A MAJOR study claims the city has become overcrowded with tourists.

The report, Overtourism: impact and possible policy responses’, published by the University of Brighton, says overtourism has led to increases in costs of living for residents and decline in the quality of life. It also revealed that coastal cities and rural heritage sites are the most vulnerable.

Professor Marina Novelli, Professor of Tourism and International Development, pictured, worked on the report with experts from the Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain.

She said: “The spread of overtourism could cause the loss of authenticity and imply a significant risk to the future attractiveness of a destination.

“Uncontrolled tourism development can cause significant damage to landscapes, seascapes, air and water quality, as well as the living conditions of residents, causing economic inequalities and social exclusion, amongst many other issues.”

To prevent overtourism, the report recommended: “Known complicating factors are linked to a growing part of the industry operating outside the control of policy-makers. For example, sharing economy platforms like Airbnb and Uber, and peer-to-peer platforms such as TripAdvisor, which tend to have an impact on the concentration of tourists in certain destinations and places.”