I.

1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Problem statement and research questions:

Overcrowding in tourist destinations is a complex problem which varies from destination

to destination and requires long-term planning with all stakeholders to solve. Good

management is crucial for all tourism destinations and can only be built on a

comprehensive fact base. Popular tourism spots need to understand their situations and

identify early warning signs.

Problem: Overcrowding in tourist destinations

Objective: Starts with long-term planning.

Research Question: How can destinations reduce overcrowding?

Sub-Questions:

1. How travellers can change their habits

2. How destinations can manage demand

We look at ways to improve visitor experiences to ensure a meaningful visit even when

a destination is at its busiest.

No matter how we try to manage demand, some destinations will always be very

popular, particularly at peak times. There’s also a degree to which overcrowding is a

perception. Some might consider a place ‘too crowded’ whilst others wouldn’t find it a

problem.

So, aside from trying to manage the numbers of visitors, part of the solution is
about managing the visitor experience to ensure it doesn’t feel crowded. Here are a

number of ways to do this:

1. Build better infrastructure

Up to a point, overcrowding can simply be improved with better infrastructure.

Airports are constantly looking for ways to improve passenger flow with new technologies

like iris scanners for passport control and full body scanners at security.

Visitors park their cars at sites away from the congested narrow streets of the old towns

and use the free buses to access the beaches. Of course better infrastructure can be a

significant cost. In the previous post, we discussed the way that entry fees can be used

to manage demand. Some of the profits from these fees can be used for these kinds of

high cost projects.

2. Provide better information

Allowing visitors to plan their visit to minimize delays is important. The simple practice

of telling people which times are busiest so they can choose when to visit is often

overlooked. Google now includes this kind of information for many places when it

displays them in search results; so the data is increasingly available.

3. Manage the flows

The way people journey around an attraction or through a destination can also lead to

congestion. Often there’s a designated route and everyone follows the same journey.

This creates bottlenecks, as some move more slowly than others. At its most basic, flow

management involves literally closing a door and stopping people moving to the next

stage of the visit until those ahead move on. But for places where there are multiple

potential journeys, offering a range of ways and places to start and finish a visit can
drastically reduce the impression of congestion.

4. Create supporting experiences to disperse visitors

If you reach the climax of your visit the moment you arrive, it can be a little

disappointing. People visit Stonehenge to see the famous circle of stones, but

understanding the feats of ingenuity needed to construct them and learning why they

were constructed adds to the experience immeasurably. It’s a hugely popular site and

so measures have been taken to manage the visitor experience and avoid overcrowding.

A new visitor Centre around a mile from the stone circle gives visitors time to learn

about the site before their timeslot to visit the stones arrives. Visitors then walk slowly

up to see the stones.