Managing Overtourism in Barcelona: A Framework for Sustainable Tourism Scenarios

The study explores how tourism growth in Barcelona impacts sustainability, using the Limit of Acceptable Change model to assess various tourist scenarios. It highlights that both tourist numbers and profiles significantly influence environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

The research paper presents an in-depth analysis of how tourism affects Barcelona’s sustainability, with particular attention to the phenomenon of overtourism. Conducted by researchers from the University of Girona, the study explores how the city's tourism industry has grown, especially since the 1992 Olympic Games, and the subsequent challenges it faces in managing the influx of visitors. Using the Limit of Acceptable Change (LAC) model, the researchers go beyond traditional tourist capacity assessments, offering a more dynamic and multifaceted approach that incorporates various tourist scenarios, profiles, motivations, and demographics to better understand the broader impacts of tourism on the city.

Barcelona’s Tourism Surge and the Limits of Growth

Barcelona has become a prominent destination, attracting more than 17 million tourists in 2019, with international visitors accounting for 86% of the total. This significant tourism boom has brought economic benefits but also severe challenges, particularly in managing the pressure on urban spaces. Two districts in particular, Ciutat Vella and Eixample, bear the brunt of tourism-related congestion. These areas are not only the most popular among tourists but are also densely populated, leading to concerns over sustainability, quality of life for residents, and environmental degradation. To address these concerns, the researchers applied the LAC model, which focuses on how much change a destination can tolerate rather than setting a fixed maximum number of visitors. This model allowed the researchers to simulate various tourism scenarios and explore the impact of fluctuations in visitor numbers, changes in tourist types, and shifts in their behaviors.

The Impact of Changing Tourist Numbers

The study revealed that moderate changes in the number of tourists tend to have limited impact on key sustainability indicators. For example, a slight increase or decrease in tourists does not dramatically alter environmental pressures or social dynamics. However, when there are substantial shifts such as a significant rise or fall in tourist numbers the impacts on the city’s tourism structure are much more pronounced. The findings indicate that large increases in tourists lead to more intense overcrowding, particularly in areas like Ciutat Vella, which already experiences high levels of congestion. Similarly, significant reductions in tourists, while easing some pressure, do not completely alleviate the strains on infrastructure and resources, especially in a city so entrenched in tourism.

Tourist Profiles and Environmental Footprints

A key insight from the study is that not all tourists have the same impact. Local tourists, for example, generally have a smaller environmental footprint compared to international tourists who arrive by air, as local tourists tend to use less energy and water and produce less waste. Therefore, the characteristics of tourists such as where they come from, how long they stay, and their motivations for visiting play an important role in determining the overall sustainability of tourism in Barcelona. For instance, scenarios that involve an increase in local or regional tourists, or a lengthening of tourist stays, were found to distribute tourism pressure more evenly across the city, potentially easing the burden on the most congested areas. However, even these scenarios present challenges, particularly in terms of resource consumption. For example, longer tourist stays increase water and energy usage, as well as waste generation, which could offset some of the benefits of reducing overall visitor numbers.

Environmental Pressures and Resource Use

The environmental impact of tourism was a significant focus of the study, with indicators such as water consumption, energy usage, and waste production being closely monitored. The research found that while the density of tourists measured as the number of tourists per square kilometer had a relatively low sensitivity to changes in visitor numbers, environmental indicators were more responsive. For example, slight increases in tourist numbers led to noticeable rises in water and energy consumption, as well as solid waste generation. This suggests that even minor adjustments to the number of tourists can have a tangible impact on the city's environmental sustainability. Thus, a city like Barcelona, which is pursuing an environmentally sustainable tourism strategy, could see meaningful benefits from small-scale reductions in tourist numbers or shifts toward more sustainable tourist profiles.

Planning for a Sustainable Tourism Future

The study also highlights the importance of long-term strategic planning in tourism management. By applying the LAC model, destination managers in Barcelona can gain a deeper understanding of the potential outcomes of different tourism growth scenarios and can make more informed decisions about how to manage future tourism development. For example, strategies aimed at promoting regional tourism or encouraging tourists to stay longer could help reduce congestion in the most overcrowded areas, though these strategies would need to be carefully balanced against the increased environmental pressures they could bring. Similarly, a focus on reducing the carbon footprint of tourism by encouraging more local visitors could also be a viable strategy, though it might result in lower tourist spending, affecting the city’s economy.

The study underscores the importance of using models like the Limit of Acceptable Change to evaluate the broader impacts of tourism on cities like Barcelona. By considering both the number of tourists and their profiles, the city can develop more nuanced and effective strategies for managing tourism in a sustainable way. The findings suggest that while moderate changes in tourism have limited effects, larger shifts in tourist numbers or types could lead to significant changes in the sustainability of Barcelona’s tourism sector, offering valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners.