by different names since the 1960s, describes situations where the impact of tourism exceeds the sustainability thresholds of a destination. This article focuses on the conceptual evolution of the term - from its first academic formulations to its widespread media use—while examining the various manifestations of the phenomenon and its multidimensional impacts on affected destinations. Through a systemic approach, the text also explores the opposite phenomenon of undertourism, highlighting how the solution does not lie in limiting tourist flows but in managing them intelligently.
1. Etymology and origins of the term
The term overtourism has a more complex history than initially recognized in academic literature. Harold Goodwin, Professor of Responsible Tourism Management at Manchester Metropolitan University, helped popularize the concept in academic circles through his studies on the challenges of sustainable destination management. Simultaneously, the term was formally coined by the travel and tourism platform Skift (https://skift.com/) in 2016. The word itself is a neologism, combining the prefix over- (excess) with tourism, clearly reflecting the nature of the problem: tourism that exceeds the carrying capacity of a territory.
It is essential to stress that the phenomenon is not new, having been discussed in academic circles for many decades (Dredge 2017). As early as the 1970s, special indicators were developed to define the optimal scale of tourist flows in various regions, demonstrating that concerns about tourism sustainability have deep roots in sector research. Particularly noteworthy are studies conducted across the Alpine arc in relation to the spread of urban models in mountain destinations.
Overtourism gained global traction around 2016-2017, when several European destinations began publicly expressing distress caused by excessive tourist inflows. This discomfort was temporarily reversed during the pandemic, when the absence of tourists placed even major destinations in a state of undertourism.
2. Defining the phenomenon
UN Tourism (https://www.unwto.org/) defines overtourism as “the impact of tourism on a destination, or parts thereof, that excessively influences the perceived quality of life of citizens and/or the quality of visitor experiences in a negative way.” Put more directly, overtourism is a social practice that tends to dissatisfy both residents and tourists.
Overtourism can therefore be understood as the situation in which tourism’s impact, in certain periods and places, exceeds the physical, ecological, social, economic, psychological, or political capacity thresholds of a destination. This occurs when the number of visitors surpasses what a location can sustainably handle, deteriorating the experience for both locals and tourists.
Aversion to tourists and debates on the commodification of nature and culture by the tourism industry have existed for decades, along with concerns about the loss of authenticity and structuring into less impactful markets (green, slow tourism, etc.). Discussions on carrying capacity—defined by UN Tourism as “the maximum number of people who can visit a tourist destination at the same time without causing damage to the physical, economic, or sociocultural environment or an unacceptable decline in visitor satisfaction”—are also far from new.
In recent years, the term has been eagerly embraced by mass media, which has only partially developed this complex topic. The resulting narratives are often polarized and subject to extreme opinions, with a thinly veiled form of anti-tourism—a perspective inconsistent with the pervasiveness of leisure activities in modern society. Given human nature, travel is an intrinsically linked aspect of how our species operates. In some way or at some point, we are all tourists.
3. Structural causes of overtourism
Beyond demographic growth and increased economic means, structural changes such as low-cost airlines and short-term rental platforms have cemented what some call the “democratization of travel.” Seasonality is another potential cause of overtourism, with many visitors concentrated in short timeframes. As observed, the aggregation of flows into a few “must-see” destinations exacerbates the problem.
Blaming tourists—through highly publicized acts such as the use of water guns against visitors in Barcelona—offers only an individual and simplistic response to a systemic issue. A significant cause of overtourism is ineffective—or absent—destination management. Overtourism is a symptom, not the root problem, of long-standing processes worsened by lack of monitoring and oversight.
3.1 Spatial and temporal concentration
One of the main manifestations is the concentration of tourist flows in specific geographic areas with particularly strong tourism images. Cities like Venice, Barcelona, and Amsterdam, or sites such as Machu Picchu and Thailand’s islands, become victims of their own popularity. In these places, hyperconcentration occurs in limited areas, with tourists flocking to the same points of interest, creating overcrowding in city centers or at emblematic sites. Meanwhile, pronounced seasonality produces tourist flows clustered in certain periods of the year, creating peaks that strain both local infrastructure and the social fabric.
3.2 Economic impacts
Overtourism generates significant economic impacts on affected territories, with ambivalent effects. On one hand, there is an overall increase in economic value, with more jobs in tourism and related sectors, growth in local tax revenues, and revitalization of some struggling urban economies. On the other hand, this prosperity often proves uneven and problematic. The local economy becomes increasingly centered on tourism, replacing a diverse commercial fabric with activities aimed exclusively at food service, tourist lodging, and souvenir sales. This leads to a dangerous dependency that makes local economies highly vulnerable to crises or sudden drops in flows, as starkly demonstrated by the recent pandemic.
Localized inflation in tourist districts pushes up the prices of goods and services, penalizing residents. Additionally, there is a precarization of the labor market, with seasonal, often underpaid jobs despite the high cost of living in tourist areas. Another notable phenomenon is distortion of the housing market, with homes converted into tourist accommodations, reducing the supply for residents and driving up prices, leading to serious housing problems and gradually pushing local communities out of city centers.
3.3 Impacts on local communities
Overtourism has profound consequences for residents, including gentrification processes that drive up rents and property prices, pushing locals out of historic centers. There is also a phenomenon of touristification, meaning the transformation of public and commercial spaces to meet tourist rather than resident needs, with souvenir shops replacing businesses essential to daily life. Public transportation, streets, and public spaces become consistently congested, while cultural identity erodes through the standardization of cultural and commercial offerings designed to meet tourist expectations rather than preserve local authenticity.
A particularly concerning phenomenon is the transformation of places into “non-places,” as famously defined by anthropologist Marc Augé. Historic centers and significant urban spaces, rich in local history and identity, tend to turn into standardized areas designed solely for tourist consumption. These “non-places” are characterized by homogenized commercial and cultural offerings, the loss of original social functions, and the replacement of community life with stereotyped, commercial representations of local culture. Historic squares that for centuries served as gathering spaces become stages for tourist performances, while traditional crafts are replaced by trivialized commercial versions. This process of “Disneyfication” or “museumification” of historic centers compromises authentic experiences for more discerning visitors, and above all deprives locals of their right to live in urban spaces functional to their daily needs.
3.4 Environmental impacts
Environmentally, overtourism increases the consumption of natural resources—think of widespread urbanization taking land from original ecosystems—accompanied by more waste and higher CO2 emissions. There is also growing stress on water and other scarce resources, which is particularly problematic in destinations with fragile ecosystems or already prone to water shortages. The degradation of vulnerable ecosystems becomes inevitable, seen in beach erosion, coral reef damage, and disturbances to wildlife in protected areas subjected to excessive visitation.
3.5 Resistance phenomena
In response to overtourism, local resistance has emerged, manifesting as tourism-phobia, or hostile sentiments toward tourists by local populations. “Anti-tourism” movements have organized protests against tourism policies perceived as excessive or harmful to local social fabric. In some cases, authorities have responded with restrictive regulations, such as bans on new hotels or B&Bs in certain areas, or limitations on cruise ship access, seeking to stem a phenomenon that risks disrupting the urban metabolism of the most popular destinations.
4. The other side of the coin: undertourism
In contrast to overtourism lies the largely overlooked phenomenon of undertourism or insufficient tourism. This less common but equally significant term describes destinations with untapped tourism potential, seeking to develop tourism as an economic driver yet suffering from a shortage of visitors relative to their capacity.
4.1 Characteristics of undertourism
Destinations affected by undertourism often face geographic marginality, located in peripheral, remote, or isolated areas. They also suffer from low media visibility, lacking iconic or recognizable features that would attract media or guidebook attention. This is compounded by inadequate infrastructure, with lodging, transport, or services insufficient to support quality tourism. These areas often experience demographic decline, with depopulating communities that could benefit economically from increased tourism flows.
4.2 Examples of undertourism
Undertourism is evident in many rural inland areas of countries like Italy, Spain, and Portugal, where stunning villages remain outside major tourist flows. Likewise, many small historic towns not included in mainstream tourist circuits struggle to attract visitors despite their cultural heritage. In Eastern Europe or Central Asia, many culturally rich but lesser-known destinations suffer from low international visibility. Post-industrial regions seeking economic conversion often look to tourism as a solution but struggle to attract meaningful visitor numbers.
Thus, undertourism presents a different yet equally important challenge: how to stimulate sustainable tourism flows in areas that could benefit without encountering the problems of overtourism seen in more popular destinations.
5. Toward a sustainable balance
5.1 Distributed promotional policies
One key to addressing both overtourism and undertourism lies in more balanced promotional policies. Diversifying the tourism offer is essential, promoting alternative but equally interesting destinations near overcrowded ones. Integrated territorial marketing becomes crucial, developing narratives that link different locations through thematic routes, thus spreading flows across wider areas. Off-season tourism is another critical strategy, creating events and attractions during low-demand periods to distribute visitors throughout the year. Equally important is the promotion of authentic experiences, highlighting widespread cultural heritage and local traditions in lesser-known areas that can offer deeper, more meaningful tourism.
Simply diverting visitors is insufficient: proper management tools are needed, and new destinations must be adequately prepared to welcome tourists without strain. Likewise, promoting off-season tourism, while often proposed, presents practical challenges—especially in countries like Italy, where holidays traditionally concentrate in August.
5.2 Limits of fiscal solutions
As correctly noted, the idea that a tourist tax or entrance fee can solve overtourism often proves illusory. Fiscal measures have various limitations: they tend to filter tourists only by income, not by the quality or impact of their behavior. Such taxes are also eventually normalized, simply incorporated into travel budgets without actually changing choices or behaviors. Given the growing volume of global tourism, the medium-term rise in overall traveler numbers will inevitably render purely fiscal measures ineffective if structural causes are not addressed. Hence the importance of developing territorial planning strategies to support sustainable urban development.
5.3 Smart flow management
More effective strategies include implementing booking and quota systems that limit daily access to particularly fragile or overcrowded sites. Smart technologies present significant opportunities, with apps and monitoring systems that distribute flows in real time, suggesting alternatives during peak periods. Developing sustainable mobility is another key element, enhancing public transport and connections to lesser-known cultural or natural areas. Finally, education plays a critical role, teaching tourists to adopt more responsible and respectful behaviors toward visited places and their communities.
Emergency measures like limiting access (as seen in Venice), regulating short-term rentals (like in Barcelona), or even introducing curfews and fines for disrespectful behavior reveal the limits of reactive approaches. To effectively tackle overtourism, destinations must proactively organize themselves through comprehensive, well-structured destination management strategies.
6. Future perspectives: toward a new tourism paradigm
In the coming decades, tourism flows are expected to increase significantly for two main reasons. Global population growth will inevitably raise the potential number of travelers. Meanwhile, the expansion of the global middle class will enable more people in emerging countries to access the economic resources needed to travel, further fueling tourism demand.
According to UNWTO estimates, by 2030 international tourist arrivals could reach 1.8 billion per year, up from the 1.4 billion recorded pre-pandemic, setting the stage for scenarios that will require innovative, forward-looking strategies to avoid the collapse of the most popular destinations.
To meet this growth, a paradigm shift encompassing multiple interconnected dimensions will be necessary. Integrated territorial planning becomes indispensable, with tourism considered in urban and regional development policies from the outset—not as an accessory but as a structural component of territorial dynamics. A networked approach is fundamental, managing destinations as interconnected systems rather than isolated entities, fostering collaboration and complementarity among different areas. Engaging local communities is another crucial pillar, involving residents in tourism development decisions so they can benefit without bearing negative consequences.
7. Conclusion
Overtourism represents a complex challenge that requires articulated, systemic responses. The solution does not lie in limiting tourism itself—which remains an important driver of economic and cultural development—but in rethinking how it is managed and distributed across territories.
As Parag Khanna aptly summarized: “The solution to over-tourism isn't to ban tourists but to sustainably develop new places for tourists to go.” This perspective underscores how the most effective approach is not to curb an unstoppable phenomenon, but rather to redistribute tourism flows through the sustainable development of new destinations that can relieve pressure on those already overloaded.
The future of sustainable tourism will depend on our ability to strike a balance between overcrowded destinations and those seeking greater visibility, adopting strategies that go beyond simple fiscal or restrictive measures. Only through a systemic approach that simultaneously considers economic, social, cultural, and environmental dimensions can we turn the challenge of overtourism into an opportunity for more balanced, respectful, and enriching tourism—both for visitors and host communities.
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Roland Hochstrasser
