Perspectives on overtourism
Eva, Jarmo and I wrote about overtourism...and undertourism: https://esignals.haaga-helia.fi/en/2019/12/22/from%e2%80%afovertourism%e2%80%afto%e2%80%afundertourism%e2%80%af-global-and-finnish-perspectives%e2%80%af/
We included some experiences and possible solutions from around the world, as well as the Finnish perspective. What's your view on the topic?
Dear Eva, Jarmo and Annika,
dear colleagues from our TOURIST project,
excellent and compact summery of this challenging topic. There is not a lot to add - except different examples for different places, conditions, peculiarities...
I think that this approach could help a lot our partners in Viet Nam and Thailand as there are - as in many places in Europe - very crowded hotspots and wide fields of undertouristed destinations. Here I see a great challenge for both research and development, but also for the coordination of marketing activities, the challenge of competition among destinations, and also the issue of the symbolic value of - normally already overtouristed - destinations.
The big question, though: How can we shift symbolic value from destinations such as Barcelona to Bilbao or from Vienna to Graz... Tricky about people who haven't yet been in these symbolically over-loaded places, as those who are looking for "secret spots aside from the masses" have already enjoyed Barcelona and Vienna....
Conclusion? From a brain theory perspective: There won't be change befor it doesn't hurt... but then, the consequences are terribly hurting.
Thanks, bye, Harry
Ceterum censeo mutationem climae esse vincendem.
(Incidentally, I think that global warming must be defeated)
Prof. (FH) Mag. Mag. Dr. Harald A. Friedl
Assoc. Professor for Sustainability and Ethics in Tourism
Institute for Health and Tourism Management
FH JOANNEUM - University of Applied Sciences
Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Straße 24
8344 Bad Gleichenberg, Austria
Phone office +43-316/5453-6725
Phone mobil: +43-699/191.44.250
eMail: harald.friedl@fh-joanneum.at
Web: www.fh-joanneum.at/GMT
The discussion of over- and under-tourism has changed since the beginning of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic had closed this year most the the countries and tourism destinations from international tourism. Domestic tourism has replaced it to certain extent especially in countries with higher tourism demand and financial resources. Over tourism as a phenomenon is not new, but the discussion started when popular first row city destinations were "conquered" by individual visitors who purchased services online without the assistance of traditional intermediaries. As the question of over-tourism was raised often by inhabitants of popular cities, it could be explained also by the "good old" concept of social carrying capacity. Over-tourism won't perhaps be an issue in the near future, but we don't know yet, how strong the tourism demand will be after the lock-downs.