Search Results (47)

Tourism development in the Yucatán Peninsula has long been dominated by coastal mass tourism, resulting in environmental pressure and pronounced spatial imbalances. In response, increasing attention has been directed toward diversification strategies based on inland and nature-based attractions. Among these, cenotes—karst sinkholes connected to regional groundwater systems—have emerged as a distinctive tourism resource. This paper introduces the concept of cenotourism as a form of nature-based and geoculturally embedded tourism centred on cenotes and their associated karst environments. The analysis combines conceptual development with empirical evidence from a large-scale tourism survey conducted in Yucatán (n ≈ 2800). The findings suggest that cenotes constitute a meaningful component of tourists’ activity portfolios, with 24.6% of respondents declaring an intention to visit them. Cenotourism contributes to diversification and appears to support the redistribution of tourist flows toward inland areas, while simultaneously increasing exposure to highly sensitive groundwater systems. These results point to a clear sustainability trade-off, although its magnitude may vary depending on local governance conditions. While cenotourism may strengthen local economies and reduce pressure on coastal destinations, it also introduces risks related to groundwater contamination, cultural commodification, and uneven benefit distribution. Such outcomes depend strongly on governance conditions, including visitor management, environmental monitoring, and community participation. By conceptualizing cenotourism as an integrative framework linking tourism demand, environmental vulnerability, and governance processes, the study contributes to understanding tourism development in groundwater-dependent systems. The findings emphasize the need for context-specific management approaches and situate cenotourism within broader water-sensitive tourism planning. Full article

Urban tourism is frequently promoted as a driver of regeneration, competitiveness, and local economic growth. However, its expansion increasingly generates overtourism, environmental degradation, social inequality, gentrification pressures, and cultural commodification in densely populated cities. Although existing tourism research has examined these challenges from managerial, planning, and sustainability perspectives, less attention has been paid to their ethical foundations. This conceptual paper addresses that gap by developing an integrated ethical framework for sustainable urban tourism through a structured, theory-driven synthesis of literature in environmental ethics, social justice theory, virtue ethics, and urban tourism studies. The paper makes three main contributions: it reframes urban tourism growth as a moral and normative issue rather than merely an economic one; it organizes the key ethical dilemmas of urban tourism as interconnected outcomes of growth-oriented development; and it links ethical principles to stakeholder responsibilities and desired governance outcomes. The proposed framework positions tourists, businesses, and policymakers as moral agents and identifies ecological integrity, social equity, and cultural protection as core criteria for evaluating tourism development. As a conceptual study, however, the framework remains theoretical and requires future empirical application and testing across different urban contexts. Full article

Rapid renewal and tourism-driven commercialization intensify tensions between heritage conservation and redevelopment in historic districts, and decision-oriented tool chains that translate Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) layering into change management remain limited. Taking Chengdu’s Kuanzhai Alley and Daci Temple historic districts as comparative cases, this study traces four benchmark time slices (1911, 1933, 1994, and 2025) using georeferenced historical maps, remote-sensing imagery, planning base maps, archival documents, and field checks. An auditable morphological-evidence coding manual is developed for street–alley skeletons, plot integrity, redevelopment intensity, interface commodification, connectivity, and heritage-anchor integrity, and it is triangulated with resident-population and commercial-mix evidence to interpret regeneration mechanisms. The results show that morphological continuity can coexist with social discontinuity. Kuanzhai Alley retains a legible street–alley backbone, while plot/operational consolidation and intensive commodification coincide with resident withdrawal. The Daci Temple district experiences broader street–plot reconfiguration and upscale clustering that heightens landmark visibility but challenges contextual integrity and community continuity. Based on these mechanisms, four renewal zoning prototypes and zone-specific monitoring indicator domains are proposed to operationalize HUL’s feedback loop and to support balanced governance of heritage, everyday life, and sustainable urban heritage tourism. Full article

The Spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) is a long-lived terrestrial reptile listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List and protected under CITES Appendix II. As an ecosystem engineer, it plays a vital role in Mediterranean landscapes, yet it frequently faces anthropogenic pressures in urban environments. This study provides an ecological and ethological assessment of a captive T. graeca population (n = 42) in the historical Münire Madrasa Handicrafts Bazaar in Kastamonu, Türkiye. The methodology integrated spatial carrying capacity modeling (Boullon model), systematic ethogram-based observations (120 h), and ethnozoological surveys (n = 200). Spatial analysis revealed that the population exceeds the corrected Real Carrying Capacity (RCC ≈ 10) by four times (Overcapacity Index: 4.2) within the 70 m² area. Ethological findings documented chronic stress, with stereotypic pacing (H1) occupying 32% of the time budget, alongside a significant loss of anti-predator mechanisms due to anthropogenic habituation (İ1). While stakeholders (100%, 95% CI: 98.1–100%) perceive the tortoises as cultural symbols of abundance, the biological reality indicates severe welfare risks, including potential metabolic bone disease from a monotonous anthropogenic diet and a disrupted Ca:P ratio. The site is categorized as a ‘High-Constraint Interaction Zone’. We propose a management transition toward a monitored ‘Urban Wildlife Education Station’ to align local cultural values with international animal welfare and conservation standards. Full article

The platformization of urban space is opening new frontiers of capital accumulation, particularly through short-term rentals. Airbnb plays a central role in this process by commodifying housing in tourist destinations. Despite its rapid growth, research on Airbnb in Latin America—especially in small tourist cities—remains limited and largely focused on metropolitan contexts. This article addresses this gap with the objective of analyzing how platform-mediated short-term rentals reorient housing markets beyond traditional urban cores. It is hypothesized that Airbnb expands housing commodification by extending tourism-oriented uses into new residential areas and by redistributing returns unevenly across actors. Using a quantitative and geospatial approach, the results reveal a strong presence of Airbnb in rural and natural areas, from which the highest returns are extracted, as well as a high concentration of accommodation supply among professional hosts. These dynamics reconfigure housing use toward asset-based logics, posing challenges for housing security and social and territorial sustainability in small tourist cities. Full article

Gastronomic tourism heritage represents a significant segment of intangible cultural heritage, reflecting traditional knowledge, local identity, and long-standing culinary practices. The contemporary development of digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), opens new possibilities for its preservation, documentation, and sustainable interpretation within cultural tourism. The aim of this research is to examine the role of artificial intelligence as a tool for preserving gastronomic tourism heritage from the perspective of local community members in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and North Macedonia, regions characterised by shared gastronomic and cultural traditions. The study was conducted using a quantitative research design based on a structured questionnaire administered to 571 respondents. A convenience sampling approach was applied, targeting individuals involved in the preparation, transmission, or promotion of traditional gastronomy. Data were collected through a combination of field-based and online survey distribution. The analysis focuses on respondents’ perceptions of AI applications in documenting traditional recipes, interpreting gastronomic heritage, and promoting it within tourism, as well as on attitudes related to authenticity and cultural identity preservation. The findings indicate that, within the surveyed sample, artificial intelligence is generally perceived as a useful tool for safeguarding gastronomic heritage. At the same time, respondents emphasise the importance of transparent governance, community participation, and culturally sensitive implementation in order to minimise risks of commodification and loss of authenticity. Full article

Carnival, as an expression of intangible cultural heritage, plays a significant role in shaping collective identity and tourism dynamics across diverse regions. In Spain, the antruejos of León constitute one of the most distinctive manifestations of traditional carnival, characterized by ancestral masquerades, archetypal characters, and rituals of symbolic inversion. This article examines the relationship between tourism and the safeguarding of antruejos. It situates these celebrations within the framework of Cultural Heritage Assets (Bienes de Interés Cultural, BIC) and analyses their impact on the revaluation and reinterpretation of festive heritage. Drawing on an anthropological approach and ethnographic fieldwork conducted in several localities of León, the study analyses how tourism shapes the continuity, transformation, and commodification of these carnivals, as well as the tensions between authenticity, revitalization, and spectacularization. The study provides a critical assessment of the role of antruejos in cultural tourism and of their contribution to the long-term sustainability of intangible heritage. Full article

The rapid expansion of tourism in Bali and Lombok has precipitated a state of overtourism, critically challenging their ecological and socio-cultural carrying capacities. This study, conducted between 2023 and 2024, employs a qualitative case study approach to investigate the manifestations of overtourism and the efficacy of prevailing mitigation strategies. Data were collected through 32 in-depth interviews, four focus group discussions, and extensive field observations across key destinations in both islands. The findings reveal that overtourism is not merely a function of high visitor numbers but a symptom of systemic governance failure. Key manifestations include acute environmental degradation, the commodification of cultural heritage, and significant economic leakage that marginalizes local communities. These issues are exacerbated by fragmented policy, weak regulatory enforcement, and the exclusion of local voices from tourism planning. The study concludes that technical solutions such as visitor quotas are insufficient without a fundamental governance paradigm shift. Effective mitigation requires an integrated approach centered on strict carrying capacity enforcement, genuine community empowerment through Community-Based Tourism (CBT), and the strategic use of digital tools for visitor dispersion. This research provides an empirically grounded framework that underscores the imperative of a fundamental governance paradigm shift, aligning tourism development in island destinations with the principles of sustainability and equity. Full article

Cultural festivals have long been anchored in co-located, resource-intensive events, which increasingly raises questions about who can participate, at what environmental cost and with what consequences for cultural integrity in destinations facing overtourism. This paper examines how metaverse-based, metaverse-adjacent and hybrid festival configurations may reconfigure festival tourism by reshaping accessibility, cultural engagement and environmental performance, and considers the implications for governance and policy. Drawing on a narrative literature review of academic and institutional sources published mainly between 2010 and 2025, it synthesises work on digital transformation, virtual and hybrid events, accessible tourism, digital inequality, overtourism and sustainable festival management. The paper offers a structured, critically informed synthesis and a set of propositions intended to guide future empirical and theoretical research on metaverse applications in tourism and hospitality. The review suggests that “metaverse-based” festivals can ease geographical, financial and some physical constraints for some groups, widen participation for underserved groups and support new forms of cultural preservation and co-creation, while also risking deeper digital inequalities and renewed concerns about cultural commodification, data governance and authenticity. Environmentally, virtual participation may reduce travel-related emissions and local crowding when it substitutes for physical attendance, while shifting impacts towards energy-intensive digital infrastructures and device lifecycles. Full article

Heritage tourism is increasingly positioned as a strategy for revitalising rural communities, particularly in areas where structural transformations have changed traditional ways of life. However, its outcomes reveal a paradox. The same processes that preserve cultural landscapes often commodify them, converting living traditions into marketable symbols. This paper investigates this heritage paradox through a complex study of Viscri, a UNESCO-listed village in Transylvania, Romania. Combining demographic and occupational data (2002–2022) with 51 questionnaires, 7 semi-structured interviews, field observations, and local records, the study examines how tourism-driven heritage valorisation reshapes socio-economic structures and identity narratives. The results show a profound restructuring of livelihoods, with a marked decline in subsistence agriculture and the emergence of micro-entrepreneurial activities related to accommodation, crafts, and gastronomy. These changes, while improving local incomes and infrastructures, have also increased external ownership and redefined authenticity as a performative resource negotiated among residents, entrepreneurs, and visitors. Local voices oscillate between pride and fatigue, between preservation and loss. By conceptualising the heritage paradox as a dynamic interplay between conservation and commodification, this study contributes to global debates on authenticity, sustainable rural transformation, and community resilience, offering an empirically grounded model of heritage tourism’s ambivalent consequences through an original analytical lens for post-socialist rural contexts. Full article

Tourism today represents a strategic engine of economic growth, contributing substantially to GDP, employment, and export revenues. Accounting for approximately 10% of global GDP, the sector plays a significant role in tourism-intensive countries. Tourism has shown remarkable resilience and recovery capacity in the post-COVID era, reaffirming its status not only as an economic sector but also as a spatial phenomenon. Due to its inherent place-based nature, tourism cannot be outsourced: it relies on the unique cultural, environmental, and territorial assets of specific locations. While this makes tourism a powerful driver of local development, it also presents challenges related to environmental stress, cultural commodification, and social tensions, especially in over-visited destinations such as Venice, Barcelona, or Lisbon. This paper introduces the concept of “anti-gravity tourism”, a novel framework inspired by physics, to describe planning strategies aimed at counteracting the gravitational pull exerted by mass tourism hotspots. Using the STESY model, the study applies spatial analysis to four case study areas, identifying Destination Areas (DAs) through clustering techniques and developing spatial design proposals aligned with the principles of the New Urban Agenda (NUA). The results highlight how “anti-gravity” strategies can be operationalized through context-sensitive planning tools to mitigate overtourism, support territorial equity, and maximize positive externalities. Ultimately, the paper argues for a paradigm shift towards tourism policies that ensure long-term sustainability by balancing economic growth with social inclusion and environmental stewardship. Full article

This article examines the expansion of short-term rentals in Valparaíso, Chile, through the Airbnb platform. The study addresses the broader context of digital platforms transforming housing markets, with a focus on Latin American cities, where the implications of short-term rental growth remain understudied. The main objective is to understand how Airbnb is reshaping the spatial, economic, and social dimensions of rental housing in Valparaíso. Methodologically, the article employs quantitative methods, combining spatial analysis techniques (using ArcGIS) and descriptive statistical analysis. The results reveal that entire homes cluster in heritage-tourism hills (Concepción and Alegre) and coastal zones with panoramic views, where nightly rates can exceed the citywide average threefold, while shared rooms are dispersed in lower-income hills. Likewise, the study identifies a heterogeneous host profile; half of the hosts are owners who have another residence to live in, while the other half offers rooms within their own homes, indicating that platform usage is a complementary income strategy. These dynamics reflect asset-based welfare logics, repositioning housing as a hybrid asset for income generation rather than solely a domestic space. Even in the absence of large-scale corporate landlords, this fragmented market contributes to housing commodification and intensifies spatial inequalities. The study highlights the need for regulatory frameworks tailored to the socio-territorial specificities of heritage Latin American cities, which face both housing deficits and tourism pressures. Full article

Rapid socio-spatial change in China’s traditional villages threatens living heritage and weakens locally grounded identity. This paper theorizes place identity as a dynamic, embodied and performative ecology and examines it in Dali Dong Village across four dimensions, emotional attachment, symbolic meaning, continuity and behavioural commitment, using a triangulated qualitative design that integrates interviews, spatial observation and visual ethnography. Findings show that identity is enacted around ritual architectures and everyday settings, particularly the Drum Tower, Flower Bridge, and Sa altar. Emotional attachment and symbolic meaning are expressed consistently across sources, whereas continuity and behavioural commitment are uneven, shaped by ritual fatigue (compressed rehearsal windows), symbolic commodification under tourism, and selective continuity in intergenerational transmission. These mechanisms identify where the identity fabric is most fragile and where intervention leverage lies. Conceptually, the study relocates place identity from cognition-centred, urban models to ritualized rural lifeworlds. Practically, it offers a portable framework for community-anchored stewardship that can be adapted to similar settlements and aligned with policy aims for safeguarding living heritage. Full article

This study examines community-based wellness tourism (CBWT) in Ubud, Bali, focusing on ownership structures, community participation, and the role of local traditions. Using a qualitative design, the data were collected through semi-structured interviews with wellness stakeholders and field observations of spas and yoga centers. The findings reveal that spas are predominantly locally owned and staffed, ensuring value retention and skill development, while flagship yoga and retreat centers are dominated by non-local actors, creating risks of economic leakage and weaker cultural stewardship. Community involvement is strong in operations but limited in planning and governance, highlighting a policy–practice gap. Integrating Balinese traditions, such as Usada Bali and Melukat, could enhance authenticity but requires careful protection against commodification. The findings reveal that locally owned spas contribute to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) through local value retention, employment creation, and skill development, while non-local dominance of yoga and retreat centers risks economic leakage and weakened cultural guardianship. The study also identifies gaps in governance and planning, underscoring the need for inclusive participation and capacity building to align with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Integrating Balinese traditions, such as Usada Bali and Melukat, highlights the opportunities for safeguarding cultural heritage, provided that protocols against commodification are enforced. To address these challenges, the study proposes a strategic framework emphasizing governance reform through a quadruple-helix model, shared-equity ownership, standardized human capital development, and protocol-based cultural guardianship. Despite the limitations of this being a single-case, cross-sectional study, the findings contribute to wellness tourism research by shifting attention from visitor demands to governance and equity. The study offers practical strategies for institutionalizing CBWT in Ubud while providing a transferable model for destinations seeking to balance growth with tradition. Full article

Truffle hunting in the Piedmontese landscapes of Northern Italy is not merely a foraging practice but a deeply embodied and multispecies relationship grounded in intergenerational knowledge, sensory attunement, and emotional connection to forest ecologies. This study draws on qualitative interviews with local truffle hunters (Trifulau) to examine how socio-ecological transformations driven by land privatization, vineyard expansion, monocultural hazelnut plantations, and tourism disrupt these traditional practices. Thematic analysis reveals five dimensions of transformation: ecological estrangement, dispossession and exclusion, erosion of knowledge transmission, commodification and spectacularizing, emotional and ontological loss. Hunters describe a loss of sensory orientation, access to ancestral commons, and a breakdown of the human–dog forest relational web, accompanied by feelings of grief, alienation, and identity erosion. We argue that these changes undermine ecological sustainability and threaten emotional, cultural, and epistemological sustainability. The findings call for a broadened understanding of sustainability, one that recognizes affective, multispecies, and place-based knowledge systems as vital to sustaining cultural landscapes. This study contributes to debates on rural transformation, non-material heritage, and the invisible costs of commodifying traditional ecological practices in globalizing economies. Full article