Submit to Sustainability Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Challenges and Opportunities for a Sustainable Tourism Sector

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 50887

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Vincenzo Bianco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

DIME/TEC, Division of Thermal Energy and Environmental Conditioning, University of Genoa, 16145 Genoa, Italy
Interests: energy efficiency; energy transition; energy economics; energy policy; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Mattia De Rosa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
2. UCD Energy Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
Interests: energy efficiency; sustainability; buildings; renewable energies; smart technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Oana Madalina Driha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Applied Economics, International Economy Institute, Institute of Tourism Research, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
Interests: energy economics; environmental degradation; tourism; trade openness
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Daniel Balsalobre-Lorente

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor

Department of Political Economy and Public Finance, Economic and Business Statistics and Economic Policy, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Rectorado UCLM, Calle Altagracia, 50, 13001 Ciudad Real, Spain
Interests: energy transition; environmental degradation economic growth; tourism; public finances
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainability in the tourism sector is an emerging topic for many countries, due to the rise in the sector turnover all over the world. The increase of touristic activities leads to several sustainability issues, since touristic flows are strictly linked to resource consumption—e.g., water and energy—and with increments in pollutant and carbon emissions, as well as waste production.

Therefore, the challenge of reducing the overall environmental impact of the tourism sector, from the technical to the managerial/organizational aspects, needs to be tackled by the scientific community.

The scope of the present Special Issue is to address this challenge by providing a multidisciplinary perspective, overtaking the limit of a single-discipline approach typical of the existing literature. Contributions are expected to report original research with recent experimental and numerical findings related to the tourism sector. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following aspects:

- Sustainable buildings;

- Sustainable transportation and mobility;

- Policy definition and assessment;

- Analysis of consumption and emission patterns;

- Forecasting of energy/water demand and/or emissions;

- Waste management;

- Innovative and smart technologies;

- Renewable energies;

- Innovation strategies;

- Change management

References:

Balsalobre-Lorente, O.M. Driha, M. Shahbaz, A. Sinha. The effects of tourism and globalization over environmental degradation in developed countries. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 1-15. In press.

Bianco. Analysis of electricity consumption in the tourism sector. A decomposition approach. Journal of Cleaner Production 248 (2020) art. no. 119286.

I.N. Metaxas, P.D. Chatzoglou, D.E. Koulouriotis. Proposing a new modus operandi for sustainable business excellence: the case of Greek hospitality industry. Total Quality Management and Business Excellence 30(5-6) (2019) 499-524.

Bianco, D. Righi, F. Scarpa, L.A. Tagliafico. Modeling energy consumption and efficiency measures in the Italian hotel sector. Energy and Buildings 149 (2017) 329–338.

Iraldo, F. Testa, P. Lanzini, M. Battaglia. Greening competitiveness for hotels and restaurants. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 24(3) (2017) 607-628.

J.H.K. Lai. Energy use and maintenance costs of upmarket hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management 56 (2016) 33–43.

K.T. Tsai, T.P. Lin, R.L. Hwang, Y.J. Huang. Carbon dioxide emissions generated by energy consumption of hotels and homestay facilities in Taiwan. Tourism Management 42 (2014) 13–21.

Bakhat, J. Rosselló. Estimation of tourism-induced electricity consumption: The case study of Balearics Islands, Spain. Energy Economics 33(3) (2011) 437-444.

Priyadarsini, S.E. Lee. Benchmarking energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in Singapore’s hotel industry. Energy Policy 38 (2010) 4520–4527.

Prof. Vincenzo Bianco
Dr. Mattia De Rosa
Dr. Oana Madalina Driha
Dr. Daniel Balsalobre Lorente
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

energy consumption
carbon footprint
water consumption
decomposition
energy efficiency
sustainable energy
change management
sustainability strategy

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

20 pages, 4181 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Measure of Tourist Responsibility

by Álvaro Dias, Inês Aldana, Leandro Pereira, Renato Lopes da Costa and Nelson António

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3351; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063351 - 18 Mar 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6220

Abstract

In a post-pandemic context, destinations are questioning mass tourism, and are focusing on more sustainable segments, looking for more responsible tourists. This requires obtaining relevant information to assess what kind of tourists visit the destination and, at the same time, to monitor changes in tourists’ behavior and attitudes. This study aims to respond to this challenge by creating a measure to assess the tourist’s responsibility. Using a scale development method, a sequential mixed-method approach is conducted to identify scale dimensions and items. An initial qualitative approach is implemented for item generation using focus group and face-to-face interviews. Then, a second study based on a survey is conducted for exploratory factor analysis. A third study, also based on a survey is performed to obtain a new sample for confirmatory factor analysis. Findings show two dimensions: civic responsibility and philanthropic responsibility, allowing an understanding of how tourists can act responsibly in destinations without compromising the ecological footprint on the planet. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Opportunities for a Sustainable Tourism Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 2132 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Description of Green Hotel Practices and Their Role in Achieving Sustainable Development

by Ahmed Hassan Abdou, Thowayeb Hassan Hassan and Mohammed Moustafa El Dief

Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9624; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229624 - 18 Nov 2020

Cited by 77 | Viewed by 35323

Abstract

In this study, we aim to investigate environmental management representatives’ perceptions regarding the extent of the contribution of green hotel practices to achieving the environment-related sustainable development goals (SDGs). To achieve this aim, a questionnaire was developed and directed to the person in charge of environmental duties in the investigated hotels, who were selected by a convenience sample method. A sample of 48 participants from four and five Green Star hotels, representing 63% of the total Certified Green Star hotels in Egypt, was surveyed. The findings of the study revealed that the implementation of green hotel practices in the certified four and five Green Star hotels surveyed contributed positively to achieving SDG 6, SDG 12, SDG 7 and SDG 13, respectively. The main driver of the adoption of Green Star criteria was the hotels’ commitment to environmental sustainability. The findings also indicated that, overall, there were statistically significant differences between four and five Green Star hotels in all SDGs addressed. The main implication of this study is that hotel operators should properly incorporate green hotel practices into their operational plans to achieve the environment-related SDGs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Opportunities for a Sustainable Tourism Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 1394 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mindsets Set in Concrete? Exploring the Perspectives of Domestic Travellers on New Zealand’s (Auto-)Mobility Culture

by Maria Juschten, Shannon Page and Helen Fitt

Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7646; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187646 - 16 Sep 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2414

Abstract

Tourism trips in New Zealand are strongly car-dominated. Research suggests that such car use practices do not only emerge from purely rational economic considerations but also result from symbolic and affective motives, institutionalized mobility cultures, and habitualized mobility practices that have developed and materialized in spatial structures over decades. This paper explores the notion of automobility and its influence on the domestic tourism mobilities of Christchurch residents. It does so by applying Q methodology, an inherently mixed method that involves participants structuring statements by their level of agreement, followed by a range of qualitative post-sorting questions. The statements draw on insights from the study of tourism mobilities, mobility cultures and classical mode choice research, allowing this study to provide novel insights into the under-researched field of urban–rural tourism mobility. The juxtaposition of quantitative Q and the qualitative interview results reveals influential factors at the personal, interpersonal, societal/political and infrastructural level. The results then feed into a conceptualisation of influential factors of tourism mobility choices using an embedded, interlinked structure that captures the dynamics of social interactions (i.e., feedback-loops). Policy implications are discussed with regards to possible sustainability pathways in line with New Zealand’s decarbonisation strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Opportunities for a Sustainable Tourism Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 596 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying the Carbon Emissions Damage to International Tourism: Turn a Blind Eye

by Muhammad Khalid Anser, Zahid Yousaf, Usama Awan, Abdelmohsen A. Nassani, Muhammad Moinuddin Qazi Abro and Khalid Zaman

Sustainability 2020, 12(5), 1937; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051937 - 03 Mar 2020

Cited by 52 | Viewed by 4425

Abstract

The importance of sustainable tourism is largely discussed in environmental literature under two different main streams: first, an ample amount of literature is available on the role of international tourism in economic development; second, the existing literature mainly focused on estimating tourism carbon footprints across countries. Limited work has been done on identifying the cost of carbon emissions on the tourism industry, which is evaluated in this study to fill the existing literature gap by using a large panel of 132 countries between 1995 and 2018. The results show that carbon emissions damage, methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, and population density substantially decrease inbound tourism and international tourism receipts that result in an impact on the increase in international tourism expenditures across countries. The ex-ante analysis shows that inbound tourism will likely decrease from 19.546% to 16.854% due to an increase in carbon emissions damage of 0.357% to 1.349% for the period 2020–2028. Subsequently, international tourism expenditures will decrease from 19.758% to 12.384% by increasing carbon emissions damage from0.832% to 1.025%. Finally, international tourism revenues will subsequently decline from23.362% to 18.197% due to lowering carbon emissions damage from 0.397% to −0.113% over a time horizon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Opportunities for a Sustainable Tourism Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Challenges and Opportunities for a Sustainable Tourism Sector

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (4 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI