MAss Tourism

Academics have defined mass tourism as travel by groups on pre-scheduled tours, usually under the organization of tourism professionals. This form of tourism developed during the second half of the 19th century in the United Kingdom and was pioneered by Thomas Cook. Cook took advantage of Europe's rapidly expanding railway network and established a company that offered affordable day trip excursions to the masses, in addition to longer holidays to Continental Europe, India, Asia and the Western Hemisphere which attracted wealthier customers. By the 1890s over 20,000 tourists per year used Thomas Cook & Son.

The relationship between tourism companies, transportation operators and hotels is a central feature of mass tourism. Cook was able to offer prices that were below the publicly advertised price because his company purchased large numbers of tickets from railroads. One contemporary form of mass tourism, package tourism, still incorporates the partnership between these three groups.

Travel developed during the early 20th century and was facilitated by the development of the automobiles and later by airplanes. Improvements in transport allowed many people to travel quickly to places of leisure interest so that more people could begin to enjoy the benefits of leisure time.

In Continental Europe, early seaside resorts included: Heiligendamm, founded in 1793 at the Baltic Sea, being the first seaside resort; Ostend, popularised by the people of Brussels; Boulogne-sur-Mer and Deauville for the Parisians; Taormina in Sicily. In the United States, the first seaside resorts in the European style were at Atlantic City, New Jersey and Long Island, New York.

By the mid-20th century, the Mediterranean Coast became the principal mass tourism destination. The 1960s and 1970s saw mass tourism play a major role in the Spanish economic "miracle".

Overtourism

Overtourism is the perceived congestion or overcrowding from an excess of tourists, resulting in conflicts with locals. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines overtourism as "the impact of tourism on a destination, or parts thereof, that excessively influences perceived quality of life of citizens and/or quality of visitor experiences in a negative way". This definition shows how overtourism can be observed both among locals, who view tourism as a disruptive factor that increasingly burdens daily life, as well as visitors, who may regard high numbers of tourists as a nuisance.

The term has only been used frequently since 2015, but is now the most commonly used expression to describe the negative impacts ascribed to tourism.

Causes

As early as the late-1970s, three main issues related to excessive tourism growth were recognized:

(1) Too many visitors;

(2) Too much disturbance (e.g., noise);

(3) Too many physical impacts (e.g., touristification and destruction of nature). Overtourism is observed mostly, but not exclusively, when the number of visitors to a destination, or parts thereof, grows rapidly in a short space of time. Also, it is most common in areas where visitors and residents share a physical space.

In recent years, developments within tourism and outside of tourism have increased contact between residents and visitors and made the impacts of tourism more noticeable. In addition to the overall growth of tourist numbers, problems associated with overtourism have been exacerbated by the following developments:

Tourism developments

• Low-cost airlines: The low fares of the low-cost airlines have made it easier for more people to travel more often

• Cruises: Cruise tourism is growing rapidly. Particularly in popular, but relatively small tourism destinations (e.g., Dubrovnik or Orkney), cruises can cause overtourism, when large numbers of tourists all come to visit a city at the same time.

• Airbnb: Airbnb and similar online accommodation services can lead to an increase in tourists due to lower prices (compared to hotels or other establishments), often simpler booking procedures and a wider choice of accommodation, mostly private apartments or houses.

• Social media: The increased ease of communication through social media means that previously undiscovered places can suddenly become very popular, particularly when promoted by influencers on platforms like Instagram. When they use the geotag feature, people are able to see the exact coordinates of the location with a click of a button. This social-media effect can compound the increased tourism traffic that often arises from revamped marketing campaigns for regional destinations. (Such tourism campaigns are often initiated by government agencies. Often the goal is to revitalize an area after a downturn in the local economy has occurred.)

• Population growth: In the last 50 years, the world's population has more than doubled. This means that the market is larger.

• Increased urbanization: In the last 60 years, the population in urban areas has grown at a never before seen rate.

Developments outside of tourism

• Growth of host population and commuters: Particularly in city destinations, the number of residents and commuters has risen rapidly in recent years, which has led to increased pressure on infrastructure and facilities and a heightened sense of crowding.

• Experience economy and changing lifestyle patterns: the increased use of leisure facilities by residents has contributed to a monoculture of hospitality facilities and has increased the likelihood that residents and visitors share the same spaces.

• Speculation on the housing market: speculation on the housing market can also create a shortage of housing for residents and increase rents and house prices.

• Online shopping: The impact of online shopping is twofold: it has made it more difficult for retailers to sell enough to pay for the high rents in popular destinations, while it has increased the number of transport vehicles that stop to deliver goods in city centres and suburban areas, contributing to congestion.

• Social media: Residents have found it easier to unite due to the rise of social media, which has made it possible for them to become better organized in voicing their concerns regarding tourism impacts.

Measures against overtourism

In September 2018 the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) published a report on overtourism and how to deal with it. The report highlights the importance of looking at tourism in a local context and details 11 strategies to deal with overtourism:

• Increase the physical dispersion of crowds among different attractions within a city/destination;

• Increase the temporal dispersion of tourists (e.g., by encouraging off-season visits);

• Promote new and special-interest itineraries and attractions;

• Make effective use of regulations on tourism;

• Tailor activities to specific segments of the tourism market;

• Ensure that the communities and residents benefit from tourism;

• Create experiences beneficial to both tourists and residents;

• Expand infrastructure;

• Involve local residents in tourism policymaking;

• Communicate with tourists about the potential impacts of tourism on communities;

• Use data to monitor and respond to problems related to overtourism.

The consultancy firm McKinsey suggests that to prevent overtourism one must focus on four priorities:

• Build a comprehensive fact base and update it regularly.

• Establish a sustainable-growth strategy through rigorous, long-term planning.

• Involve all sections of society—commercial, public, and social.

• Find new sources of funding.

In addition, systematic public-relations and communication is essential. Goals, measures, successes and failures of local tourism management must be made transparent to the inhabitants so that all relevant institutions become involved.

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