Overtourism: beyond crowds and capacity

This study advances a novel understanding of overtourism by integrating Large Language Model-assisted qualitative analysis with Social Representation Theory. Based on an analysis of 10,543 comments discussing overtourism, the study examines how public discourse cognitively constructs and affectively moralizes the phenomenon. Findings reveal that overtourism is not merely framed as a problem of excessive visitation but as a moral and symbolic crisis reflecting collective anxieties about greed, vanity, corruption, and the loss of authenticity. These representations assign moral identities to key stakeholders – tourists, residents, governments, industry actors, and influencers – turning overtourism into a social drama of blame and loss.