överturism

Overtourism, with the term mirrored in Swedish as överturism, describes a situation in which the number and concentration of visitors to a destination exceed its ability to manage them without causing negative effects for residents, culture, or the environment. It highlights issues of carrying capacity and visitor distribution rather than mere headcount alone.

Causes include high destination popularity, the influence of social media, affordable travel, seasonal clustering, and constraints in housing and infrastructure. Indicators commonly cited are crowding at popular sites, rising local costs, strain on transportation and services, pollution, and degradation of natural or cultural assets.

Impacts can be mixed: residents may experience housing displacement, higher rents, noise, and reduced quality of life; infrastructure and services become stressed; natural areas and heritage sites suffer from erosion and damage; local businesses may depend on tourism while becoming vulnerable to downturns or price shifts. The economic benefits of tourism can be uneven, often concentrated in peak periods or in specific districts.

Responses range from destination management and urban planning to regulatory instruments such as visitor caps, licensing, congestion pricing, and tourism taxes. Other approaches aim to redistribute demand through promoting off-season and lesser-known areas, investing in infrastructure, and strengthening community involvement and sustainable tourism practices.

Measuring overtourism remains disputed, with arguments that headcounts alone are insufficient. Effective strategies often require data on visitor distribution, duration of stay, and resident sentiment, alongside environmental and economic indicators. The debate emphasizes balancing visitor benefits with quality of life and the future viability of destinations.