Overtourism in urban destinations: the myth of smart solutions

Abstract

<jats:p>The rapid increase in urban tourism flows generates problems of tourist overcrowding and gives rise to important challenges for city management. Within this context, urban tourism planning is experiencing a convergence of new paradigms related to the so-called Smart Tourist Destinations (SD). Smart tourism and its operational level open up new avenues for intervention in the city which can help to manage overtourism. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyse the level of implementation of smart solutions in four Spanish destinations: Donostia-San Sebastián, Madrid, Málaga and Valencia. The methodology used combines the compilation of information on initiatives and measures found in public tourism planning documents with semi-structured interviews with those responsible for managing the Smart City strategy and the SD project. The results reveal that there is a gap between the SD approaches, the level of implementation of smart solutions and their operability in relation to the management of tourist overload. Almost no technological solutions have been developed to address this issue, which is barely perceived as a problem by local governments. However, the need to generate knowledge that is useful for managing tourist overload constitutes a challenge faced by a growing number of destinations.</jats:p>

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“…It also highlights the important role of local governments in the planning process, as they are most familiar with local communities' interests and problems [32,33]. By analyzing the implementation level of smart solutions, Hernández et al (2019) showed that Spanish local governments had developed no technological solutions to address overtourism issues in the four destinations of Donostia-San Sebastián, Madrid, Málaga, and Valencia [34]. Furthermore, it has been stated that a difference exists between the perception of residents and management organizations about overtourism [35].…”

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“…Carrying capacity is the precursor to current concerns with overtourism, and it is not a new concept [60]. Overtourism is a complex, multicausal phenomenon that is transforming tourism and tourism policies in urban environments [2]. Lopez Palomeque [61] has already pointed out that, in Barcelona, this phenomenon would justify moving from sectoral promotion policies towards a structural and transversal approach.…”

“…Lopez Palomeque [61] has already pointed out that, in Barcelona, this phenomenon would justify moving from sectoral promotion policies towards a structural and transversal approach. Garcia Hernandez et al [2] summarised the pressure indicators, the impacts and the response measures and found that when there is a significant impact of overload, the tourist experience is affected (negatively) and this is reflected in social media reviews [62], such as TripAdvisor. A possible measure to deal with overtourism is to apply smart solutions [2] or reposition the destination as a place of special tourism interest by focusing on a particular type of experience [63].…”

“…Since the 1960s, several authors have talked about overtourism; in summary, this refers to a larger number of arrivals than a destination can accommodate, resulting in overcrowded destinations and in a negative perception of tourism by the tourists themselves and by the local population [1,2]. It is a multidimensional and transversal phenomenon that is difficult to solve since it is related to social, economic and political issues, among others.…”

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“…Smart tourism promises a unique opportunity for renewal after crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a tangible approach to rethinking the way technology is conceptualized and implemented so that it can serve emerging tourism agendas (Gretzel et al, 2020). It also provides a concrete pathway towards sustainability (Ivars-Baidal, Vera-Rebollo, Perles-Ribes, Perles-Ribes & Ivars-Baidal, 2018), including the avoidance of overtourism (García Hernández, Baidal, & Mendoza de Miguel, 2019), and offers guidelines for ethical and just destination governance (Gretzel & Jamal, 2020). In addition, it promises a way to render a destination more resilient by facilitating communication flows and resource mobilization, thus making it possible to better prepare for, address, or even avoid a crisis (Gretzel & Scarpino-Johns, 2018).…”