Overtourism: The challenge of managing the limits

Kurzfassung/Abstract

The expansion of wealth in many economically emerging countries such as China and India has provided increasing numbers of people with the means and leisure to participate regularly in recreational tourism. The rapid growth of tourism in cities such as Barcelona, Amsterdam and Paris, with tourists and visitors taking over public spaces, streets and housing, has led to the locals’ perception of a reduced quality of life. Tourism is a convenient conflict arena for socioeconomic issues. In the context of tendencies to overtourism, and particularly in the context of the management of its impacts, the concept of carrying capacity is a widely discussed framework. One typology of carrying capacity, which seems to be of special significance in the context of overtourism, is the social or psychological carrying capacity. Tourism has a tendency towards self-destruction, particularly in contexts where uncontrollable growth and development occurs.