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Integrating Tourism Development into Urban Planning
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Integrating Tourism Development into Urban Planning

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2025) | Viewed by 16557

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Serafeim Polyzos

E-Mail Website
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

E-Mail Website
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

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 3620 KiB  
Article
Suitable Design Guidelines of City Tourism Site for Public Service: Optimization Design of Marina in Tianjin, China
by Ying Zhao, Canyichen Cui, Meng Han, Yin Zhang, Xiaojun Liu and Yijie Lin
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 2023; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052023 - 26 Feb 2025
Viewed by 512
Abstract
As urbanization accelerates in developing countries and populations continue to grow, the demand for sustainable urban regeneration becomes increasingly urgent. This study explores how urban regeneration can be integrated with tourism development to promote sustainable and inclusive growth. Using the theory of organic [...] Read more.
As urbanization accelerates in developing countries and populations continue to grow, the demand for sustainable urban regeneration becomes increasingly urgent. This study explores how urban regeneration can be integrated with tourism development to promote sustainable and inclusive growth. Using the theory of organic regeneration, this study emphasizes the role of localized, small-scale interventions that enhance the urban environment while boosting tourism appeal. Through field research at the Tianjin Cruise Terminal, this study applies the KANO model to classify user needs and prioritize design interventions based on the needs of various user groups, including tourists, exercisers, anglers, and local residents. By analyzing user group activity frequencies, the study identifies Must-be, One-dimensional, and Attractive needs, and utilizes weight analysis to assess the impacts of different facilities on user satisfaction. This approach ensures that the design guidelines effectively address both essential and value-enhancing features. The findings provide more suitable design guidelines for improving tourism infrastructure, promoting sustainable development, and enhancing the overall urban experience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Tourism Development into Urban Planning)
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21 pages, 1458 KiB  
Article
Approach to Impact of Tourism on Quality of Life: Case Study of the Magic Town of San Sebastián del Oeste, Jalisco, México
by Carlos Salvador Peña-Casillas, Rodrigo Espinoza-Sánchez, José Alejandro López-Sánchez and Adriana Yunuen Dávalos-Pita
Sustainability 2024, 16(24), 10828; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162410828 - 11 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1981
Abstract
Magical town designation is a distinction granted by the Mexican government to different areas that meet certain requirements that favor tourist activities. Some of these magical towns, as in the case of San Sebastian del Oeste, in Jalisco, have had different outcomes because [...] Read more.
Magical town designation is a distinction granted by the Mexican government to different areas that meet certain requirements that favor tourist activities. Some of these magical towns, as in the case of San Sebastian del Oeste, in Jalisco, have had different outcomes because of this distinction, and a very important one is the quality of life (QOL) of the local inhabitants, who have modified their traditional lifestyles oriented to rural activities by including tourism and all that it implies. For this reason, it is necessary to ask the following question: What has been the impact of tourism on the QOL of the local inhabitants of San Sebastian del Oeste? To answer this question, a qualitative–phenomenological methodology was used, based on interviews with local inhabitants to identify the impact of tourism on their QOL. This study found that tourism has answered some of the needs of the local population, such as economic and public services, but it is not the solution for all areas considered in QOL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Tourism Development into Urban Planning)
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20 pages, 8266 KiB  
Article
Characteristics and Effects of the Last Kilometre of the Tourist City from the Dynamic and Static Perspectives
by Yajun Xiong, Xinwei Guo and Junbo Gao
Sustainability 2024, 16(18), 8129; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16188129 - 18 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1165
Abstract
The accessibility of the “last kilometre” of a tourist city has a profound impact on the travelling experience of tourists. In-depth understanding of the characteristics and spatial effects of the “last-kilometre” traffic accessibility in tourist cities is conducive to further enhancing the accessibility [...] Read more.
The accessibility of the “last kilometre” of a tourist city has a profound impact on the travelling experience of tourists. In-depth understanding of the characteristics and spatial effects of the “last-kilometre” traffic accessibility in tourist cities is conducive to further enhancing the accessibility of traffic travel and forming a new industry development pattern of deep integration of traffic and tourism. The results show that: (1) Private transport accessibility is significantly better than public transport accessibility, and the strong economic strength of large cities such as Peking, Shanghai, and Nanjing support a wider coverage of public transport compared with cities such as Qinhuangdao, Dalian, Ningbo, etc. Even for the middle-income and high-income groups of the large cities, the advantage of the broader travelling cost of public transport is still significant. (2) The average values of the fluctuation coefficients of travel time of public transport in tourist cities are all smaller than those of private transport, and public transport is less sensitive to traffic congestion, making it a more reliable choice for tourist travel. The higher number of public transport grids with more anomalous fluctuations and much larger fluctuations than private transport grids suggests that there is an urgent need to strengthen the standardisation of public transport services in the corresponding areas. (3) Urban tourism development has been moving from single-line to network development, and the impact of urban transport on urban–regional tourism development has been manifested in the place fission effect, corridor diffusion effect, and regional equilibrium effect. In general, our findings have been useful in understanding the accessibility characteristics of the “last kilometre” in tourist cities, optimizing the efficiency of inter-regional and intra-city transport connections, constructing a fast and convenient travel transport system, improving the accessibility of transport trips, and forming a new development pattern for the deep integration of transport and tourism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Tourism Development into Urban Planning)
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20 pages, 2543 KiB  
Article
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
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2103
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 [...] Read more.
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  
Article
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
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2509
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 [...] Read more.
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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22 pages, 935 KiB  
Review
Bridging the Gap between Tourism Development and Urban Planning: Evidence from Greece
by Konstantina Stamatiou
Sustainability 2024, 16(15), 6359; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156359 - 25 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3386
Abstract
This article examines the shifts in spatial planning within Greece’s tourism sector since the 2010s, aimed at addressing the structural problems and challenges of Greek tourism. By exploring the characteristics of urban planning and tourism development in Greece, it investigates the changes in [...] Read more.
This article examines the shifts in spatial planning within Greece’s tourism sector since the 2010s, aimed at addressing the structural problems and challenges of Greek tourism. By exploring the characteristics of urban planning and tourism development in Greece, it investigates the changes in spatial planning in the field of tourism and the emergence of new urban planning mechanisms designed to facilitate and enable integrated tourism development projects. It highlights the interconnections between tourism planning and urban planning, demonstrating how these new urban planning instruments have incorporated tourism planning approaches based on integration and adaptability, with a focus on environmental sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Tourism Development into Urban Planning)
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18 pages, 4244 KiB  
Review
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
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2620
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 [...] Read more.
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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