Tourists, go home? Sustainable tourism in popular destinations

Since the world emerged from COVID-19-related lockdowns and travel restrictions, the tourism industry has rebounded dramatically. Tourism is a major industry in many countries and a vital source for foreign exchange and employment; it contributes to the development of infrastructure and supports local communities. Although the recovery of the tourism sector is welcome for both visitors and economies, the post-pandemic growth has resulted in bottlenecks and congestion in many popular tourist destinations. Despite the many benefits of tourism, some destinations have been adversely affected due to the increase in visitors. 

In recent years, the term “overtourism” has been increasingly used to describe the phenomenon of too many visitors in a destination, and the resultant detrimental effects on the local population and environment. Overcrowding and congestion have multifaceted effects on society, culture, and the environment in the short and long term. For example, a high number of visitors can erode natural attractions and advance habitat destruction, harming wildlife and biodiversity. In urban areas, tourism not only burdens city infrastructure, but also contributes to pollution and housing unaffordability for local citizens. In the long-term, gentrification or “touristification” can change the land- and city-scape as destinations become focused on providing services for visitors, displacing locals.

This collection is dedicated to addressing complex problems arising from tourism in high-demand destinations, including their origins, causes, consequences and solutions. We principally invite research in tourism management, tourism studies, cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, public policy studies, urban studies, and interdisciplinary approaches. Topics can include:

Theory and perspectives

• Applications and discussion of concepts such as “overtourism”, “touristification”, “destination stewardship” and other emerging frameworks for addressing sustainable tourism
• Studies on the local populations and their perspectives on tourists 
• Studies on travelers’ attitudes and rise of “responsible travel” in high-demand destinations
• Implications of “authenticity” in tourism, especially in popular tourist destinations

Causes and effects

Causes of “overtourism”; why tourists go to certain destinations; pull and push factors; underlying issues

• Effects of tourism on urban centres, including gentrification or “touristification”, displacements of locals, social unrest, changing cultural heritage 
• Effects of tourism on the environment and natural attractions
• Implications of unmanaged tourism on host communities and environments
• Relationship between unsustainable tourism and changing communities and cultures

Changes and solutions 

• Case studies on destinations that have implemented measures to manage tourism’s negative impacts
• Policy recommendations on how destinations can mitigate manage tourism, including controlled degrowth and increasing sustainability requirements 
• Public-private collaboration to strategize for sustainable tourism 
• Shifts in tourism strategies to minimize burdens on local resources and maximize benefits within finite capacities. 

Economic analyses of tourism will be considered outside the collection scope.