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Integrating Tourism Development into Urban Planning

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2024 | Viewed by 3385

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Serafeim Polyzos

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Guest Editor

Department of Planning and Regional Development, University of Thessaly, 38334 Volos, Greece
Interests: urban development; regional development; project management and project appraisal; tourism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Thomas Krabokoukis

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Guest Editor

Department of Planning and Regional Development, University of Thessaly, 38334 Volos, Greece
Interests: tourism development; regional development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tourism and urban planning are two critical areas that have a significant impact on sustainability, and competition between cities is a modern phenomenon that characterizes the functioning of small and large cities. Urban areas are often the primary destinations for tourists, and while tourism development can bring positive economic benefits, it can also have negative effects on the environment and local communities. Therefore, integrating tourism development into urban planning is necessary to ensure sustainable and inclusive development.

Tourism is an important economic activity that generates income for tourist areas and contributes to the improvement of the standard of living of their population, the creation of jobs, the securing of investments, and the improvement of infrastructure. This special issue aims to explore the challenges and opportunities of integrating tourism development into urban planning with a focus on sustainability. The goal is to provide insights and recommendations for policymakers, urban planners, and tourism practitioners to support sustainable tourism development and urban planning.

The issue will cover a wide range of geographical regions and cultural contexts to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issues and opportunities associated with integrating tourism development into urban planning. This special issue is a valuable opportunity to contribute to the growing body of research on sustainable tourism development and urban planning and to promote sustainable and inclusive tourism practices in urban areas.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Urban competitiveness;
Urban tourism;
Sustainable tourism development in urban areas;
Urban design and planning for tourism;
Tourism and the integration with other urban systems (e.g., transportation, waste management);
Smart cities and sustainable tourism development;
Community-based tourism development in urban areas;
Environmental and social impacts of tourism development in urban areas;
Policy and governance for sustainable tourism development and urban planning;
Stakeholder engagement in tourism development and urban planning.

Prof. Dr. Serafeim Polyzos
Dr. Thomas Krabokoukis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable tourism development
urban planning
urban competitiveness
tourism impacts
stakeholder engagement
smart cities
community-based tourism
policy and governance

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2543 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coexistence of Tourism in Urban Planning: Active Living, Social Sustainability, and Inclusivity

by Sotiroula Liasidou and Christiana Stylianou

Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3435; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083435 - 19 Apr 2024

Viewed by 463

Abstract

In any city, various social groups coexist and need to have a harmonious symbiosis and optimise how people experience the city. The notion of urban planning incorporates positive city development that is active, socially sustainable, and inclusive. This study aims to identify whether the development of the Mediterranean city of Limassol, Cyprus extends to cover the needs of people with disabilities (PwD), residents, and tourists, emphasising physical impairments regarding the facilities and services provided. Limassol, Cyprus is an interesting case because recent developments aim to establish the city as a friendly living space with varied activities and services. Additionally, the city attracts tourists, and such development can be a competitive advantage as a tourism destination. Semi-structured interviews with PwD have been conducted to analyse their views, aiming to identify the extent to which existing infrastructure and services align with an inclusive model within the framework of sustainability, encompassing the notion of an active city. According to the findings, local government via municipal and tourism authorities should consider inclusivity in all aspects when re-developing urban settings by ensuring accessibility for PwD and offering more services that adhere to the requirements of an active, socially sustainable, and inclusive city. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Tourism Development into Urban Planning)

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31 pages, 9203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tourist Preferences for Revitalizing Wellness Products and Reversing Depopulation in Rural Destinations

by George Ekonomou, Dimitris Kallioras, Angeliki N. Menegaki and Sergio Alvarez

Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16736; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416736 - 11 Dec 2023

Viewed by 901

Abstract

Wellness tourism is a growing segment that destinations can rely on to increase tourism flows and revive underdeveloped rural areas. This study elicits tourists’ preferences for wellness tourism products and the redevelopment of a wellness destination in a depopulated rural area. The research included 595 participants in Central Greece using on-site, face-to-face surveys. The survey data were analyzed using a two-step process. First, conjoint analysis was applied to determine the combination of wellness tourism product attributes that maximize visitors’ utility. In the second step, we elicited visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP) for improvements in tourism product attributes using the contingent valuation method. The findings indicate that the combination of attributes that maximizes the preference structure of respondents includes time of visit from September to October, duration of visit from 1 to 7 days, wellness tourism as the primary purpose of the visit, and wellness activities that contain both physical activities and training as well as spiritual and emotional enhancement. Using binary logistic regression, the analysis indicates that respondents are willing to pay EUR 47.33 per visit on average further to develop wellness tourism products in the study area. Empirical results confirmed that sustainability issues, quality, and entrepreneurship factors positively impact visitors’ WTP for revitalizing wellness products. In contrast, a longer duration of stay in the area and respondents’ age negatively impact their WTP. These findings suggest that structuring a customer-driven tourism product will enhance the rural destination’s efforts to attract high-yield visitors and advance the rural economy. Furthermore, practical implications reveal that Destination Management Organizations will benefit from research results to foster targeted management plans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Tourism Development into Urban Planning)

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Review

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18 pages, 4244 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Bibliometric Analysis of Integrating Tourism Development into Urban Planning

by Thomas Krabokoukis and Serafeim Polyzos

Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 14886; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014886 - 15 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1183

Abstract

This study conducts a literature analysis on integrating tourism development into urban planning to understand the current state of research in the field and identify potential areas for future study. The analysis, based on 11,134 articles published between 2010 and 2023, in the Scopus database, aims to identify emerging research themes, emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration, and reveal global research networks. Utilizing citation analysis, co-authorship analysis, co-occurrence analysis, bibliographic coupling analysis, and co-citation analysis with the use of VOSviewer (version 1.6.19) and Python programming language, the study sheds light on key trends in the integration of tourism development into urban planning. The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the field’s current landscape, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation and global research networks. This study offers valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, facilitating the advancement of sustainable urban tourism practices and guiding future research endeavors in integrating tourism development into urban planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Tourism Development into Urban Planning)

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