Management of overtourism and sustainability in heritage destinations: a demarketing model for a consolidated destination in Boyacá, Colombia

The exponential growth of global tourism has generated the phenomenon of overtourism, threatening the sustainability of heritage destinations. This study analyzes seasonal tourism saturation in the consolidated destination of Boyacá, Colombia, a destination that experiences significant pressure on its infrastructure, environment, and local community during peak seasons. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines the official diagnosis of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism (MinCIT) with a survey of 80 visitors (October 2025), the consolidated destination of Boyacá was classified as a "consolidated destination in the  process of becoming saturated." The findings reveal a critical paradox: high satisfaction with heritage attributes (culture, friendliness, safety), but severe dissatisfaction with the influx of people (average: 2.88/5) and mobility (2.78/5). 57.5% of visitors perceive the number of tourists as "high" or "excessive," identifying overcrowding, high costs, and mobility difficulties as the main deterrents to future visits. The study concludes that the traditional promotional model is unsustainable and proposes a strategic transition toward active demand management through demarketing, structured within the framework of Smart Tourism Destinations (STDs): general demarketing (carrying capacity regulation), selective demarketing (temporal and spatial deseasonalization), technology for managing flows (Smart Mobility), and innovation in high-value products. This research contributes to the academic field by integrating demarketing as a sustainability tool in Latin American heritage destinations.