ABSTRACT
Mitigating the Impacts of Overtourism in Populous Western European Cities – Olive Swan
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In recent years, the problem of overtourism has become increasingly apparent as globalization has made traveling more affordable and more attractive. While the tourism sector offers its destinations a range of socio-economic and cultural benefits, historic European cities are buckling under the pressure of massive hordes of tourists within their streets. The impacts of tourism can be categorized into three main categories: social, economic, and environmental. Given the pollution, increased cost of living, crowding, and disorderly conduct of tourists, residents across Western Europe have felt that their cities were becoming unlivable and have reacted with tourism-phobia sentiment and anti-tourist protests. Understanding the tourism threshold of large, populous cities is critical to properly managing tourism. Now, in the wake of COVID-19, international arrivals have decreased exponentially, with Europe suffering some of the greatest economic losses. As we look to the future, a variety of possible policy solutions may enable European countries to address overtourism, while reopening their cities in sustainable ways that improve both residents’ and tourists’ experiences.
JOURNAL of the MARTIN INSTITUTE | INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
