The Perception of Overtourism in Urban Destinations. Empirical Evidence based on Residents’ Emotional Response

ABSTRACT Having Barcelona as a case study, within a framework of stimulus-overload and attribution theory, this paper is intended to analyse how residents’ opinion towards overtourism is shaped by emotional response factors. For this purpose, a survey of 450 Barcelona residents was launched to detect emotional reactions to tourism development. Using a psycho-social approach to residents’ responses, the study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the overtourism phenomenon. Through the use of a cluster analysis three types of residents were identified: (1) Tourism supporters, who show a tourism-acceptance response ; (2) Tourism-opposed residents, who show tourism-rejecting, tourism-phobic attitudes t; and (3) Neutral residents, who show emotional indifference in their response. The study provide empirical evidence that residents’ attitude towards tourism is different, and suggests that crowding is the key factor explaining the residents’ negative emotional responses towards tourism, and that proximity to crowded neighbourhoods results in a higher stress.