Overtourism in the Kaliningrad region: concerns or fact?

The article examines issues related to increasing tourist flows and the likelihood of a period of overtourism. The purpose of the study is to identify the factors of excess tourism in certain areas of the Kaliningrad region. It is noted that the global problem is the uneven distribution of demand and its concentration in certain popular locations. In the Kaliningrad region, the article highlights three locations where the problem of overtourism is most pressing. These locations include the Curonian Spit National Nature Park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the federal resort town of Zelenogradsk, and the historical district of Kaliningrad Amalienau. The impact of excessive tourism on the areas under consideration varies: for the Curonian Spit, excessive tourism affects the ecological sustainability of the natural object; for the Amalienau area, the emergence of social problems in relation to local residents is typical; in Zelenogradsk, a complex of problems of both a social and ecological nature is evident. Consideration of the model of the attitude of the local population towards tourists, proposed by G. Doxey, allows all tourist destinations to be conditionally divided into four groups, which allows for a better understanding of the likelihood of excessive tourism and the possibility of preventing its consequences. Taking into account the strategies for managing overtourism, adapted by UNWTO, allows for timely development of measures to monitor the situation and respond to ongoing processes. The study concluded that it is necessary to involve the local community in solving the problems of overtourism.