Residents at the centre of the overtourism debate

Overtourism has become a defining concept in contemporary tourism discourse, often framed in terms of visitor numbers, carrying capacity, and destination management. Yet, these discussions frequently overlook a crucial dimension: the lived experiences and perceptions of the people who reside in these destinations.

In a recent chapter co-authored by Prof. Lino Briguglio and Prof. Marie Avellino, in Overtourism: A Research Agenda (edited by Richard Butler and Rachel Dodds), they argue that overtourism cannot be fully understood—or effectively addressed—without placing residents at the centre of both research and policy responses. Rather than asking simply “how much tourism is too much?”, the chapter reframes the question to consider for whom it becomes too much, how this is experienced in everyday life, and why governance systems often fail to recognise these warning signs early enough.

Their contribution shifts the overtourism debate away from a purely quantitative assessment of impacts towards a more qualitative, human-centred understanding. Residents are often treated as passive recipients of tourism pressures, yet their perceptions, narratives, and daily realities can act as early indicators of imbalance long before statistical thresholds are reached. By drawing attention to these perspectives, we highlight the importance of incorporating residents’ voices into tourism monitoring systems and decision-making processes.

The chapter also connects residents’ perceptions to broader issues of destination competitiveness and sustainability from the demand side. Destinations that neglect the social and cultural thresholds of their communities’ risk eroding the very qualities that attract visitors in the first place. In this sense, listening to residents is not only a matter of social responsibility but also a strategic imperative for the long-term viability of tourism destinations.

Ultimately, overtourism is revealed as not merely a problem of numbers, but one of governance, participation, and representation. They propose a research and policy agenda that integrates residents more meaningfully into tourism planning and management, recognising them as active stakeholders rather than marginal observers.

By repositioning residents from the margins to the centre of the overtourism discourse, the chapter contributes to a more balanced and human-focused understanding of tourism sustainability—one that recognises destinations as places where people live, not just places that people visit.