A method for overtourism optimisation for protected areas

The increasing popularity of protected areas in recent years can be attributed to the reopening of tourism after the Covid-19 pandemic and the growing demand for outdoor activities in such areas. However, many protected areas are facing issues of overtourism, which negatively impacts nature, residents, the regional economy, and visitors alike. This study aims to address overtourism within protected areas through the development and validation of a new and original method known as the Method of Overtourism Optimization. The method involves the spatio-temporal diagnosis of overtourism and the implementation of actions to manage it effectively. The research utilized hourly visitor data spanning from 2017 to 2023, along with questionnaire survey data to diagnose overtourism by both visitors and residents. Actions to manage overtourism were developed through a participatory decision-making process involving protected areas managers, scientists, external experts, and public input. The research was conducted in the Stołowe Mountains National Park in Poland. Implementing the method resulted in a dispersion of visitor flow, reducing both average and peak visitor numbers around noon while increasing visitors during morning, late afternoon, and evening hours. These measures were well-received socially through participatory decision-making processes. Visitor and resident feedback played a crucial role in the social participation aspect of overtourism management, emphasizing the importance of these stakeholders in decision-making processes. The versatility of the method's application depends on its ability to implement various actions tailored to the specific landscape, access rules, and tourist trail network of each protected areas.

Management implications

The Method of Overtourism Optimizing represents a new approach to overtourism analysis that protected area managers can use to create tailored strategies for optimizing overtourism in their area.

When diagnosing overtourism, protected area managers form a team of stakeholders to gain the perspectives of each group. Any change should be made with this comprehensive understanding.

Protected area managers can actively involve all stakeholders, including the local community, in the decision-making process, thereby gaining public acceptance for the implemented overtourism optimization measures.