Overtourism in Cities and Small Islands

This volume explores the issue of tourism and overtourism in cities and small islands, finding the commonalities and differences between the two. Although there are common overtourism elements in cities and in small islands, there are also distinct factors. In this collection of studies, the authors and editors present a comprehensive examination of the challenges of overtourism, with a focus on cities in Europe and small islands worldwide. The chapters investigate how the success of tourism increasingly threatens the very qualities that attract visitors, with the attendant disruption of daily life, the displacement of local communities through gentrification, and the commodification of cultural heritage. The authors expose the political dimensions that often prioritize economic gains over sustainability, and the difficulty of effectively controlling the inflow of tourism without hurting the livelihoods of people employed in the sector, while exploring lesser-known aspects of overtourism—from the role museums might play in mitigation to the misrepresentations perpetuated by social media.

As well as the problems associated with mass tourism, the volume’s case studies also examine potential solutions. Smart technology, stakeholder co-operation, quality tourism approaches and community activism all offer pathways forward, although each destination faces unique challenges requiring tailored responses. At a time of intense protests against overtourism, the volume asks whether overtourism will eventually correct itself when destinations lose their appeal, or are we witnessing the permanent transformation of places?

A must-read for policymakers, tourism professionals, researchers and students, this book provides crucial insights into one of the pressing challenges of the globalized world.

Author Biography

Lino Briguglio is Professor of Economics and a member of the board of the Island Tourism Platform at the Islands and Small States Institute of the University of Malta. He has authored several publications on tourism.

Marie Avellino is Associate Professor at the Department of Tourism Management and chairs the Island Tourism Platform at the University of Malta. She is a tourism anthropologist and the author of several publications on tourism.

Jim Butcher is a Reader in the Geography of Tourism at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK. He writes about political and human geographical issues pertaining to modern mass tourism, and his work is published in academic journals and books.