Has COVID-19 brought a temporary halt to overtourism?

COVID-19 has caused radical changes in the lives of people as well as economies. These changes are deemed as evolutionary and would bring a new phase of transformation. However, current practices of both people and businesses might cease once the crisis disappears. In the tourism context, going back to unsustainable and irresponsible practices would lead to the re-emergence of tourism aversion. This research note addresses the possibility that COVID-19 has only brought a temporary halt to the pre-existing issue of over-tourism and its related unsustainable practices. Even though the travel restrictions imposed by several countries amidst the spread of coronavirus have created a situation of “zero tourism”, the tourism sector has now resumed its operations in most of the world. By presenting a conceptual framework, this note stresses that if the sector continues to act in the same way as before the virus, the situation of overtourism will re-emerge in the post-COVID-19 phase. Therefore, to prevent this issue, emphasising quality tourism, inculcating responsible behaviour, and the incorporation of technology are suggested

Czy pandemia COVID-19 czasowo zatrzymała zjawisko overtourism?

Pandemia COVID-19 spowodowała radykalne zmiany w codziennym życiu ludzi oraz funkcjonowaniu gospodarek. Uważa się, iż zmiany te mają charakter ewolucyjny i zapoczątkują nową fazę transformacji, jednak praktyki stosowane obecnie zarówno przez osoby prywatne, jak i przez firmy mogą zostać zaniechane, gdy kryzys dobiegnie końca. W kontekście podróżowania powrót do nieodpowiedzialnych zachowań doprowadziłby do ponownego pojawienia się niechęci do turystyki. Celem niniejszej notatki jest rozważenie, czy pandemia COVID-19 jedynie czasowo rozwiązała istniejący wcześniej problem nadmiernej turystyki (overtourism) i związanego z nią braku stosowania zrównoważonych praktyk. Mimo iż ograniczenia w podróżowaniu wprowadzane przez różne państwa ze względu na rozprzestrzenianie się koronawirusa spowodowały wystąpienie zjawiska zamrożenia turystyki (zero tourism), w większości krajów świata działania w sektorze turystycznym zostały już wznowione. Autorzy niniejszej notatki, prezentując ramy koncepcyjne, podkreślają, że jeśli branża będzie nadal funkcjonować na takich samych zasadach jak przed pojawieniem się koronawirusa, problem nadmiernej turystyki wróci po zakończeniu się pandemii. Dlatego też, aby nie dopuścić do takiego rozwoju sytuacji, autorzy sugerują położenie nacisku na turystykę jakościową, wpajanie podróżującym odpowiedzialnych zachowań oraz wykorzystywanie zdobyczy technologicznych

Tourist Guides’ Perspectives of Demarketing the Taj Mahal

A UNESCO world heritage site since 1983, the Taj Mahal, located in the city of Agra in India is an important contributor to tourism in India. In the year 2018 alone, approximately 280 million tourists visited the monument. However, the popularity of the site has several negative impacts such as yellowing of the structure, pollution and overcrowding which endangers this built cultural heritage. Due to this, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is the national authority entrusted with managing heritage sites, has initiated steps to check overcrowding in the Taj Mahal. One of the widely adopted strategies is demarketing. This paper discusses the impact of different demarketing techniques implemented at Taj Mahal on the tourist guides operating in the monument. To do this, investigative research was conducted with a total of 17 tourist guides who offer their services at the Taj Mahal. A thematic analysis based on semi-structured in-depth interviews was carried out. The study found that though the tourist guides at Taj Mahal are not directly affected by the demarketing measures yet, they face the reverberations of these initiatives. They appreciate the strategies adopted by the authorities to curtail overcrowding and emphasise the need for conservation of the monument as well. The study suggests that demarketing measures not only help in conserving the monument but also prove beneficial for stakeholders. The findings of the study are helpful for policymakers, and monument leadership in taking such measures to control the excessive tourism activities without affecting local stakeholders’ income. As demarketing is a delicate measure, it should be considered carefully on a case-by-case basis, taking important stakeholders into confidence. Various destinations have applied demarketing strategies in western countries, however, in India, the Taj Mahal is the first monument which has decided to implement such techniques to curb excessive flows of tourists. This study provides a fresh perspective on the effectiveness of this strategy. Further, the concept of demarketing is novel to stakeholders in India in general and the Taj Mahal in particular

Acknowledging the shades of grey: The past, present and future of dark tourism in India

The study uses a postcolonial lens to examine the historical interest of Western tourists towards dark tourism in the east, critically assess the current status of dark tourism in India, and recommend sustainable strategies that must be considered for promoting a dark tourism market in the future. The observations and recommendations for the study are based on primary fieldwork experience at different dark tourism sites in India besides an analysis of secondary data. A critical analysis in the context of dark tourism in India demonstrates several complex issues in terms of the existence and applicability of Euro-centric frameworks and concepts. Firstly, it is revealed that the Western fascination with death-related rituals in the east is rooted in notions of colonial discourse, authenticity and counter-culture movements. Secondly, although dark tourism has not been formally acknowledged or promoted in India, it already exists in the form of fragmented and informal markets across the country. Thirdly, the application of dark tourism frameworks and concepts in India requires careful consideration of contextuality and non-Western interpretations of death, disaster, heritage and processes of memorialisation to ensure that the marketing rhetoric does not reinforce colonial or neocolonial structures of power. Lastly, promoting responsible dark tourism in India entails minimising dissonance and decolonising the dark tourism narrative considering the larger goals of social sustainability and ethics