World Tourism Day: Using technology to fight overtourism

World Tourism Day 2018 is on Sept. 27

As this year’s World Tourism Day celebrates how technology has impacted one of the world’s largest industries, popular tourist destinations are dealing with a negative side effect: overtourism.

“The amount of visitors a destination can tolerate without negatively impacting the environment is being monitored by visitor management techniques, but the question remains how to implement the solution,” said Dr. Marsha Loda, an associate professor of marketing at the James M. Hull College of Business at Augusta University and an expert in the hospitality and tourism industries. “Knowing how much a destination can absorb is different from how to restrict visitors from coming to your city or country. Should cities stop visitor traffic at their borders when a certain count is reached, or restrict airlines from landing?”

Nearly 4.1 billion passengers flew in 2017, more than in any other year to date, according to a report by the International Air Transport Association. International tourist arrivals also grew by 7 percent compared to 2016, the highest growth in seven years, according to a report by U.N.’s World Tourism Organization. The first four months of 2018 have also surpassed the World Tourism Organization’s forecast for international tourist arrivals, growing 6 percent compared to the same time frame in 2017.

With travel growing at this pace, can popular tourist destinations grow tourism in a sustainable way?

Loda is available to discuss:

How popular tourist destinations can effectively use technology such as big data, artificial intelligence and analytical tools to create sustainable tourism
How technological advances are trying to help tourism grow in a sustainable way and avoid overtourism

Loda co-owned an advertising and public relations agency in Memphis for almost 20 years, managing a gross income of more than $1 million. She was also the marketing director for Harrah’s, the largest tourism business in North Carolina, managing a $28-million marketing budget. Loda has a master’s degree in communication from the University of Memphis and a doctorate degree in parks, recreation and leisure from Clemson University.