Overtourism in the Spotlight: A Bibliometric Analysis of a Concept at the Forefront of Debate

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53596/sngzg772

Abstract

The study examines the concept of "overtourism" arising from the intensification of urban tourism and its impacts on destinations. Using bibliometric methods, the research analyses 433 articles to understand the volume and characteristics of scientific production on overtourism. The results reveal an increase followed by a slight contraction in the overtourism publications in recent years, with European countries, notably Spain, and institutions showing growing interest in the subject. The analysis of journals shows up to 20 journals with a particular inclination towards the topic.

Among the 927 contributing authors, 12 stand out as highly prolific, contributing significantly to the literature. The impact study shows an irregular distribution of citations, likely due to the relatively recent emergence of overtourism literature starting from 2017.

Keywords analysis indicates that the concept's dissemination has shifted the focus towards identifying its features and effects, often evaluated through new technologies. While some consider overtourism as a media expression, it is gradually gaining acceptance in scientific literature as a reflection of the undeniable reality of tourism's intensification in cities, contributing to ongoing debates in the scientific community.

Author Biography

  • Andrea Ruiz Romera, Universidad de Sevilla

    This author holds a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism and is carrying out her doctoral thesis in Geography with a regional pre-doctoral grant at the University of Seville. Ruiz Romera is part of the R&D Group “Territorial and Tourism Studies” (University of Seville) and member of the Andalusian Institute for Research and Innovation in Tourism. She has received several awards for her academic performance and her research work. Her field of study focuses on overtourism, its measurement and its effects on the urban landscape. Currently, she is working on the touristification and the impact of tourism in the commercial landscape of historical centres, with a local resident approach

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Published

2026-06-06

Issue

Vol. 33 No. 1 (2026): JTA- Revista Análisis Turístico

Section

Artículos

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Andrea Ruiz Romera

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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How to Cite

Overtourism in the Spotlight: A Bibliometric Analysis of a Concept at the Forefront of Debate. (2026). Journal of Tourism Analysis Revista De Análisis Turístico (JTA), 33(1). https://doi.org/10.53596/sngzg772