Governance, sustainability, and resident stress in urban tourism: Evidence from Málaga

Abstract

Overtourism has become a pressing challenge for urban destinations, generating economic, environmental, and psychological impacts on local communities. The city must be understood simultaneously as a lived residential environment and as a tourism destination shaped by housing, mobility, and urban planning structures, which explains why overtourism affects residents’ well-being and positions them as central actors in destination governance. Yet the governance dimension of overtourism – and its role in shaping resident stress – remains underexplored. This study analyses how governance effectiveness, sustainability policies, and tourist behaviour interact to influence residents’ stress in Málaga, an overtourism hotspot. Using data from 450 residents, we apply Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to capture both linear effects and configurational pathways. The study frames the urban destination as a planning unit, linking overtourism to spatial regulation, settlement function, and destination governance terminology.Findings show that governance failures exacerbate psychological distress, while effective sustainability policies mitigate negative effects. Stress emerges from interdependencies among governance, perceived benefits, and sustainability evaluations. The results provide actionable insights for policymakers, highlighting the need for adaptive, resident-centred governance to balance tourism growth with urban well-being.