Exploring mass tourism impacts on locals: a comparative analysis between Barcelona and Sevilla

Abstract

Mass tourism is growing uncontrolled in many destinations worldwide. Negative impacts emerge from it, transforming the city and influencing on locals’ lifestyle and well-being. However, debates and contradictions emerge on the real impact on communities. From that, a deeper analysis of this issue is needed to understand how people perceive tourism and its effects. A quantitative study was conducted in two mature destinations in Spain: Barcelona and Sevilla. One of the major findings from this research is the importance of locals’ support to manage tourism. Practical and managerial implications are suggested in order to promote more sustainable and participative development of destinations.