Preying on beauty? The complex social dynamics of overtourism (original) (raw)

IMPACT OF OVERTOURISM ON URBAN LIFE

Spatium, 2021

The unrestrained and constant inflow of tourists to some cities can provoke the discomfort of residents. The term 'overtourism' describes a condition in which the limits are exceeded to the point that regular everyday urban life suffers. The quantity of visitors and resulting crowds create burdens on the functioning of some city services, and they simultaneously result in a deterioration in the quality of sightseeing. This paper gives a review of the academic literature concerning this issue, especially studies concentrating on cruising and alternative short-term renting. Major complaints raised by locals on the negative impact of tourism are not only about overcrowding, but also include the serious social and economic questions of the endangerment of rights. In order to regulate and mitigate conflicts, preserve identity and allow decent urban life in all its aspects, city governments are forced to introduce some limitations and rules in the sphere of tourism, and also with regard to the real-estate market and urban planning. The level of measures and policies required depend on the type of problem, size of the city and dispersion of the attractions.

"The Overwhelmed City": Physical and Social Over-Capacities of Global Tourism in Venice

Sustainability, 2019

Venice is one of the most famous iconic destinations and one of the most emblematic cases of overtourism affecting a historic city. Here, social movements against tourism have emerged as a reaction to vastly unsustainable tourist flows that have had dramatic and transformational impacts on Venetians' lives. The aim of this paper is to investigate how tourism transforms the social, cultural, and everyday geographies of the city. The effects of tourism on the historic city are conceived as a process of continuous transformation and repositioning. Taking into consideration the most tangible daily practices of tourists (eating, sleeping, and buying) and the finer dynamics of Venice's tourism problem, we translate data on these practices into a temporal and spatial analysis to better understand how dynamic the texture of the city is in relation to the tourism subsystem. A comparison between 2008 and 2019 is conducted to evaluate the impact of tourism on residential uses of the city and measure the sustainability of growth of the tourism facilities. The investigation highlighted an impressive accommodation's growth, from 8.249 in 2008 to 49.260 in 2019 of bed places (497% growth) in the entire historical city, a similar expansion is also evident in the total number of restaurants that has increased by 160% in all districts and a variations of 4% in shops instead of a population decline of −13% in the same period. In addition, a residents' survey in spring 2019 was conducted to better understand the intensity of these impacts and the motives for depopulation and the anti-tourism movements. We focus on how tourism, if not managed and planned, radically changes the social and urban structures of the city and the lives of local residents. We conclude by presenting some local theoretical and practical insights into the touristic pressure, provided by citizens' associations on one side and policymakers on the other.

How Overtourism Threatens Large Urban Areas: A Case Study of the City of Wrocław, Poland

Sustainability

Excessive tourist traffic concentration in cities of high tourist attractiveness often leads to overtourism, manifested, among others, by overcrowding in appealing areas and means of transport, rising prices, or degradation of natural and cultural resources. The effects of an excessive number of tourists include an unfavourable change in the local community’s attitude towards tourists. The paper determines the extent and forms of overtourism symptoms in Wrocław, Poland. The research allowed for the identification of negative and positive effects of tourist traffic in Wrocław as perceived by three groups of respondents: experts, Wrocław residents: key experts from the scientific, administrative, planning, and business communities; people directly involved in tourist services; and students of tourism. The crucial part was direct research, conducted in November 2019 with a questionnaire technique. The results confirm symptoms of overtourism in Wrocław, but the threat is not significant...

Ways to Counteract the Negative Effects of Overtourism at Tourist Attractions and Destinations

Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie Sklodowska , 2019

The excessive concentration of tourist traffi c, known as overtourism, leads to overcrowding in attractive locations, over-advertising and aggressive commercialisation, which lower the aesthetic quality of tourists' experiences and result in the degradation of natural and cultural resources. The effect of excessive number of tourists is an increase in the price of services, rental fees and real estate. In historical cities, it causes the gentrifi cation of historical districts. The aim of this work is to show the genesis of the phenomenon called "overtourism", its development and 46 ZYGMUNT KRUCZEK activities aimed at limiting its negative effects. The article is based on a review of literature and observation of phenomena accompanying excessive tourist attendance in 2018 described in social media and identifi ed in the historic district of Kraków. The article discusses the negative effects of overtourism observed at attractions and in tourist destinations, illustrated by examples from Poland and around the world. The process of gentrifi cation is exemplifi ed using the city of Kraków. The second part of the article presents actions described in the literature and media reports that are taken to soften the negative effects of overtourism. This includes both action with regard to the supply of tourist services, as well as the demand for such services. It is indicated that a compromise needs to be reached among the three interested parties: residents, tourists and the tourist industry.

Identification of overtourism in Poznań through the analysis of social conflicts

2020

The purpose of the article is twofold: to diagnose tourism-related conflicts occurring in Poznań by identifying their intensity and key parties, and to determine the capacity of the key stakeholders in the city’s tourism system to mitigate these disputes. Because of its complex nature, overtourism in cities is a dangerous phenomenon, which is very hard to measure. Like other social conflicts, the intensity and development of overtourism can be measured by analysing tourism-related conflicts in the urban space, using tools offered by conflict management theories, especially Christopher Moore’s Circle of Conflict model. Conflict issues identified by the author are associated with the uncontrolled consumption of the city’s overall offering, which is manifested by the behaviour of city inhabitants, visitors from the metropolitan area, and tourists. The article contributes to the literature on overtourism by proposing an alternative method of identifying the scope and intensity of overto...