Venice and Overtourism: Simulating Sustainable Development Scenarios through a Tourism Carrying Capacity Model

A fuzzy linear programming model offers a nuanced approach to balancing tourism's economic benefits and its negative impacts on destinations, as demonstrated by its application to Venice. This methodology addresses data uncertainty by incorporating fuzzy numbers derived from surveys of both tourists and residents, providing a more flexible framework than traditional 'crisp' models. The study highlights that such an approach can help destinations like Venice better understand the challenges of sustainable tourism development, evaluate policy impacts on sustainability, and design strategies for managing tourist flows more effectively. By simulating scenarios that maximize monetary gains while controlling undesirable tourism effects, this model presents a practical tool for policymakers to navigate the complexities of overtourism.

Bertocchi, D., Camatti, N., Giove, S., & van der Borg, J. (2020). Venice and Overtourism: Simulating Sustainable Development Scenarios through a Tourism Carrying Capacity Model. Sustainability, 12(2), 512. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12020512