Combating Overtourism Requires a More Holistic Approach
Photo Credit: Tourists in Ireland. Skift / Dan Peltier
Skift Take
For decades, destination managers were able to ignore the negative effects of tourism. Now, the age of overtourism calls for a more robust approach to plan for the future.
As destinations attempt to cope with the burden of increased tourism growth, foundational work is being done to develop methods for planners and administrators to create a more sustainable future.
A new report from EplerWood International, The Travel Foundation, and Cornell's SC Johnson College of Business examines the complexities that have stymied any standardized approach to dealing with the ramifications of overtourism.
Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism looks at cases around the world of destinations struggling to manage tourism despite political and administrative efforts to do so. The report outlines one of the key problems with devising a solution to overtourism: No standard methods exist, primarily because stakeholders were able to ignore obvious issues for so long.
"I don't think it's been conceived of as being the responsib
