Intervention on the Island: The Impacts of Non-Institutionalized Accommodations and Urban Infrastructure on Tourist Destinations

Abstract

With the increase in access to destinations across the globe by sea or air, many historically and architecturally rich places have become flooded with tourists, leading to environmental degradation and a loss in cultural heritage. This thesis explores the impact of tourism on an environmental and social level on tourist destinations. To do this, specifically, the impacts of the platform Airbnb, cruise ship growth, and changes in urban infrastructure over the last few decades were analyzed as the main three factors driving the growth in tourism. This research proves how sustainable tourism practices must be followed in order to not only preserve these places for future years of visitors, but also maintain the resident population that currently exists in these areas.