Overtourism: Creative Solutions by Creative Residents

Abstract

Overtourism is currently a topic of high interest to tourism researchers and stakeholders as tourism growth in city centres is causing social effects perceived as negative by some residents as it impacts their quality of life. Tourism scholars and stakeholders are challenged to develop policy to address this perceived excessive number of visitors. Some options previously discussed are to divert tourist flows to less frequently visited areas and to prevent tourist actions perceived as misbehaviour. In this chapter, an alternative approach is adopted based on development of creative tourism, a type of community-led tourism driven by endogenous creative assets and people. Creative tourism utilises living intangible culture in a new way to provide the basis for product innovation and a more sustainable tourism in cities.