Special Issue "Sustainability in Tourism Activities and the Low-Density and Peripheral Territories"

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Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13339; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813339 - 06 Sep 2023

Viewed by 277

Abstract

This research aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on businesses operating in the tourism industry in the Azores. The objective of this survey, conducted in 2021 and 2022, was to investigate the preventive and management measures implemented by the tourist firms, in this outermost region of Portugal, in response to the pandemic, along with the effects on profitability. Additionally, the study aims to assess the contribution of financial support from the regional government toward these businesses’ sustainability and anticipate future expectations. The temporary closure of businesses was the most frequently adopted measure by the firms to adapt to the ongoing pandemic. Most companies reported a significant decline in profitability, with a reduction in customers being the primary contributing factor. Most firms availed themselves of the preceding financial support structures provided by the regional government. Looking forward, the firms expressed their intention to retain their current employees. At the same time, their biggest concern was the potential decrease in consumer demand, even in the context of well-established public health safety protocols. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Tourism Activities and the Low-Density and Peripheral Territories)

Rural Tourism—Viable Alternatives for Preserving Local Specificity and Sustainable Socio-Economic Development: Case Study—“Valley of the Kings” (Gurghiului Valley, Mureș County, Romania)

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Open AccessArticle

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Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16295; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316295 - 06 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1806

Abstract

Rural tourism, defined as a form of local initiative tourism, has at its forefront the involvement of the local community, who contribute significantly to the affirmation and promotion of this type of tourism. In order to be able to speak of the practice of this type of tourism in a given geographical area, it is first necessary to highlight the existence of a tourist heritage, both natural and anthropic, which identifies itself with the authentic character of the area, satisfying the need of the tourist to discover activities and tourist attractions with local specificity. The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of socio-economic and cultural aspects in the sustainable development of tourism in the Gurghiului Valley. The present study also aims to highlight the role of local entrepreneurs in the process of economic development in the area by means of new practices and sustainable approaches; this is based on efficient capitalization of the natural and anthropic tourism heritage of the area, defined by elements of authenticity. The methodology applied in this work is based on the study of specialized literature, along with case study on tourist activity in rural tourism. The research carried out is based on analysis of data from official sources of tourist data (the National Tourism Agency (hereafter NTA) and the National Institute of Statistics (hereafter NIS)), as well as research carried out in the field to see if there are discrepancies between what these two aforementioned official sources provide and the reality on the ground. Our research finally revealed the fact that Gurghiului Valley officially entered into the tourist landscape in 1990 through the lens of the Lăpușna student and preschool camp, and rural tourism has been organized in the study area since 2005. At the same time, research has shown that there is currently a need for much greater involvement and awareness both from local authorities and the resident population regarding the importance of rural tourism in the social and economic evolution of the local community. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Tourism Activities and the Low-Density and Peripheral Territories)

Inland or Coastal: That’s the Question! Different Impacts of COVID-19 on the Tourism Sector in Portugal

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Open AccessCommunication

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Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16248; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316248 - 05 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 693

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had severe implications in different economic sectors, among them tourism, with countries where tourism has a relevant economic role, such as Portugal, being greatly affected. However, the impact was different in the various regions of the country, which could be related to some tourism units, being more isolated or with fewer rooms, being seen as more attractive and safer. Based on data from Portuguese firms, and distinguishing their location between coastal and inland, it is possible to conclude that inland tourism units were less affected than coastal ones, which could be related to tourists seeking less densely populated areas, a relevant conclusion for the different agents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Tourism Activities and the Low-Density and Peripheral Territories)

Standardized Reading of Sustainable Tourism Indicators for Ultraperipheral Regions

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Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14076; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114076 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 916

Abstract

Sustainable development raises various challenges in terms of UPR for putting public policies into effect, and the concept, namely about the definition of metrics, is adapted to small parcels of territory. The objective of the present study is to introduce an alphanumeric reading scale for the tourism sustainability indicators in UPR, to be precise, Madeira and the Azores to allow a better interpretation and understanding. A total of 25 indicators were compared in the last 5 years and with the COVID-19 pandemic, although there are positive performances, a lack of data was observed for some indicators, and some lack of information in the last 2 years or more. During the last 5 years, the pillar of environmental sustainability has maintained its ideal form, but in comparison with the last 2 years, it has moved to critical status, which is in part a consequence of the lack of recorded data. There are indicators that are not registered on the UPR and some data from Turismo de Portugal refer only to the mainland zone. The major implication is raised in terms of the existing indicator systems, which are not all provided periodically, influencing the interpretation of the indicators of Portuguese UPR. Consequently, assertive, sustainable decisions are difficult to be taken based on non-existent or insufficient data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Tourism Activities and the Low-Density and Peripheral Territories)

Assessing the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic over the Azores Region’s Touristic Companies

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Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Tourism Revenue in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration Region during 2001–2019

Áurea Sousa

Pedro Pimentel

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Maria da Graça Batista

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9647; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179647 - 27 Aug 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1886

Abstract

It is understood that some types of tourism, as is the case of rural tourism, have an even more relevant role in achieving regional sustainability. Considering the actual COVID-19 sanitary crisis and its horizontal impacts over all the society and economy spheres, along with the relevance of rural tourism over the regional development, the current paper explores the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic over the Azores Region’s Touristic Companies. Thus, through direct testing tools, such as questionnaires and site analysis, the present article enabled us to provide more insights into the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic over the Azores Region’s touristic companies. The sample comprises 506 business managers of establishments of the touristic sector of the Azores, an outermost region of Portugal. The study has a descriptive focus and uses some methods of descriptive statistics, including the multiple response analysis. Most respondents consider that COVID-19 has a strong negative impact on their companies and expect a drop in turnover in 2020/2021. Our results suggest that government support is essential to offset the effects of the pandemic on companies of the tourism sector and show that the seal “Clean & Safe Azores” is an asset for companies operating in this region. Therefore, the results of this study could be used as a practical application for the Regional Authorities for the measurement of the impacts caused by the recent health crisis on the economy of the Azores. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Tourism Activities and the Low-Density and Peripheral Territories)

Open AccessArticle

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Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3658; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073658 - 25 Mar 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1587

Abstract

Green development is a solution to achieve sustainable development, while tourism development is one of the best approaches to realize a green economy. As the most rapid economic development region in China, the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA) has also witnessed rapid changes in its tourism economy during 2001–2019. Here, we analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns of its tourism revenue, and further identified contributions from multiple socio-economic factors using spatial analysis tools and regression models. The total tourism revenue increased 14.35 fold, with an annual increase rate of 79.73% during 2001–2019. The proportion of tourism revenue to the GDP continuously increased from 11.57% in 2001 to 18.89% in 2019. Tourism revenue increased for all cities, with the least increasing rates in the metropolitan cities including Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou and Hangzhou, and the largest increase rates in Ma’anshan, Hefei, Huzhou and Zhoushan. A regression and causality test indicated that different socioeconomic factors controlled the spatiotemporal variation patterns in different cities. The economic structure in the YRDUA has undergone significant shifts, with an increasing importance of tourism revenue in the GDP for most cities and a reducing discrepancy of tourism revenue among cities. Our study can enable the policy makers to be aware of the magnitude, temporal variation patterns, differences among cities and controlling factors for tourism development, and thus take suitable measures to further promote green tourism development in the YRDUA region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Tourism Activities and the Low-Density and Peripheral Territories)

The Impacts of COVID-19 Crisis over the Tourism Expectations of the Azores Archipelago Residents

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Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7612; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187612 - 15 Sep 2020

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 5701

Abstract

Throughout history, times of crisis have always been preceded by periods of change. In fact, the current moment of health, economic, and social crisis that we are experiencing seems to be no exception. Tourism seems to be one of the most affected activities by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis—due not only the cancelled flights but also to the fear of being infected with the virus. In this sense, the present article intends to identify the Azores Archipelago residents’ tourism expectations during the COVID-19 crisis. Using the Azores Islands as a case study and merging it with the authors’ knowledge about this regional reality, it was possible to collect a substantial quantity of data. Thus, this study provides an in-depth perception of the main issues about how this pandemic crisis affects the tourism expectations of the Azores region residents, and consequently, how this situation will influence regional sustainable development. Through the study, it was possible to verify that the significant part of the Azores Archipelago residents (57.5%) will not be going to travel to spend vacations in 2020. Additionally, 84.2% will have holidays in the region; therefore, they stay in the Azores Archipelago. Besides, this study shows that majority of the respondents (61.6%) would not make a reservation for a 2020 vacation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Tourism Activities and the Low-Density and Peripheral Territories)

Territorial Management and Governance, Regional Public Policies and their Relationship with Tourism. A Case Study of the Azores Autonomous Region

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Open AccessArticle

Pedro Pimentel

Célia Barreto Carvalho

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Áurea Sousa

Sustainability 2020, 12(15), 6059; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12156059 - 28 Jul 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3056

Abstract

Bearing in mind the growth in regions with socio-economic bases dependent on tourism, studies that analyze spatial planning processes, regional public policies, and their relationship with tourism activities are essential to achieve the so-desired sustainable territorial development. Through case study research methods, territorial impact analysis, and questionnaires to explore the public perceptions, it was possible to design and implement a study regarding this specific regional governance theme on the Azores Autonomous Region (AAR). The research allowed us to learn that the most affected activities by public territorial policies in the AAR from the respondents’ perspective were accommodation (54.7%) and nature (51.9%). Conversely, the less affected were culture (15.1%) and rental/hire services (17.9). Furthermore, it was possible to identify two factors that rule public policies on the growth and development of the Azores: (i) impact in the natural landscape and (ii) suitable production factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Tourism Activities and the Low-Density and Peripheral Territories)

Summer Farmers, Diversification and Rural Tourism—Challenges and Opportunities in the Wake of the Entrepreneurial Turn in Swedish Policies (1991–2019)

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Open AccessArticle

Paulina Rytkönen

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Håkan Tunón

Sustainability 2020, 12(12), 5217; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12125217 - 26 Jun 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2810

Abstract

Since the 1990s Swedish authorities have increasingly treated summer farms as businesses, expecting them to generate profits like any other firm. However, in addition to being financially independent, summer farms are expected to provide a number of services, to help maintain biological heritage, provide beautiful landscapes for tourists, and much more. Summer farmers are also forced to co-exist with other local stakeholders that base their activities on the same resources, e.g., adventure and nature-based tourism, agriculture, and other businesses. All of this creates a number of entrepreneurial challenges but can also open new windows of opportunity. The response of summer farmers has been to diversify activities to cope with shrinking income and the seasonal character of their trade. Most new business strategies include tourism or increasing the number of cattle rationalizing animal husbandry. The strategies have partly been influenced by policies and partly by new market opportunities. Departing from a business, spatial and institutional contextual analysis we identified five main entrepreneurial strategies, three of which are related to rural tourism, one is related to increasing the animal herd and the fifth is a no-strategy, maintaining status quo. This article analyses the reality of summer farms from a business perspective. The main questions to be answered are: How have summer farmers responded to the entrepreneurial turn in regional development policies? Which are their main business challenges and opportunities? Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Tourism Activities and the Low-Density and Peripheral Territories)

Creative Tourism on Islands: A Review of the Literature

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Alexandra Baixinho

Carlos Santos