Conceptual Analysis of Overtourism in Busan’s Tourist Destinations: A Text Mining Approach

Abstract

Purpose This study investigates the structural properties and thematic organization of overtourism discourse in Busan using large-scale text mining to explore residents' perceptions of tourism-related pressures and governance needs. Methods Online text data combining the search term “overtourism” with the names of five major Busan tourism destinations were collected from Naver, Daum, and Google from May 11, 2023 through November 14, 2025 and subjected to frequency, centrality, and CONCOR analyses using TEXTOM and UCINET 6. Result문화(culture), 불편(inconvenience), 관광객(tourist), and 주민(resident) demonstrated the highest frequency and centrality, indicating discourse centers on cultural assets under pressure and resident-tourist conflict. CONCOR analysis revealed four thematic clusters, Policy and Institutional Response, Residential Impact and Conflict, Tourism Economy and Local Resources, and Macro-economic Development and Investment, demonstrating overtourism as multidimensional and perception-driven. Conclusion Busan’s overtourism is perceived as an urban phenomenon integrating social tensions, governance concerns, and economic pressures. Four clusters point respectively to the need for real-time visitor management, adaptive governance frameworks, small business stabilization policies, and spatial diversification strategies. Findings underscore the need for integrated, data-informed tourism management that responds to evolving community perceptions.