Guiding the flow: a research into spreading tourists effectively

Influencing tourist movements and experiences

This project was carried out in collaboration between the Centre of Expertise in Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality (CELTH), the European Tourism Futures Institute, amsterdam&partners, Wonderful Copenhagen, the Zoey Foundation, and Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas).
Research led by Ondrej Mitas, senior lecturer and experience researcher at BUas, explored the effectiveness of various information channels in influencing tourist movements and experiences in Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Visitors were recruited via pop-ups on each destination’s official marketing site and assigned to experimental groups.

These groups received different types of visitor guidance:
•    Zoey, an interactive assistant which provides personalised messages with information about attractions, with either must-see attractions or hidden gems
•    Paper maps (in Amsterdam) and web-based maps (in Copenhagen) with either must-see attractions or hidden gems

In Copenhagen, tourists using maps highlighting hidden gems were nearly 12 times more likely to explore lesser-known areas compared to those shown must-see attractions. Meanwhile in Amsterdam, exposure to hidden gem content, particularly via Zoey, was linked to reduced movement around high-traffic tourist spots. GPS tracking revealed significant differences in movement patterns despite similar satisfaction levels across all groups.

Two main strategic pathways emerged

A follow-up workshop facilitated by Bernadett Papp, senior researcher at ETFI NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, resulted in the further development of two concept ideas and actionable plans for next steps.

•    Personalised & Dynamic Digital Visitor Navigation: real-time, technology-enabled visitor support using interactive maps and nudging tools to create flexible, personalised visitor journeys
•    Collaborative Partnership Model Centred on Data Sharing: building strategic alliances to improve message targeting and communication.

“These pathways offer promising directions for managing visitor flows and enhancing urban tourism sustainability through smarter communication,” according to Mitas.

Fight or flight

Another recent study, led by Marcel Bastiaansen, Professor of Leisure and Tourism Experience at BUas, has revealed fascinating insights into how people actually experience crowding at tourist destinations by using brain monitoring technology to capture immediate, unconscious responses. 
Researchers showed participants 360-degree virtual reality images of Amsterdam tourist spots with varying numbers of people at different distances, while recording their brain activity through EEG sensors. 

“The study found that tourists feel most comfortable with moderate levels of crowding rather than completely empty or overly crowded spaces,” explains Bastiaansen. 

The brain data showed that when people encounter uncomfortable crowding, their immediate unconscious response is not just feeling bad; it is an urge to physically move away from the situation. This suggests that overtourism triggers an automatic ‘fight or flight’ type response in visitors' brains before they even consciously realise they are uncomfortable. Providing evidence for why people instinctively seek to escape overly dense tourist areas.

Rethinking tourist flow management

For cities struggling with overtourism, the research on spreading tourists effectively provides confirmation that sustainable tourism management does not require expensive infrastructure changes or controversial entry fees. Instead, it suggests that simply changing how we inform tourists and thoughtful information design may successfully redistribute visitor flows, while maintaining the quality of visitor experiences.

More information is available on Pure:

Experiencing crowding at tourist destinations: An electro-encephalographic study
Guiding the flow: dispersing tourists through smarter communication: lessens from Amsterdam & Copenhagen