Limitations of Trexit (tourism exit) as a solution to overtourism

Abstract

Purpose

Many tourism destinations are now facing the problem of overtourism, and destination management organisations (DMOs) are in search of an effective and sustainable solution. With this as a foundation, the purpose of this study is to identify factors causing overtourism at popular tourism destinations and to propose an alternative solution to overcome this phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design is based on an inductive and a deductive approach. The paper draws its conclusion from secondary and tertiary data (literature review and online research).

Findings

The study shows that Trexit (tourism exit) is not a sustainable solution to overtourism and that an alternative strategy may be adopted to tackle this phenomenon. The overall outcome shows that if sociological factors, business factors, technological and economic factors are addressed, the effect of overtourism may be managed and controlled.

Practical implications

The findings of this piece of research refer to a Just-in-Time strategy for managing overtourism. The findings could be useful to practitioners, as the study proposes an alternative means to overcome overtourism and manage destinations without affecting visitor flow and profitability.

Originality/value

This research fulfils an existing research gap, as it proposes an alternative solution to tackle overtourism. The proposed model also helps to provide a broader insight of the dynamics surrounding overtourism at tourism destinations. In so doing, it advances the existing body of knowledge by providing new inputs to a topic that has not been discussed, namely, Trexit or tourism exit.

Citation

Seraphin, H., Gowreesunkar, V., Zaman, M. and Lorey, T. (2019), "Limitations of Trexit (tourism exit) as a solution to overtourism", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 11 No. 5, pp. 566-581. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-06-2019-0037