Abstract
Abstract
The externalities of excess tourism development at a destination have become more and more visible over the last one decade, evolving themselves into anti-tourism movements in famous tourist destination such as: Venice, Dubrovnik, Santorini, Barcelona and Amsterdam. The increasing number of such protests accompanied with wide media coverage have led the tourism stakeholders to look for measures to control and optimize tourism development at a destination. The major impact bearers of overtourism are the residents of a destination so in this research a questionnaire is used to analyse the perception of the residents of small coastal state of Goa in India about overtourism. The concept of Social Exchange theory was applied and verified from the responses which states that people are willing to accept tourists if they are being benefited from them in the form of community development or improvement in quality of life. This finding suggests that there is a need for destination planners to focus on initiatives that actively contribute to community development, cultural conservation and enhance residents’ quality of life. The findings also emphasize the importance of transparent communication and involving local communities in planning to foster a mutually beneficial relationship between tourists and residents, as well as cultural restoration, ultimately promoting sustainable tourism practices. This study provides inputs to stakeholders for directing future tourism policies and exchanges.