Dear Colleagues,

Tourism is a composite sector, because it is a mixture of different industries whose separate contribution is unified and interacting with each other to compose the tourism product. This means that the tourist product does not have a strongly concrete outline and thus there is not a concrete tourist economics or social theory either. Europe is the main destination for US tourists with a market share of at least 40% of US tourists traveling abroad. The Lisbon Treaty has underlined the importance of tourism for Europe and encourages a coordinated approach across economic sectors for the promotion of its sustainable growth. Moreover, to quote from the European Environmental Agency (2016), “While tourism does not have the same 'smokestack' image as the manufacturing industry, it is by no means environmentally benign, generating significant levels of pollution and consuming considerable amounts of natural resources”. Tourism favors employment and the advancement of economic growth particularly after the economic crisis which has afflicted the European region and very few economic sectors were vibrant enough to help moving the afflicted countries out of the crisis or reducing its effects. The infrastructure developed for tourism is significant not only for tourism purposes, but also because it contributes to local development and particularly the development of rural regions in Europe with a focus on sustainability. However, tourist activities bear a high environmental footprint with high CO₂ emissions and a significant impact in natural resource consumption and local economies and societies. Therefore, sustainability in tourism is a priority policy in the EU and is also put high in the agendas of all countries whose economy relies heavily on tourism. There are innovative ways with which tourism can develop and adopt sustainability solutions in both the environmental and the social field.

Indicative but not exclusive topics

1. Worldwide sustainability agenda in tourism.
2. The impact of tourism in local communities (price increases, biodiversity, wildlife disruption, landscape disturbance and visual pollution, noise pollution, commuting)
3. Consumption of water and energy. Saltwater intrusion, renewable energy sources and blackouts.
4. Agriculture and tourism.
5. Waste production from tourism. Recycling programmers. Municipal solid waste management.
6. Mosquito and reptiles. What is the best strategy in tourism management?
7. Hotel certifications for sustainability records.
8. Measuring the environmental footprint of tourism.
9. The food production impact of tourism.
10. Eco-tourism costs and benefits.

Prof. Angeiki N Menegaki
Guest Editor

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