The Concept of Overtourism and its Status in Europe

Overtourism describes the situation in which the impact of tourism, at certain times and in certain locations, exceeds physical, ecological, social, economic, psychological, and/or political capacity thresholds. By its very nature, different from mass tourism which refers to the movement of a large number of organised tourists visiting popular holiday destinations, the overtourism phenomenon is more associated with a destination’s carrying capacity in sustaining the numbers, the type and time frame of tourists’ visit. Overtourism is a serious issue that confronts many historical and world heritage cities in Europe.