Overtourism is congestion or overcrowding from an excess of tourists, resulting in conflicts with locals. The World Tourism Organization defines overtourism as "the impact of tourism on a destination, or parts thereof, that excessively influences perceived quality of life of citizens and/or quality of visitor experiences in a negative way". This definition shows how overtourism can be observed both among locals, who view tourism as a disruptive factor that increasingly burdens daily life, as well as visitors, who may regard high numbers of tourists as a nuisance. Instagram tourism has been implicated as a cause.
The term was only used infrequently before 2017, but is now the most commonly used expression to describe the negative impacts ascribed to tourism.
Characterisation
The growth of tourism can lead to conflicts between residents, commuters, day-visitors and overnight tourists. Although much attention is currently given to overtourism in cities, it can also be observed in rural destinations, or on islands.Sharma A & Hazan A. 2021. Overtourism as Destination Risk: Impacts and Solutions, Bingley: Emerald, pg.missing The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) found that a perception of overcrowding can prompt local residents to protest against tourism. The excessive growth of visitors can lead to negative effects for local residents, especially during temporary or seasonal tourism peaks. Therefore, the carrying capacity of a tourist destination is also measured in terms of social carrying capacity, and the behaviour of the tourists.
Overtourism is sometimes incorrectly equated with mass tourism. Mass tourism entails large groups of tourists coming to the same destination. While this can lead to overtourism, there are many destinations that host millions of visitors, yet are not seen as suffering from overtourism (e.g., London). Tourists usually use infrastructure and services designed for residents. If the carrying capacity is exceeded of the infrastructure and services tourists need to use as well, the service provision focuses on the priorities of the tourists. Residents may be forced to use the service provision intended for tourists.
Opposition to tourism Resistance to overtourism is not a recent phenomenon. In mid-July 1926, individuals and small groups of Frenchmen in Paris began attacking American tourists in the Left Bank and Montmartre protesting against the American invasion with its loud, arrogant, and ignorant behaviour, aggravated by widespread aversion in France to the repayment of war debts and the Mellon-Berenger Agreement. In the words of historian Harvey Levenstein: "What would later be called 'the Ugly American' phenomenon had reared its head". U.S. President Calvin Coolidge felt obliged to rebuke the "bumptious" behaviour of tourists, while balancing his message with a warning that badly treated Americans would stay home.Coolidge's Advice Pleases Frenchmen; They Regard President's Counsel to Travelers Abroad as Good and Sensible, The New York Times, July 29, 1926, Page 4
Crowds began to harass and purposely block the passage of "Paris by Night" tours in large charabancs—high open buses seating about thirty people that had popularized tours of Paris "Night Life."Paris Crowds Jeer Tourists in Buses; Single Out Our Citizens for Catcalls in Streets, Several Fights Resulting, The New York Times, July 23, 1926, Page 1 On one occasion a policeman was even forced to fire shots in the air when he came to the tourists' aid. As the French franc plummeted in value against the U.S. dollar, some tourists started sticking them on the walls of railway compartments and onto their luggage, as they did with hotel and steamship labels. Some even threw money on the streets and laughed at the French that went after them. The American habit of asking, "How much is that in real money?" was seen as especially offensive. The obeisance to the dollar and going along with outrageous American demands angered much of the French press.
In the 1990s local residents in Spain, Greece, Malta, and France started to oppose mass tourism, which was perceived as Fordist. In rural areas of Latin America, environmental concerns were the key driver for rising discontent and social campaigns against tourist real estate developments. In Mexico and Central America vehement protests were triggered by tourist real estate speculation alongside the exploitation of workers, and even dispossession or displacement of local residents.
In 2017 Europe saw a wave of residents' protests in cities, including Barcelona, Venice, and Palma de Mallorca. The problems arising from overtourism began to be discussed in academic publications, but no commonly accepted definition of the phenomenon has been agreed on.
Throughout 2025, a second wave of protests is growing in Southern Europe, including Portugal. In December 2025, the Spanish government, in efforts to curve overtourism, fined Airbnb $75 million for advertising unlicensed rentals to tourists.
Opposition to tourism has been described as discriminatory.
Causes
Overtourism is observed mostly, but not exclusively, when the number of visitors to a destination, or parts thereof, grows rapidly in a short space of time. Also, it is most common in areas where visitors and residents share a physical space. In recent years, developments within tourism and outside of tourism have increased contact between residents and visitors and made the impacts of tourism more noticeable. In addition to the overall growth of tourist numbers, problems associated with overtourism have been exacerbated by the following developments:
There are currently more tourists than ever before in world history. According to UNWTO there were 25 million international arrivals in 1950, which increased to 1.3 billion by 2017. In 1963 Walter Christaller published on the negative effects of tourism. In 2016 tourists numbered over a billion, a 50-fold increase compared to 1950. Media coverage on overtourism has focused on Europe, which bears the brunt of tourism arrivals with 50 percent, and South East Asia, which sustains 25 percent of tourism arrivals. The international tourism sector is expected to grow 3.3% annually, until 2030 a year at which point an expected 1.8 billion tourists will cross borders.
The rise of low-cost carriers (LCCs), the availability of inexpensive intercity bus service, and the popularity of cruise ship travel are assumed to have contributed to complaints about overtourism. In academic literature government policy, the ambitions of service providers in tourist destinations, as well as the influence of social media are considered enablers of overtourism.
Airbnb and similar online accommodation services have been accused of triggering an increase in tourists due to lower prices, compared to hotels or other establishments. Airbnb claims it attempts to route guests to less crowded destinations. Airbnb is also claimed to have led to fewer affordable housing opportunities for residents, increased rent prices, and loss of social community within neighborhoods.
The experience economy and changing lifestyle patterns have been blamed for the increased use of leisure facilities, contributed to a monoculture of hospitality facilities.
Instagram tourism has been implicated as a cause of overtourism. Cruise ship tourism has been identified as a severe driver of over tourism in port cities. Cruise passengers are typically day visitors who disembark for only a few hours, contribution to sudden, intense spikes in footfall without generating proportional economic benefit to local economies, as they sleep, eat, and spend the majority of their money aboard the ship. Cities like Dubrovnik, Croatia and Palma de Mallorca in Spain have introduced caps on the number of cruise ships are permitted to dock on any given day in response to resident protests. In Venice, Italy there has been a large cruise ship ban from its historic lagoon in 2021 following decades of debate over the ships' wake damage to the city's foundations, water and air pollution, and their role in making the city feel inaccessible to residents. In addition to social impacts, cruise ships are among the most carbon intensive modes of travel, consuming vast quantities of fossil fuel and emitting CO₂ alongside other pollutants.
Responses to overtourism
In September 2018, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) published a report on overtourism and how to deal with it. The report highlights the importance of looking at tourism in a local context and details 11 strategies to deal with overtourism:
Increase the physical dispersion of crowds among different attractions within a city/destination; Increase the temporal dispersion of tourists (e.g., by encouraging off-season visits); Promote new and special-interest itineraries and attractions; Make effective use of regulations on tourism; Tailor activities to specific segments of the tourism market; Ensure that the communities and residents benefit from tourism; Create experiences beneficial to both tourists and residents; Expand infrastructure; Involve local residents in tourism policymaking; Communicate with tourists about the potential impacts of tourism on communities; Use data to monitor and respond to problems related to overtourism.
The consultancy firm McKinsey & Company suggests that to prevent overtourism one must focus on four priorities:
Build a comprehensive fact base and update it regularly. Establish a sustainable-growth strategy through rigorous, long-term planning. Involve all sections of society—commercial, public, and social. Find new sources of funding.
In addition, systematic public-relations and communication is essential. Goals, measures, successes and failures of local tourism management must be made transparent to the inhabitants so that all relevant institutions become involved.
Tourism degrowth Tourism degrowth has emerged as a framework for addressing overtourism that goes beyond conventional demand-management tools. Distinct from a simple economic recessing in tourism, degrowth refers to a deliberate and planned reduction in tourism activity, prioritizing ecological sustainability and community over well being over visitor volume. Büscher and Fletcher from the 2021 Hall, Lundmark, & Zhang article were one of the first to systematically propose the degrowth as a sustainable tourism pathway. Critics of approaches like tourist taxes and entrance fees argue that such measures primarily generate revenue rather than meaningfully reduce visitor numbers or carbon emissions. Proponents of degrowth instead advocate for measures such as banning new hotel construction, limiting cruise ship arrivals, and capping short-term rental leases. Some destinations have acted on these principles: Amsterdam has moved to close its cruise terminal, and Dubrovnik has imposed caps on the number of daily cruise ship passengers. Resistance to degrowth policies often stems from the economic dependence of local industries and governments on tourism revenue, illustrating the tension between short-term economic priorities and long-term sustainability.
Post-pandemic tourism rebound and heightened overtourism