Identifying the sustainability indicators of overtourism and undertourism in Majorca

This paper is a first attempt to propose a multidimensional study of overtourism and undertourism in Majorca, a Spanish island and one of the world's leading mass tourist destinations. The study was conducted before and after the pandemic started through a survey to local stakeholders. They were asked for their perceptions of overtourism and undertourism, what problems these phenomena generate, which sustainability indicator might be used to measure each problem, and, lastly, what solutions they suggest. Three main dimensions were taken (economy and demography, culture, and ecology) to classify the problems, sustainability indicators, and solutions. The main conclusion is the stakeholders' consensus that both situations are the outcome of an economy based on a tourism monoculture and they view the stoppage brought about by the pandemic as being an opportunity to restructure the current tourism model, mainly by tackling labor conditions, the wellbeing of local residents, and ecological resilience. The sustainability indicators proposed by the respondents could contribute to the establishment of a monitoring system of the problems generated by overtourism and undertourism. Most of these indicators are available in official statistics, but there are others that need to be developed ad hoc.

Automated summary

This study provides a comprehensive multidimensional examination of overtourism and undertourism in Majorca. Findings indicate that stakeholders agree that both issues stem from an economy based on a tourism monoculture. The pandemic-induced shutdown is seen as an opportunity to restructure the tourism model, focusing on labor conditions, the well-being of local residents, and ecological resilience.