overtourism

American  

[oh-ver-toor-iz-uhm] / ˌoʊ vərˈtʊər ɪz əm /

noun

1. a situation in which too many tourists travel to a popular destination, causing the place to suffer negative environmental, economic, and sociocultural impacts.

   From packed viewpoints to water shortages, Santorini is the most visible face of overtourism in the Greek islands.

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Etymology

Origin of overtourism

First recorded in 1990–95; over- ( def. ) + tourism ( def. )

Example Sentences

For years, big cruise ships funneled crowds into destinations like Venice and Barcelona, fueling overtourism concerns and prompting officials to impose restrictions on cruise traffic, ship size and visitor volume.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

But today, the most visited tourist attraction in Spain has become a symbol of Europe’s overtourism problem.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

A cherry blossom festival boasting a highly Instagrammable view of Mount Fuji was cancelled this year after residents complained of overtourism.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

But the people who live there claim they are now seeing the overtourism problems being experienced across Europe.

From BBC • Jul. 22, 2025

Getting past the fear means travel that is not merely transactional or feeding into overtourism.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2025