Conflicting discursive representations of overtourism in Lisbon in the Portuguese digital press

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to explore the ways in which Portuguese online news reports and opinion studies have framed the discussion about overtourism in Lisbon and its impacts on the city and its inhabitants. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on critical discourse analysis applied to media texts, this paper discusses the discursive representations of overtourism by focusing on how an emerging new discourse which constructs tourism as problematic began to challenge the established discourse – in which tourism is perceived as beneficial. Findings As a consequence, and to maintain the status quo, many media texts deploy strong legitimating strategies focusing on the benefits of tourism growth. These are juxtaposed with de-legitimating strategies which serve to deny problems of overtourism. Findings highlight the role the media play in shaping tourism discursively and uncover the complexities of discourses on the effects of (over)tourism and the ways in which they are constructed, disseminated and discussed. Social implications This research is particularly relevant when newspaper opinion articles from 2021 voice the Portuguese Government’s concern in bringing back to Portugal the pre-pandemic tourist numbers as soon as possible. Originality/value This study attempts to reveal the conflicting interests and imbalances of power among different tourism stakeholders by taking a qualitative, critical approach to the analysis of media discourse as a social practice within the broader socio-political context. This study argues that from an analytical-methodological perspective, media discourse is an optimum research site to critically explore how conflicting interests are positioned in the mass media and how this shapes public opinion.

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“…Ribeiro & Torkington (2023) examined how Portuguese online news reports address overtourism in Lisbon and the impact it has on the city and its residents. Using critical discourse analysis, they found that the media often uses legitimating strategies to highlight the benefits of tourism growth while also using de-legitimating strategies to minimize overtourism issues.…”

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“…As a direct result of over-tourism raised by academics, these studies point two issues with accommodation and re-urbanization of traditional neighborhoods to lure tourists (Daly et al, 2021). These issues include rising housing costs, displacing locals, and harming the environment (Ribeiro & Torkington, 2022). Furthermore, the increase in immigration is also directly related to the problem of adequate housing for the Lisbon population (Da Cunha et al, 2023), in addition to significantly affecting the Portuguese culture.…”

Sentiment Classification of Over-Tourism Issues in Responsible Tourism Content using Naïve Bayes Classifier

“…The issue of over-tourism has emerged as a significant concern due to the disproportionate mobility of tourist access juxtaposed with the carrying capacity of destination sites, eliciting a myriad of comments and sentiments from both local communities and travelers seeking to derive meaning from their tourism experiences [9]. The rapid growth of tourism has led to overcrowding, environmental degradation, and socio-cultural disruption in popular destinations worldwide, underscoring the urgency of addressing this imbalance [10]. As destinations struggle to cope with the influx of visitors, tensions arise between the aspirations of tourists and the preservation of local heritage and livelihoods [11].…”