La paradoja del overtourism y undertourism en un mismo destinoel caso de Nueva Tabarca (Alicante, España)

Abstract

Is it possible for over and under tourism to occur simultaneously at the same destination? This research will show that this paradoxical situation is possible. To illustrate this, the archipelago of Nueva Tabarca, close to the mature tourist area of the Costa Blanca in Alicante (Spain), is studied. In spite of its rich heritage and evident nonseasonal potential, this island enclave presents an uneven tourist use in time and space. This allows us to speak of massiveness and saturation, typical of over-tourism, while at the same time a part of the island space of undoubted quality remains underused throughout the year, and that there is also a calmer tourist consumption, which would allow us to speak of sub-tourism. To demonstrate this, a methodology based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews with social and tourist agents will be used, which will make it possible to contrast the data offered by indirect sources. Far from being a singular case, this study offers an analysis that can be extrapolated to other places and microdestinations, which are visited massively due to their proximity to consolidated tourist areas.