Coping with Overtourism: Redirecting tourism consumption through social media and the Internet

Abstract

With tourism being the largest industry in Europe and one of the fastest growing sectors, the importance of sustainable tourism consumption from an economic, social, cultural and environmental aspect is vital. A problem related to growing tourism is overcrowding, also known as overtourism; a relatively new phenomenon describing destinations where hosts or guests, residents or visitors are having the perception of there being too many tourists in one place. With overtourism comes many challenges, for example it negatively affects the residents’ quality of life as well as the complete visitor experience. When tourism consumption reaches its limits, it needs to be controlled and strategies need to be implemented. A literature review, a netnographic case study of two overcrowded destinations and an interview were used to get an understanding of which challenges comes with overtourism from the perspective of different stakeholders such as residents, tourists, authorities, destination marketing organisations (DMOs), and which strategies are used to control and redirect tourism consumption. Based on the findings of this study, social media and the Internet are considered a useful channel where DMOs, tourist boards and municipalities can find information on what stakeholders consider makes better places to live in and to visit. Social media can work as a link between the stakeholders and the authorities that facilitate the place branding process and involving the stakeholders in the tourism discussion will facilitate an authentic place brand. Stakeholders should be involved and engaged in the development and implementation of strategies to mitigate overtourism challenges in a destination. Strategies to cope with overtourism taken on social media and the Internet by stakeholders include targeting sustainable segments, informational place demarketing, social capacity building by involving stakeholders in tourism development and the community and redirecting tourism consumption away from unsustainable choices for example by promoting less well-known areas and attractions. The qualitative case study helped finding recommendations to a small destination, which is not yet facing the problems to such degree, to prepare for future challenges related to overtourism. These recommendations include to target repeat visitors, involve stakeholders in the place branding process by listening to their concerns and proposed actions, redirect tourism consumption throughout the year, providing information in tourists’ different languages, linking social media and traditional media, and use informational place demarketing to inform about the current situation at sites.