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Purpose Due to both the new quality and intensity overtourism discussions have received, it is time to examine the question concerning the consequences this development has on destination level and how destinations can adjust their strategies for future development. This is especially important to consider, since overtourism can be seen as a fundamental issue for tourism development. First measures taken within destinations show that reactions are taking place, e.g. through access restrictions of frequently visited places. The purpose of this paper is to identify future-oriented strategies and to derive concrete measures in order to deal with overtourism on a destination level. Design/methodology/approach In total, 19 qualitative interviews with European destination managers were conducted and evaluated via the qualitative analysis method GABEK® with WinRelan® software. Findings The results show that various stakeholders are involved in overtourism, with the destination management organization being the central actor to deal with issues. It is challenging to choose between different strategies and measures, which always have to be considered in relation to the specific conditions of a destination and the perception level of overtourism. In order to face current developments, the initiation of a stakeholder dialog can be seen as a promising factor, but also as a challenging task. Originality/value Currently, a “wait-and-see-attitude” exists, where well-known destinations are cited as negative examples, but a serious examination related to one’s own destination has not yet been developed. This consideration should be seen as a prerequisite for future-oriented destination development, which takes the local population into account.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss responsibility in tourism destinations. On the basis of a resilience approach, central aspects of leadership and of responsibility in destination networks are introduced and, a contribution to a conceptual analysis of the future viability of tourism destinations is made. This contributes to a better understanding of resilience from a destination management organization (DMO) perspective in the context of shared responsibility. Design/methodology/approach To achieve this goal, a qualitative interview series was conducted with destination managers in urban and rural areas. The interviews were evaluated using the method of GABEK®, in order to reveal and visualize semantic relationships between the specific statements. This method allows the representation of linkages and relationships of keywords from interview transcripts in the form of network graphs. Findings A major result is the existence of a network of leaders who take responsibility for tourism development within a tourism destination. Within this network, the destination manager once again plays a key role by developing and formulating visions, goals and strategies. In this context, the relevant employees of the DMO have an important role to play, since they are an important resource of tourism development due to their experience and competences. Originality/value The paper contributes to a practical view on the development of visions and strategies. It analyzes challenges and possible ways to communicate with the required political and public actors of the destination as well as with the service providers to regard destination development as a collaborative task.

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Drawing on a main tenet of attraction systems theory, the article describes and explains the importance of cultural activities for tourism development in the context of the urban–rural relationship. The impact of culture on regional and tourism development has been an important research focus in recent years. However, the role of cultural activity in tourism development and its impacts on the urban–rural relationship have received little attention from academics. This article contributes to research by identifying problems associated with tourism development and the potential of cultural activities to overcome such challenges. The study draws upon the theory of the tourist attraction system that was developed by Leiper in 1990. Qualitative inquiry was used to ensure depth and richness in our case analysis. The results show that cultural activities in the small town setting have substantial importance for tourism development in both the city and in surrounding areas. However, it was found that awareness of the offer is limited to the immediate region. It is proposed that tourism service providers should identify more closely with the available cultural activities in order to create a valuable tourist offer that has potential to reach new target groups.