Overtourism in rural areas

Abstract

This chapter is to review the issue of overtourism in rural areas and to identify key characteristics and impacts of the phenomenon in non-urban settings. The discussion is based on a review of key relevant literature and in particular local and social media reports of the effects of overtourism on local residents and environments, because the recent nature of the occurrence of overtourism in many rural areas has meant that little academic research has been published on this topic. The chapter highlights the importance of evaluating the capacity of local facilities and services to handle increased tourist numbers before promotion and development of tourism take place, and to put into place measures to mitigate potential negative effects of sudden exposure to locations on social media.