Breaking the Seasonality Barrier in Tourism. A Literature Review of Policies and Strategies

Abstract

Tourism seasonality is a widely recognized and significant concern in academic literature as it affects the majority of tourism destinations. This phenomenon, which is one of the most notable characteristics of tourism, is recognized as a problematic issue which leads to negative economic and socio-cultural impacts during non-peak seasons, as well as environmental consequences during peak seasons. While it is acknowledged that tourism seasonality cannot be completely eliminated, the academic literature offers various policies and strategies to address and mitigate its effects. This paper aims to provide an overview of these initiatives aiming to effectively tackle seasonality in the tourism industry. Specifically, through an in-depth literature review from 2003 to 2023, this study identifies and analyzes the proposed approaches to shed light on the advancements of understanding and managing tourism seasonality focusing on the most recent trends. The selected papers, totaling 32 in number, are reviewed, categorized and analyzed based on the year of publication and the policies suggested. The findings will serve as a valuable resource for future-analysis and will also provide a decision-making guide for the tourism industry in effectively addressing seasonality.