Exploring Spatial Patterns of Short-Term Rental Accommodations in Lisbon with Geographic Information System (GIS)

There has been substantial debate regarding the consequences of overtourism in cities. Scholars have also examined variables that are directly and indirectly related to tourism, including demography, urban rehabilitation and requalification, gentrification, speculation in the real estate market, the influence of digital booking platforms, and the expansion of short-term rental (STR) accommodation. This research seeks to develop a clearer spatial understanding of this last one. By analyzing their distribution, density (maximum occupancy), and clustering and by employing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), this article will propose methodologies to better visualize spatial patterns, providing different perspectives of the city of Lisbon and its most tourism-intensive parishes. The article finds that STRs in Lisbon have expanded rapidly, concentrating overwhelmingly in six historic parishes where STR supply and maximum occupancy now exceed resident populations and housing availability. GIS analysis reveals intense clustering in central neighborhoods—especially Alfama—indicating significant tourism pressure and signs of overtourism. These spatial patterns correlate with depopulation and rising housing costs. The study concludes that STR are now a decisive factor in urban imbalance and that detailed spatial analysis is essential for regulating tourism, defining carrying-capacity thresholds, and developing more sustainable, socially just urban planning policies.