Overtourism in global cities. Impacts, challenges and solutions

The main objective of this course is to reflect and deepen on the new urban tourism dynamics and analyze the negative impacts they are generating in cities, as well as the possible solutions to be implemented to reconcile tourism with the maintenance of the quality of life of residents and the environment.

• analysing the theoretical framework of "overtourism" and the new urban tourist dynamics;
  
• exploring the spaces of touristification in cities;
• inquiring about the social, economic and cultural transformations generated by overtourism in cities;
• evaluation of the relationship between tourism and the urban environment;
• determinating the opinion that the local population has about tourism in those neighbourhoods more affected by "overtourism". 

The expected learning outcomes are:

• make students understand the concept of "overtourism" and the impacts that causes in cities as well as new urban tourist dynamics through theoretical webinars and field trip;
• encourage students to meet the city’s stakeholders who work closely on aspects related to the "overtourism" and new tourist dynamics;
• encourage students to learn to work as a team through the development of collaborative work;
• to create international teaching-learning networks among CIVIS universities.
  

The physical mobility section of the BIP will take place between 25-29 May 2026, in Madrid, Spain, and will consist of:

• field trip: students will spend 5 days studying presently different cases connected with the topic of the course (40 hours approximately);
• self-working time: students will have a specific number of self-working time to develop a final project (15 hours approximately);
• projects presentations: student will present their project to debate the proposals among the rest of students and teaching staff (5 hours approximately).

The virtual part will be running from between 27 March - 22 May 2026 and will consist of a series of webinars given by the participating professors.

The objective of these seminars is for the students to obtain the necessary theoretical knowledge about the general topic of the course, which then apply to solve a specific problem in Madrid, during the physical component of the course.

Thus, the virtual part is meant to make students understand the concept of "overtourism" and the new tourism dynamics through theoretical webinars and field trip.

There are two main assessment methods foreseen in the course:

1. Virtual component: submission and approval of assignments. In each webinar there will be a task (webinar summary, open questions, questionnaire, etc.) that will have to be solved by the students. This way, students will be able to obtain theoretical knowledge that they can later apply during the physical component.
2. Physical component: elaboration and presentation of a project. Students will have to carry out group work in which, applying the knowledge acquired during the webminars, they will have to solve a real problem related to "overtourism" and the new tourist dynamics in Madrid. It is about working on the resolution of specific problems.

Motivation Letter

CV

The applications will be evaluated based on:

• Motivation to participate in the course
• Knowledge about tourism and tourism geography

• Carmen Hidalgo-Giralt - Geography Department, UAM;
  
• Diego Barrado-Timón - Geography Department, UAM;
• Benjamin Wayens - Brussels Centre for Urban Studies, ULB;
• Cristian Ioja - Faculty of Geography, Regional Geography and Environment, UB;
• Gabriel Vanau - Faculty of Geography, Regional Geography and Environment, UB;
• Maxime Nicola - Laboratoire IUSTI, CNRS Aix-Marseille Université, Polytech Marseille;
• Christian Smigiel - Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg / FB Soziologie und Sozialgeographie / Abteilung Sozialwissenschaftliche Geographie;
• Antonio Herrada - Geography Department, UAM.