The myth of “Overtourism”: A Barthesian reading of an elusive concept

This paper applies Roland Barthes’ theory of myth to overtourism, arguing that the term naturalises historically contingent tourism problems. Without denying the reality of congestion, environmental degradation, or resident dissatisfaction, it traces how overtourism is constructed through media discourse, governance, and tourism development. Drawing on Barthesian semiology, the paper shows how complex political and economic processes are reframed as the apparently self-evident problem of “too much tourism,” whether excess is identified through destination indicators or residents’ and tourists’ perceptions. It argues that overtourism can obscure competing explanations and interests while shaping what is measured, blamed, and governed. The paper concludes by treating overtourism itself as an object of critical inquiry rather than a self-evident analytical category.