Overtourism - Has South Tyrol reached its carrying capacity?
Linda Osti, a Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management at Bangor Business School, discusses the latest Eurostat data with Italian journalist Aldo De Pellegrin. The data ranks the region of South Tyrol in Northern Italy second, following Venice, and preceding destinations such as Paris, Barcelona, and Majorca in terms of tourist overnight stays.
Linda explores whether the region of South Tyrol has reached its carrying capacity and provides an overview of signs of overtourism in the area. She emphasizes, however, that for the region, it is more appropriate to talk about "hotspots." Linda warns that the terms "sustainability" and "sustainable tourism" have become buzzwords, with many people discussing these concepts without a thorough understanding of the complexity of balancing economic, socio-cultural, and environmental goals. She also discusses the low propensity of consumers to invest money, time, and effort in sustainable tourism experiences. Finally, she examines the current post-modern attitude of tourists in seeking a wide variety of experiences, sometimes in contrast.