Visitors’ perception of overtourism impacts in a small destination

Abstract

Overtourism, normally associated with large cities, is also evident in small, regional destinations. The town of Karlstejn (Czech Republic) receives up to 250,000 tourists per year who influence the environment and the locals’ quality of life. The negative effects of overtourism on locals are already well mapped. However, despite the influence and vital role of visitors for destinations, limited research has addressed their perspectives. This paper thus aims to examine visitors’ perceptions of overtourism. 174 questionnaires, completed during August 2019, were evaluated using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), linear regression and non-parametric analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results contradict the generally accepted definition of overtourism that implies a deterioration in locals’ quality of life and a negative impact on visitors’ experiences.