Study on ‘Unbalanced tourism’ of the T4T Horizontal Task-Force

Background to the study

The study on Unbalanced Tourism was developed by a horizontal sub-group composed of T4T experts, who meet regularly to implement the Tourism Transition Pathway. It incorporates insights from a wide range of specialists from both the private and public sectors, with HOTREC also participating in the consultation process. The outcome of this collaborative work provides a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of unbalanced tourism and its implications.

Unbalanced tourism has emerged as a significant challenge for certain destinations, creating various impacts on both the areas themselves and their local communities. The study recognises the complexity of the topic and acknowledges that no single, one-size-fits-all solution can effectively address it. Consequently, its primary aim is to help achieve a balance between the benefits that tourism brings and the effects it has on destinations.

Structure of the study

The study follows a comprehensive structure:

• Definitions of key terminology;
• Causes and impacts of Unbalanced tourism, creating a wide image of the implications of such phenomenon;
• Policy measures: presents a range of measures implemented in order to manage unbalanced tourism, such as:

• • Responsible tourism campaigns (promoting sustainable behaviours);
  • Integrating local expectations (incorporate the needs and perceptions of local communities;
  • Smart management of short accommodation, based on quality data;

• Good practices: a compilation of effective strategies, where measures were taken at destination level to better address and manage unbalanced tourism:
• Dubrovnik (Croatia) implemented visitor caps and smart ticketing systems with EU funding, while also investing in seasonal diversification and community engagement;
• Canary Islands (Spain) used EU funds to support alternative tourism models to reduce its dependency on mass beach tourism, through training for SMEs and marketing campaigns;
• EU policies and funding: showcases a number of projects developed at EU level to address unbalanced tourism, with a focus on harmonised frameworks and data systems;
• Recommendations: includes a series of recommendations to address Unbalanced tourism in EU (please see below).

Main recommendations:

• Adopting targeted, well-regulated, multi-level policies supported by carefully planned and managed tourism models.
• Ensuring integrated planning, strong monitoring, and strategies that balance visitor flows, protect ecosystems, and support local communities.
• Promoting spatial and temporal redistribution through alternative itineraries, dynamic pricing, off-peak incentives, improved mobility, and better visitor engagement via digital tools, responsible tourism campaigns, and demarketing of saturated sites.
• Strengthening institutional and governance frameworks through coordination, stakeholder engagement, and data-driven decision-making.
• Advancing innovative, data-driven, community-focused approaches to mitigate overtourism and redistribute visitor flows.
• Enhancing multi-level governance, data collection and analysis, cross-sector partnerships, and investment in human capital.

Next steps & takeaways

• The study will be analysed by the European Commission and serve as a source of information to the upcoming Tourism Sustainable Strategy
• HOTREC welcomes the fact that the study was mainly led by destinations (DMOs), in cooperation with the private sector.
• HOTREC recommends the following actions:
  • Better coordination and dialogue between local authorities, tourism actors, and community representatives.
  • Spreading tourist flows more evenly with the support of EU tools, including the collection of high-quality, harmonised tourism data from urban and rural areas.
  • Supporting local, cultural, and infrastructure projects.
• HOTREC will continue to accompany closely any further developments.