Citation: Pérez Garrido, B.;
Sebrek, S.S.; Semenova, V.; Bal, D.;
Michalkó, G. Addressing the
Phenomenon of Overtourism in
Budapest from Multiple Angles
Using Unconventional
Methodologies and Data.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 2268.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042268
Academic Editor: Chia-Lin Chang
Received: 29 January 2022
Accepted: 15 February 2022
Published: 16 February 2022
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sustainability
Article
Addressing the Phenomenon of Overtourism in Budapest from
Multiple Angles Using Unconventional Methodologies and Data
Betsabé Pérez Garrido
1,
* , Szabolcs Szilárd Sebrek
2
, Viktoriia Semenova
3
, Damla Bal
3
and Gábor Michalkó
4,5
1
Department of Computer Science, Institute of Information Technology, Corvinus University of Budapest,
1093 Budapest, Hungary
2
Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies, Corvinus University of Budapest, 1093 Budapest, Hungary;
sebrek@uni-corvinus.hu
3
Doctoral School of Business and Management, Corvinus University of Budapest, 1093 Budapest, Hungary;
viktoriia.semenova@stud.uni-corvinus.hu (V.S.); damla.bal@stud.uni-corvinus.hu (D.B.)
4
Institute of Marketing, Corvinus University of Budapest, 1093 Budapest, Hungary;
gabor.michalko@uni-corvinus.hu
5
CSFK Geographical Institute, 1112 Budapest, Hungary
* Correspondence: perez.betsabe@uni-corvinus.hu; Tel.: +36-1482-7478
Abstract: This paper addresses the phenomenon of overtourism in Budapest from multiple perspec-
tives, starting with an overview that uses information collected from news, media, and academic
tourism literature. Further, the phenomenon of overtourism is addressed quantitatively using differ-
ent indicators, including tourism density and intensity. According to these indicators, the center of
Budapest (formed by districts I, V, VI, VII, VIII, and IX) has been strongly affected by the presence of
tourists, while districts physically far from the center have been less affected. This fact suggests the
heterogeneity of the city in terms of overtourism. The number one catalyst of the negative impacts of
foreign visitors’ behavior is party tourism (‘ruin pub’ tourism), which involves an unconventional
use of the Hungarian capital. Finally, using an unconventional optimization method called fuzzy
linear programming, we attempt to explore the challenging problem of identifying the optimal
number of tourists for the city. The results of the study have important theoretical, methodological,
and practical implications. On the theoretical side, we offer a comprehensive understanding of the
phenomenon of overtourism in Budapest. Methodologically, the integrated approach in terms of
data gathering and unconventional analytical methodologies (comprised of a case study analysis, the
assessment of effective indicators for measuring the discussed phenomenon, and the demonstration
of the sustainable number of visitors) represents a novel perspective about the extent of overtourism
in Budapest. On the practical side, our findings provide valuable guidance for policymakers to help
mitigate the problem of overtourism in the city. With regard to future research, we suggest extending
and updating the results presented in this study to develop more sustainable tourism strategies.
Keywords: overtourism; Budapest; tourism carrying capacity; unconventional data gathering;
unconventional analytical methodology
1. Introduction
In 2019, Budapest was named the best destination in Europe, outranking classic urban
destinations such as Paris, London, and Barcelona [1]. Within the same calendar year, the
capital of Hungary ranked second on the “Best in Travel 2020” list, being awarded the title
of the world’s most affordable large city [2]. Indeed, the year 2019 witnessed unprecedented
tourist traffic in Budapest and the Hungarian tourism sector enjoyed “a golden age” [3]
before the COVID-19 pandemic. The contribution of tourism to GDP reached 13.2% in 2019
and the growth rate of the tourism sector exceeded both the EU and worldwide average [4].
Being among the most popular tourist destinations, however, has its downsides. Earlier,
Budapest was ranked fifth among the European cities most affected by overtourism in
Sustainability 2022, 14, 2268. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042268 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability