A Multidimensional Tourism Carrying Capacity Model: an Empirical Approach

It is often observed that tourism generates a negative impact on the environment of destination places, among which the depletion of the natural capital is the most evident. To avoid this, tourism development and management should be based on the recognition of the limits characterising a destination. The indicator of Tourism Carrying Capacity (TCC) can be particularly relevant to this purpose. In fact, it gives an idea of the threshold of tourists that can be accepted at a destination while considering the capacities of some components of the local tourism system. In this work, we approach a specific definition of TCC, and for its empirical measurement, we also develop a multidimensional model in the form of a mathematical programming application. Furthermore, we apply the model to some tourism destinations in the area of the Gargano National Park (South Italy), where evidence of unsustainable tourism management can be observed.