Supplementary Assessment: TOU751 Report on Overtourism (2020)

This report addresses the pressing issue of overtourism, a phenomenon characterized by an excessive influx of tourists to a particular destination, exceeding its capacity and negatively impacting both the environment and local communities. The report delves into the various factors contributing to overtourism, including increased income levels, low-cost airline tickets, technological advancements like online booking platforms and cruise ship availability. The report explores the impacts of overtourism on both people and places, detailing how it leads to increased prices, environmental degradation, and displacement of local residents. The report also examines potential solutions to mitigate overtourism, such as promoting off-season travel, highlighting lesser-known attractions, encouraging responsible tourist behavior, and adjusting pricing strategies. The report concludes by evaluating the effectiveness of these solutions in addressing the complex challenges posed by overtourism, drawing on research and case studies to support its analysis.

SUPPLEMENTARY
ASSESSMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Describing the factors that lead to over-tourism.........................................................................1
Impact of those factor upon people and places...........................................................................2
Solution for over tourism............................................................................................................2
Whether with solution the issue was solved...............................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Over tourism is a situation which happens when there are large number of visitors and
travellers visiting to a particular destination. It can also be referred to as the overcrowding of the
place because of large number of visitors in excess of the capacity of the destination place
(Goodwin, 2017). In the present report the discussion will outline the various factor which can
lead to overcrowding or over saturation of visitors for a place and the impact of it on people and
place. In the end the solution will be provided to the issues and it will be analysed that whether
these solutions helped in solving the issue or not.
Describing the factors that lead to over-tourism
Over tourism is all about massive inflow of tourist to a particular destination. So travel
and tourism industry is also focusing on growth of tourist but do not concern for their impact
upon people and places. As there is uncontrolled growth of a population which in turn leads to
increases many problem and one of them is over tourism. So, there are many factors which leads
to over-tourism and some of them are as mention below:
High income level :Overtourism is one of the growing problem in many parts of a world
because people reach income level which further assist to make international travel possible,
while on the other side, it Is difficult for middle class people to achieve the same. Also, people
live in countries like USA and Australia do not invest on real estate and that is why, the spend
their money in travel in order to make it more achievable experience (Mihalič and Kuščer,
2018). Also, the population in the world is increasing and due to higher level of income, people
experience other people's places with different motive, which in turn leads to over tourism.
Low cost airline tickets: Another factor that lead to cause overtourism such that
UNWTO also estimated tourist will take 1.8 billion trips by 2030 and in 2016, it is of 1.2 billion.
It is so because of low cost airline tickets that increases travel from China. On the other side,
airline industry also spend amount for an effective marketing and mass booking for different
holiday packages which will help to attract range of tourist that increases tourism in many parts.
Moreover, flights are cheaper as compared to rail because aircraft fuel is untaxed and even it do
not cause negative impact upon environment as well (Dodds and Butler, 2019).
Technological advancement: Another major issue that also lead to cause over tourism
in many parts such that companies offer mass travel packages with the help of Airbnb and Uber
that provide perfect travel experience to their tourist. With the help of online booking facilities
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these booking sites provide seasonality bunches tourism (cheap prices) with an aim of increase
financial performance of their business that attract range of people towards it. In addition to this,
by developing own website with the help of technologies, countries keep providing images and
share the review of people's experience which also forces people to visit the place for once.
Availability of cruise ships: cruise industry also has ships larger than many of the cities
they port at which increases 8000 visitor and this in turn also assist to increase the tourism in a
specific part (Carballo, León and Carballo, 2019). So, thousand of passenger spill out into a port
each day and they also spend well time in their favorite destination which is also consider
another factor of over tourism,
Impact of those factor upon people and places
The impact of over-tourism upon people is so harsh and it cause negative impact upon
local people such that the price of essential goods are suddenly increases during high tourist
season and this in turn leads to make them less affordable for the locals. On the other hand, some
are happy to see tourist while others are worry because it increases noise pollution, water
consumption and affect the local infrastructure as well. Even, some of them are so worried that
they leave that places permanently. Also, over tourism, increases the demand for apartment
which means rents are increases while local people are pushed out which is a reality of many
places.
On the other side, over-tourism affect the places in negative manner. It is majorly affect
the environment system of the country which contributes to increase in water consumption, air
pollution and waste in all tourism destination. One of the latest example, is Maya bay in
Thailand which take 4 month to recover the beach because of its ecosystem damages. Beside
this, prices of each product high and this takes huge time to recover the same (Atzori, 2020).
That is why, most of the country's government takes an initiative to limit the tourist visit for
each year in order to control the situation. Also, massive inflow of tourist also converts many
cities into a village which affect the entire area in negative manner. Thus, there is a need to
overcome the problem of over-tourism within define time.
Solution for over tourism
The major solution for stopping the over tourism is to provide offers and discounts in the
off season. This is majorly because of the reason that when the visitors will get discount in the
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off season then people will get attracted towards the travelling in that period of time. Thus, this
will result in reducing the over tourism at time of high season.
Another major solution is to promote the less popular attractions of the country rather
than focusing over the popular destinations within the country. This is majorly because of the
fact that all the visitors know about the popular places and when the country will promote the
non- popular places then the visitor will get attracted towards them and the over tourism at
popular place will reduce which do not cause any negative impact upon a country.
Along with this another major solution to stop over tourism in the global world is that the
visitors must respect the local environment and business in the local market. This is majorly
because of the reason that when the visitors promote the local product and services of the
destination country then the local resident will not feel bad and they will support the visitor in
roaming in the country. All the payment to visit the destination places, parks, museums and
other restaurant all the payment must be made in cash to the local people. This will motivate the
local people and they will promote tourism and if there will be over tourism then the local
people will try to solve it (Milano, Cheer and Novelli, 2018).
In addition to this another major important solution to the problem is that the visitors
must also be socially responsible and must be ethical while travelling to some other place. This
includes the fact that the visitors must not harm the destination places, or the spreading of litter
and other harmful substances at the place of destination or the place where the traveller stays
(Seraphin, Sheeran and Pilato, 2018). This is due to the reason that this will create a negative
impact over the local people and they will not support these people in the country even for
travelling.
Another major solution is to increase the prices of the tickets and other charges which the visitor
has to pay for going to visit any destination. This is particularly because of the reason that when
the charges are high then the people will not travel unnecessarily and this will limit the tourism.
Thus, here the over tourism will reduce as only the genuine visitors will go to the place and
travel.
Whether with solution the issue was solved
All these solutions are helpful in dealing with the issues being faced because of over
tourism. This is majorly because of the reason that when the tourist will support the local
business and will add to the maintenance of the destination places then this will motivate the
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local resident to take care of the visitors. Thus, this will result in proper management of tourism
and this will result in decrease in the over tourism. Also. When the local business will be
increasing then the local businessmen will support tourism as this will increase the income of the
local people and eventually will result in the increase in the economy of the country. For
instance, the place in East Africa that is Gorilla tracking where the permit price is US $500- 750
and because of this high price the visitors have reduced which automatically resulted in reducing
over tourism (Cheer, Milano and Novelli, 2019).
CONCLUSION
From the above study it is summarized that over tourism is a major problem which is
faced by the countries and which hamper the local destinations of the country. With the above
discussion it was seen that the major factors will fuelled the over tourism was like low cost
airline sector, technological advancement and many others. The impact of all these factor was
increase in tourism resulting in over tourism. Further some solution was proposed for managing
over tourism like off season discount, supporting local business and culture and many others.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Atzori, R. (2020). Destination stakeholders’ perceptions of overtourism impacts, causes, and
responses: The case of Big Sur, California. Journal of Destination Marketing &
Management. 17. 100440.
Carballo, R. R., León, C. J., & Carballo, M. M. (2019). Fighting overtourism in Lanzarote
(Spain). Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes.
Cheer, J. M., Milano, C., & Novelli, M. (2019). Tourism and community resilience in the
Anthropocene: accentuating temporal overtourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 27(4).
554-572.
Dodds, R., & Butler, R. (Eds.). (2019). Overtourism: Issues, realities and solutions (Vol. 1).
Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.
Goodwin, H. (2017). The challenge of overtourism. Responsible tourism partnership.
Mihalič, T., & Kuščer, K. (2018). Impacts of overtourism on satisfaction with life in a tourism
destination. In Submitted to Travel and Tourism Research Association's (TTRA 2019)
European Chapter Conference, Bournemounth, Ljubljana.
Milano, C., Cheer, J. M., & Novelli, M. (2018). Overtourism: A growing global problem. The
conversation. 18.
Seraphin, H., Sheeran, P., & Pilato, M. (2018). Over-tourism and the fall of Venice as a
destination. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management. 9. 374-376.
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