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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2019) | Viewed by 30681

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Chris A. Vassiliadis

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Guest Editor

Department of Business Administration, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: the marketing of services, the management of tourist destinations, sustainable hospitality and tourism management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today, the need for sustainable tourism practices is very important for the whole tourism system. Many research scholars and practitioners have pointed out that the successful path to a sustainable tourism model is an integrated approach that includes local planners, communities, destination marketers, and tourism providers, and not only the involved parts of the core tourism system. UNESCO and landmark international events such the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

The “green economy” is one of the pillars that are related to the sustainability of the tourism industry. The other important aspects and pillars are related to managing the assets and demand aspects, educating and involving B2B and households, marketing mix strategies, cost–benefit relations, social accounting indicators, involvement policies of the local community, adding skilled staff resources, and quality employment options. Contributors from the “Tourism for a Sustainable Future” conference meeting held at Rio (Rio+20 event, at 20 June 2012) agreed that tourism can make a significant contribution to the three pillars of sustainable development—economic, social/cultural, and environmental. Social/cultural, economic, and environmental, otherwise known as “people, planet, and profit” aspects, should be the priority of well-designed sustainable and heritage oriented policies. Long range planning needs the cooperation of the two basic parts, for example, visitors–tourists and local community representatives, so that both can profit through tourism. Sustainable tourism, however, can provide value (jobs, income, and sustaining the cultural and environmental heritage) to the local community (by improving living standards) and the local tourism industry, with a low impact on the important tourism sociocultural aspects of the industrial environment.

Some helpful references:

Cvelbar, LK; Dwyer L. An importance–performance analysis of sustainability factors for long-term strategy planning in Slovenian hotels. J. Sustain. Tourism, 2013, 21(3), pp.487–504.

Graci, S. and Dodds, R. Sustainable Tourism in Island Destinations; Earthscan: London, UK, 2010.

Groth, A. Sustainable tourism and the environment, Connect, 2000, 25(1), pp. 1–2.

Hall, D.; Richards, G. Tourism and Sustainable Community Development; Routledge, London, UK, 2003.

Boström, M A missing pillar? Challenges in theorizing and practicing social sustainability: introduction to the special issue. Sustain. Sci., Pract. Policy, 2012, 8(1), 3–14.

Mihalič T.; Žabkar V.; Cvelbar L K.; A hotel sustainability business model: evidence from Slovenia. J. Sustain. Tourism, 2012, 20(5), 701–719.

Mowforth, M.; Munt, I. Tourism and Sustainability: Development, Globalisation and New Tourism in the Third World, 3rd ed; Routledge: London, UK, 2008.

Robinson, M.; Picard, D. Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development, Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue: Culture Sector, UNESCO, 2006.

Sharpley, R. Tourism Development and the Environment: Beyond Sustainability?, Earthscan: London, UK, 2009

Spenceley, A. Responsible Tourism. Critical Issues for Conservation and Development; Earthscan： London, UK, 2008.

UNWTO Tourism for Development - Good Practices, UNWTO: Madrid, Spain 2018. ISBN 978-92-844-1974-6.

Zofani, S.; Sedaghat, M.; Maknoon, R.; Zavadskas, EK. Sustainable tourism: a comprehensive literature review on frameworks and applications. Econ. Res. Ekonomska Istraživanja, 2015, 28, 1–32.

Prof. Dr. Chris A. Vassiliadis
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Sustainable tourism innovative practices
Destination development
Hospitality management
Tourism sustainability
Three pillars

Published Papers (7 papers)

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19 pages, 890 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Residents’ Negative Perceptions towards Tourism, Loyalty and Happiness: The Case of Fuengirola, Spain

by Eva María Sánchez-Teba, María Dolores Benítez-Márquez and Teresa Romero-Navas

Sustainability 2019, 11(23), 6841; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236841 - 2 Dec 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3051

Abstract

Current studies suggest focusing on the study of residents’ negative perceptions towards tourism. This study estimates a confirmatory model of structural equations based on variance. The negative perceptions of residents living in Fuengirola (Spain), divided into three dimensions (negative economic impact, negative social impact, and negative environmental impact), according to social exchange theory, and, also the residents’ loyalty to their city are considered to be predictors of residents’ happiness. We have proposed a construct of residents’ loyalty to their tourism destination residence as a novelty, being composed of two indicators. The model has been computed based on partial least squares-structural equation modeling. The following hypotheses have been tested: (a) negative perceptions have positive effects on each other; (b) negative perceptions have a negative effect on happiness; and, (c) residents’ loyalty has a positive effect on happiness. The hypotheses were not rejected. Moreover, the loyalty of the residents has the highest direct positive impact, while the negative impacts have weak negative effects, direct and indirect, on the happiness of the residents. The result of the positive relationship between place loyalty and happiness referred by those persons who perceive their living place (neighborhood) as prestigious is consistent with our findings, which is, an increase of loyalty was found to be associated with an increase in happiness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism for a Sustainable Future)

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19 pages, 1673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tourism Development in Inner Mountain Areas—The Local Stakeholders’ Point of View through a Mixed Method Approach

by Stefano Duglio, Alessandro Bonadonna, Marilisa Letey, Giovanni Peira, Laura Zavattaro and Giampiero Lombardi

Sustainability 2019, 11(21), 5997; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11215997 - 28 Oct 2019

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 5621

Abstract

Tourism in inner areas, especially in the mountains, is a complex phenomenon due to the different tourist’s needs and to the specific local features that vary considerably from one destination to another. Consequently, a unique tourism development strategy cannot be defined and adopted anywhere. When considering tourism-based territorial development in mountain areas, it is crucial to take the vision of local stakeholders into consideration. To drive different and/or unexpressed opinions towards shared tools, this study analyses the local stakeholder’s point of view using a mixed method consisting of a Delphi method followed by a Group Nominal Technique. The research was performed in Soana Valley, a small mountain community in the Northwestern Italian Alps. It involved 17 local stakeholders divided into three main groups—local administrators (n = 3), hospitality operators (9) and retailers (5). Results show how operators converge on three common aspects—local food product offering, territorial promotion and collaboration among operators, on which the community should focus to build a territorial integrated tourism offering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism for a Sustainable Future)

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17 pages, 1041 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining Roles of Tour Dure Producers for Social Capital and Innovativeness in Community-Based Tourism

by Jaehun Joo, Jeong-Ja Choi and Namhyun Kim

Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5337; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195337 - 27 Sep 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3498

Abstract

The Dure community is a traditional meeting and collaborative effort for solving tasks and issues in rural farming villages in Korea. Recently, the South Korean government has tried to revitalize Dure communities to develop tourism businesses in local provinces. Tour Dure projects aimed at revitalizing local communities and promoting sustainable economic development have been operating since 2013. Tour Dure producers, as change agents, play a critical role in the Tour Dure projects. The purpose of this study is to reveal the producers’ roles in realizing community-based tourism (CBT). Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, this study analyzes the relationship between the producers’ role and social capital in local communities and the subsequent impact on residents’ innovativeness and life satisfaction. The results show that the producer’s role is important in creating social capital, improving innovativeness, and, as a result, residents’ life satisfaction. The present study suggests further implications for academics and policy makers focused on sustainable CBT. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism for a Sustainable Future)

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17 pages, 17066 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Integrated Rural Development Mode Based on a Tourism-Oriented Approach: Exploring the Beautiful Village Project in China

by Chunliu Gao, Li Cheng, Javed Iqbal and Deqiang Cheng

Sustainability 2019, 11(14), 3890; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143890 - 17 Jul 2019

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 6213

Abstract

To solve the decline of rural development, an effective development mode is indispensable. Rural tourism is a key approach in poverty alleviation and rural revitalization in China. The comparative analysis of the 50 most beautiful villages as awarded by the Ministry of Agriculture of China shows that the rural tourism development mode with the integration of production, village and scenery realizes the sustainable development of rural areas. To examine this further, this study takes Qinggangshu Village as a case study and constructs a systematic rural tourism-based sustainable development model called Aims, Measures, Demands (AMD). The results show that Qinggangshu Village has changed from a single farming village to a mature tourism village due to the Beautiful Village Project’s support. In this process, the production, village and scenery have made great change by promoting rural tourism development. Land consolidation and land asset activation is at the core of rural transformation and development, which can drive the reorganization and flow of labor and capital and can also make rebuilt villages more comfortable living spaces. Furthermore, a good landscape environment can stimulate development and competition. This study could be used as an example of attaining sustainable development for other rural areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism for a Sustainable Future)

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15 pages, 1660 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of EU Sponsorship, Size, and Geographic Characteristics on Rural Tourism Development

by Anestis Fotiadis, Guych Nuryyev, Jennet Achyldurdyyeva and Anastasia Spyridou

Sustainability 2019, 11(8), 2375; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11082375 - 22 Apr 2019

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 4514

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that promote successful rural tourism development in light of EU sponsorship of rural tourism hosts. The paper examines the effect of the size and geographical characteristics of rural tourism hosts on their views towards rural tourism development. The paper employs factor analysis, t-tests, and ANOVA to analyze the data from the survey of the hosts. The survey was sent to 652 rural tourism hosts, of whom 174 replied, giving a response rate of 27%. The results show the following. Firstly, subsidies, leadership, and cooperation are viewed by the hosts as important factors. Secondly, sponsorship, size, and peripheral economic conditions influence rural tourism hosts’ views on success factors of rural enterprises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism for a Sustainable Future)

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24 pages, 1898 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reservation Forecasting Models for Hospitality SMEs with a View to Enhance Their Economic Sustainability

by Anna Maria Fiori and Ilaria Foroni

Sustainability 2019, 11(5), 1274; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11051274 - 28 Feb 2019

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4034

Abstract

In many tourism destinations, sustainability of the local economy leans on small and medium-sized hotels that are individually owned and operated by members of the community. Suffering from seasonality more than their big competitors, these hotels should undertake marketing initiatives to counteract wide demand fluctuations. Such initiatives are most effective if based on accurate occupancy forecasts, which must be performed at the individual hotel level. In this aim, the present paper suggests a demand forecasting approach adapted to specific features that characterize reservation data for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the hospitality sector. The proposed framework integrates historical and advanced booking methods into a forecast combination with time-varying, performance-based weights. Whereas historical methods use only past observations about the number of guests recorded on a particular stay night to forecast future room occupancy (long-term perspective), advanced booking methods predict bookings-to-come based on partially accumulated data from reservations on hand (short-term perspective). In order to provide a possible solution to data sparsity issues that affect the application of advanced booking models to hospitality SMEs, a procedure that incorporates length-of-stay information directly into the reservation processing phase is also introduced. The methodology is tested on real time series of reservation data from three Italian hotels, located either in a city center (Milan) or in a typical destination for seasonal holidays (Lake Maggiore). Model parameters are calibrated on a training dataset and the accuracy of the occupancy forecasts is evaluated on a holdout sample. The results validate earlier findings about combinations of long-term and short-term forecasts and, in addition, show that using performance-based weights improves the quality of forecasts. Reducing the risk of large forecast failures, the proposed methodology can indeed have practical implications for the design and implementation of effective demand-side policies in hospitality SMEs. These policies are expected to provide a competitive advantage that can be crucial to the sustainability of small establishments in a context of growing global tourism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism for a Sustainable Future)

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19 pages, 3263 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Penyagolosa Trails: From Ancestral Roads to Sustainable Ultra-Trail Race, between Spirituality, Nature, and Sports. A Case of Study

by Dolores Botella-Carrubi, Rosa Currás Móstoles and Maria Escrivá-Beltrán

Sustainability 2019, 11(23), 6605; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236605 - 22 Nov 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3109

Abstract

The organization of an open-air sporting event involves a series of challenges. People are drawn by the desire to do sport, preferably in close contact with nature, so as to complement healthy lifestyles, and in search of air purity. Sporting organizations are increasingly searching for new locations that do not only attract athletes, but spectators and companions too. Races in natural parks provide the additional benefit of doing sport in a unique space, usually a transmitter of simplicity, pure air, and tranquillity. Organizing a mountain race in a natural park implies some issues. These are areas of great environmental richness that must be protected. Natural parks are places of individual recreational activity. Within the running phenomenon, a new type of mountain race has appeared: the hiking-oriented pilgrimage, in which athletes travel ancestral paths, pilgrimage routes thus combining sport practice with spirituality. This paper aims to analyse all the actions and policies that were carried out for the peaceful integration and coexistence of two totally different events that coincide physically and temporally: the Penyagolosa Trails race, and the Peregrins de les Useres, an ancestral pilgrimage that is carried out by each and every one of the towns belonging to the Penyagolosa Natural Park. The objective is to demonstrate the sustainability of the project thanks to the collective effort and the goodwill of the interested parties, in a way that produces a mutual benefit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism for a Sustainable Future)

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