01 December 2025
Bilbao Campus
A study recently published in the scientific journal Sustainability, carried out by a research team from Deusto Business School, analyses how residents of Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, and Seville perceive the impact of tourism in terms of sustainability. The research also validates with statistical rigour the international SUS-TAS scale, a tool that measures citizens’ attitudes towards sustainable tourism across seven parameters.
Starting from the fact that all four cities share excellent rail, road, and air connections, as well as significant growth in tourist accommodation in recent years, the study, based on a survey of 660 residents, concludes that perceptions vary significantly between cities with different levels of tourism maturity. The results show that residents of Barcelona report the highest levels of perceived social costs of tourism, highlighting overcrowding, environmental degradation, and a loss of quality of life.
By contrast, Bilbao, whose tourism expansion is more recent, shows lower levels of perceived negative impacts and particularly strong support for long-term planning and the need for orderly, participatory, and sustainable tourism models. Madrid and Seville are halfway between them. In the first case, although the perceived tourism pressure is lower than in Barcelona, Madrid residents do express concern about the recent increase in tourist accommodations, overcrowding in central areas, and the impact on housing prices. Nevertheless, the capital maintains a relatively positive view of the economic benefits and diversification that tourism brings.
In the case of Seville, the study finds a balance: although residents value the role of tourism in the local economy, they also recognise growing tensions in historic areas, particularly concerning urban congestion, coexistence with visitors, and the loss of identity in some traditional neighbourhoods.
Context-specific policies
The study concludes that people with higher levels of education place greater value on environmental sustainability, economic benefits, and the importance of planning. By contrast, age, length of residence in the city, or employment status have little influence on perceptions.
The research team emphasises that the results reinforce the need to promote tourism policies adapted to the local context. In cities such as Barcelona or Madrid, this involves addressing overcrowding, coexistence, and the regulation of tourist accommodations; whereas in destinations like Bilbao or Seville, it is crucial to anticipate potential tensions through strategic planning and citizen participation.
In this sense, the study’s authors argue that designing sustainable destinations requires placing citizens at the centre of decision-making, strengthening community participation, implementing long-term planning, and adopting a tourism model that prioritises residents’ well-being alongside the destination’s competitiveness.
