How Much Tourism Is Too Much? Stakeholder’s Perceptions on Overtourism, Sustainable Destination Management During the Pandemic of COVID-19 Era in Santorini Island Greece

摘要

The newly adapted concept of“overtourism”based on the old concept of carrying capacity has emerged in various destinations worldwide and it seems to be one of the most important issues on destination management literature.Santorini is one of the most picturesque islands globally and at the same time one of the destinations that have been incorporated into the discourse of overtourism.However,Santorini is different to many of the destinations exposed to overtourism as an island destination with specific limitations in physical space,natural and physical resources.For many years we have experienced the rapid growth of tourism worldwide until the emergence of the COVID pandemic that stopped almost every economic activity.The rapid increase of visitors in Santorini had various impacts on the island’s economy,society,and environment.This paper is about overtourism on the Aegean Island of Santorini,where overtourism has been a fact for several years.In the island tourism development is evident but sustainability is a critical theme for the locals,the entrepreneurs,and the tourism industry of the destination.In this paper the perceptions of the destination’s stakeholders are examined on issues like sustainability,overtourism,and the impacts of the pandemic.Finally,the paper examines the stakeholders’thoughts on the possibility of the pandemic might become the springboard for redefining tourism on the island.