Travel and Tourism in the Age of Overtourism

Over the last decade, while many scholars have maintained their interest in the classical debate concerning the impacts of tourism, some have attempted new conceptualisations, while others have converged towards critical narratives promoted by a number of social movements, and have become involved in subsequent discussions on ‘overtourism’ and ‘tourismphobia’. The terms 'overtourism' and 'tourismphobia' have their genesis in the rapid unfolding of unsustainable mass tourism practices and the responses that these have generated amongst academics, practitioners, social movements and grassroots organizations concerned with the detrimental use of urban, rural and coastal spaces, among others, for tourism purposes. The renewed interest in the study of the adverse impacts of tourism, as implied in the term 'overtourism', is related to a variety of well-established causes.

Travel and Tourism in the Age of Overtourism builds on existing knowledge and makes a theoretical and practical contribution the overtourism debate and the system dynamics underlining it. This collection suggests ways to address this from a tourism and planning perspective. It offers critical reflections on the contemporary evolution of tourism development and the implication of such processes on people, places and spaces.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a Special Issue of the journal Tourism Planning & Development.

Claudio Milano is a Social and Cultural Anthropologist and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, and the Director of IDITUR Tourism Research Dissemination and Innovation Centre at Ostelea Tourism Management School (University of Lleida), Spain.

Marina Novelli is Professor of Tourism and International Development at the University of Brighton, UK. She is an internationally renowned tourism policy, planning and development expert, having plaid core advisory roles for the World Bank, the EU, UNESCO, UNIDO, the UN World Tourism Organisation, the Commonwealth Secretariat, National Ministries and Tourism Boards, Regional Development Agencies and NGOs in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Joseph M. Cheer is Professor in the Center for Tourism Research, Wakayama University, Japan, and Adjunct Research Fellow, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Australia. He is Co-editor of the journal Tourism Geographies , Board Member of the International Geographical Union (IGU) Commission on Tourism and Leisure and Global Change, Steering Committee Member of Critical Tourism Studies Asia Pacific (CTSAP) and American Association of Geographers - Recreation, Tourism and Sport Speciality Group (RTS), and Co-convenor of The Council for Australasian Toursim and Hospitality Education (CAUTHE) - Tourism Geographies & Tourism Economics Special Interest Group.