Sustainable tourism development in mountain areas in Sumadija and Western Serbia

Sustainable tourism,as an integral part of sustainable development,emerged as a logical outcome of preventing the uncontrolled and excessive use of tourism resources and attractions.This study analyzes whether mountain tourism development in Serbia can be sustainable and feasible in the long term.Given the heterogeneity of mountains in Serbia in terms of tourism development,the subject of this research is the achieved level of sustainable tourism development in mountains in the most developed and most visited region in Serbia-sumadija and Western Serbia:Zlatibor,Kopaonik,Tara,Zlatar,Mokra Gora and Go?.The sustainable tourism development level was analyzed by using five groups of the EU’s comparative indicators:economic,social,cultural,environmental and tourist satisfaction indicators.The results showed that the development of tourism in the examined mountains is not fully aligned with sustainable development.The tourist satisfaction indicator has the most acceptable values,which is a good basis for further harmonization of tourism development on the principles of sustainability.Economic indicators,especially the ratio of overnight stays and accommodation capacities,show the most unacceptable values,which indicate the need for implementing changes in the process of tourism development in the coming period.The analysis of sustainable tourism in mountain areas in sumadija and the Western Serbia undoubtfully points out that it is necessary to significantly change the current tourism product portfolio,which implies harmonizing mountain tourism development with global trends.Certainly,a comparative analysis that looks at the degree of sustainability of mountain tourism in some countries of the Alpine region,such as Switzerland,Austria and Slovenia,contributes to this.The more intensive development of tourism throughout the year would significantly improve indicators of sustainable tourism in all analyzed mountain areas of Sumadija and Western Serbia.This would improve the value of economic indicators,which are marked as the most unsustainable.The development of tourism in the summer season,especially recreational and adventure tourism,would improve the social and cultural component of sustainable tourism.Environmental dimension of sustainable tourism would be enhanced by the development of ecotourism.By connecting spatially close mountains(Zlatibor,Zlatar,Tara and Mokra Gora)into a unique and integrated tourism destination,synergistic effects would be achieved resulting in international recognition and making the region of?umadija and Western Serbia competitive on the European market.

Residents'perception of sustainable tourism in protected mountain areas:the case of Asturias

Spain is the country with the most Biosphere Reserves in the world,52,and Asturias,with 7,ranks first among the single-province Autonomous Communities.The tourist interest in these natural spaces is increasing,but little or nothing is known about how the residents of these natural spaces perceive the tourist impacts.The main objective of this research was to evaluate the residents’perceived changes in protected mountain areas in Asturias concerning the environmental,sociocultural,and economic dimensions related to tourism activity with survey methods and various quantitative tools.The findings obtained were the following:firstly,there were significant differences between the residents’sociodemographic characteristics and their perceptions of tourism impacts;secondly,there were positive relationships between the residents’perceived tourism economic,environmental and sociocultural impacts and their general attitude towards tourism development;and thirdly,the more positive the residents’attitude towards tourism development,the more likely residents actively support its further development.The findings indicate the willingness of residents to get involved and participate in the tourism activity,so policymakers should implicate residents in decisionmaking on local tourism development.In conclusion,long-term monitoring of residents’evolution of their perceptions and attitudes is necessary to achieve sustainable tourism development.

Protecting world heritage in China by enacting laws:Sustainable tourism development

Chinese scholars have been debating how to best protect and utilize world heritage.This study discusses three key perspectives on this issue,which are“conflict-focused”,“compromise-oriented”,and“coordination-oriented”.Some typical incidents,which involve damage to heritage resources,are analyzed before a coordination model is presented that maximizes the compatibility of sustainable tourism development and world heritage protection.Finally,this study explores the possibility of constructing a legal system that engages all the stakeholders in protecting world heritage.Chinese lawmakers,for example,should seize the opportunity to create a law concerning national parks,which will modify and integrate existing laws and regulations in order to produce a comprehensive legal system that embodies the fundamental values of world heritage protection and sustainable tourism development.This system should implement the following:(1)maximize the complementary aspects of and mutual benefits derived from both tourism development and world heritage protection;(2)pay special attention to the various restraints that are inherent in the fundamental requirements for world heritage protection;(3)make world heritage protection sustainable while supporting sustainable tourism development;and(4)emphasize the public-interest nature of profits that are obtained by tourism developers while ensuring that the income from tourism is proportionately allotted to heritage protection.

The Impact of Transport Infrastructure and Pollutant Emissions in Sustainable Tourism for Mongolia

Tourism has a positive impact on economic growth,and it is one of the rapidly growing sectors in Mongolia.The Mongolian government,focusing on the development of tourism and transportation since 1990,has made it possible for achieving continuously growing sustainable tourism.Sustainable tourism is a way of maintaining a high level of tourist satisfaction while reducing adverse impacts on the environment.As transportation has been an integral part of the tourism industry,the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of transportation infrastructure,CO2 emission,and other classical demand factors on tourism flow in Mongolia by using a gravity model.Utilizing a panel data of tourists from 30 countries with the highest number of travel visits in Mongolia from 2002 to 2018,the study employs on panel co-integration analysis,aside from the conventional pooled ordinary least squares(OLS),fixed effects,and random effects estimators,to estimate the long-run relationship between Mongolian tourism flow and their respective determinants.According to the result of this study,the local transportation system and transportation investment have came out negative due to the underdeveloped transportation system.Moreover,the research indicates that carbon dioxide emission has a positive impact on tourism flow in the long-run.

Sustainable Tourism:Best Practice in Water Management

On the occasion of“World Water Day 2007”,“Water,the challenge of the century”was said by Jaques Diouf,director general of Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)of the United Nations,spoke of the critical issues related to water management that man will face in the 21st century.The importance of water derives from its being an indispensable but limited resource.We are not able to produce more than Earth offers,nor can we exploit water resources outside the planet.Nevertheless,water remains a fundamental asset whose demand is expected to grow considerably in the coming years:It is estimated that,by 2050,almost half of the world’s population will be exposed to potential conditions of water stress.The aim of this work is to analyse the role of tourism in the consumption of water resources,in particular,the volumes of water“indirectly”spent to meet the needs of tourists.We will explain in detail what these“indirect consumption”consist of and we will deepen the characteristics of the tourism sector in order to understand the mechanisms that bind it to water resources.

Development of Sustainable Tourism on the Example of the Montenegrin Coast

Sustainable tourism represents a form of tourism which generates and creates economic benefits for the local community and at the same time takes care of the local ecosystem as well as the culture and customs of the local community.This form of tourism is mostly convenient for rural areas which have contained their natural and socio-cultural uniqueness.Unfortunately,the potentials of Montenegro for developing this form of tourism are slightly or almost hardly exploited.A crucial limiting factor for developing ecotourism is a lack of an overall strategy which would stimulate and enhance the development of many potential tourist destinations which did not valorise their tourists during the development of ecotourism,as well as those tourist destinations which did so but in an improper and insufficient way.The aim of this paper is to point out the state and possibilities for developing ecotourism based on sustainable tourism in selected areas along the Montenegrin Coast and to emphasise guidelines for sustainable development of these areas in the future.This is why an empirical research has been conducted based on the method of semi-structured interviews.By developing ecotourism and managing resources in accordance with sustainable development of this area,a high quality tourist product could be offered to the market.

Using Circular Economics Strategies to Manage Tourism on Remote Islands:A SMART Approach

Circular economics theory offers destination managers of remote islands a solution-oriented approach to environmental sustainability. This paper examines the practical benefits of this theory that will support the development of a circular economy regarding sustainable island tourism (SIT). The aim of this paper is to inform discussions regarding the feasibility of applying a practice theory that emphasises changes in the behaviours across three segments, visitors, residents, and enterprises using SMART technologies. To achieve this objective, a SMART indicator system (SIS) was used to identify current practices that would support a circular economy (CE). The key innovation of this study is the creation of a proposed framework that may inform best practices for SIT in the future. The findings highlight the potential opportunity of evidenced-based planning to deliver a circular economy strategy (CES) for remote islands in the future. These insights can potentially impact the way that local authorities and destination managers approach the planning of tourism for six islands along the west coast of Ireland.

Sustainable Tourism Development of Landscape Heritage in a Rural Community: A Case Study of Azheke Village at China Hani Rice Terraces

According to the World Heritage Convention,rural landscapes are evolving cultural landscapes and their heritage and management is a major international concern.The proposal of‘UNESCO World Heritage Sustainable Tourism(WH+ST)’has enlightened different arguments about protection and utilisation of the value of rural landscape heritage.The Outstanding Universal Value(OUV)of rural landscapes results from the interaction of nature and humankind.Local community residents are critical for the sustainable tourism development of rural landscape heritage.Landscapes would lose their authenticity and integrity without participation of community residents.At the same time tourism is promoting the economic development of communities,tourism will affect its natural environment and social culture in varying extents.Because of such impacts,rural landscapes are subject to the risk of becoming overly commercialised.In this sense,the discussion will focus on how to achieve balance among the various forces stemming from protection of the OUV of rural heritage,economic development and sustainable community-based tourism.This paper is based on field research at the World Heritage Hani Rice Terraces at Azheke Village(Yunnan Province,China).At this site,the agricultural landscape,architectural design,rural culture,and social traditions have confronted challenges because of the rapid development of the tourism industry soon after designation as a World Heritage Site in 2013.The planning was carried out in respect of three key problems:(1)How to motivate community residents’sense of recognition and honour of the heritage value?(2)How to create the manner and approach for the community residents to participate in rural sustainable tourism?and(3)How to improve the social residents’interests in the course of developing rural heritage tourism?Specific planning measures and suggestions have also been proposed in hopes that community residents take the initiative to protect,utilise and undertake the OUV of the Hani Rice Terraces.

Volunteering Tourism and Sustainable Development: A Case Study of an Andean Indigenous Project: Quilla Pacari, Chimborazo

Volunteering tourism incorporates services and activities related to the caring of environmental, cultural, or humanitarian issues, intending to benefit not only tourists but also locals. Therefore, this activity fits into principles of sustainable development which has been defined as growth based on a balance between the environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of volunteering tourism to sustainable development and to identify the crucial factors to implement a successful volunteering project. We explored the interactions between volunteering tourism and sustainable development through a qualitative approach considering as case study: the rural tourism project “Quilla Pacari”, located in the highlands of Chimborazo province, Ecuador. Our findings proportionate information about the influence of volunteering tourism in principles associated with sustainable development revealing a general insight into the interactions and identifying the perception about the crucial factors to implement a successful volunteering project. However, the Quilla Pacari project located in Chimborazo province is relatively emergent and further studies are needed to clarify all the relations associated with the process.

Benefits Approach to Leisure Applied to Sustainable Tourism Development

The Benefits Approach to Leisure (BAL), recognized as a major and badly needed "paradigm shift" in the way we conceive of and manage recreation resources, is believed to play a big role in achieving the sustainable development of tourism industry. BAL has been proved to be effective and efficient in the field of leisure and tourism in terms of its three types of benefits and two stages of production. This paper, using Aqua Zoo in Friesland, the Netherlands as a case, investigates the significance of BAL to the sustainable tourism development.

Residents'environmental conservation behaviour in the mountain tourism destinations in China:Case studies of Jiuzhaigou and Mount Qingcheng

This study aimed at gaining an understanding of the formation of residents' Environmental Conservation Behaviour(ECB) to promote sustainable tourism development in Chinese mountain areas. In particular, a theoretical framework was constructed by merging residents' mountain attachment and their environmental values,and awareness of environmental consequences based on the Cognition Behaviour Theory. This research sampled 642 residents with convenience sampling method in Jiuzhaigou and Mount Qingcheng, and structural equation modelling analysis was conducted to identify the relationships among the above variables. Results verified that mountain attachment affected people's awareness of environmental consequences, which then affected their ECB.Environmental values and mountain attachment directly and positively influenced ECB. Moreover,awareness of environmental consequences played the most prominent role in predicting ECB among all the predictors in this study. In all, this study derived several significant implications which can not only contribute to environmental management policies in tourism field but also help to improve the levels of the antecedents of residents' ECB and promote sustainable tourism development in Chinese mountain areas.

Assessing tourism sustainability in hill towns:Case study of Shimla,India

Hill towns form a popular niche in tourism destinations.They are renowned for their natural beauty and distinctive cultural traditions.Unplanned development can lead to a loss in opportunity to access the potential of these resources or cause their damage.Development decisions need to adopt a sustainable approach that balances tourism growth with the preservation of the natural and cultural assets.The present research details a comprehensive assessment tool to study the sustainability of tourism in hill towns with a focus on Shimla,a popular hill destination in India.The tool specifies seven dimensions of sustainable tourism;1)Tourism Assets;2)Tourism Activity;3)Tourism Related Linkages;4)Tourism Related Leakages;5)Environmental and Social Sustainability;6)Infrastructure;and 7)Attractiveness.Primary data were collected through questionnaire surveys of local households and arriving tourists.Visual survey is conducted to map built-environment and land-use.Secondary data were gathered from government reports and scholarly articles.A framework of indicators and sub-indicators was developed to analyze the data at two levels–city and ward.While the appraisal of the city provides an overall view of the performance of the tourism industry,at the ward level a comparative analysis was carried out to reveal sector related potentials and issues.The study reveals the imbalanced tourismconcentration in the core of the city as compared to other wards and the gap between tourist potential and infrastructure development.These are addressed through planning recommendations for more balanced development with a focus on eco-tourism.The research helps develop a framework which paves way to sustainable tourism development in Indian hill towns.

Interpretation of Gastronomic Traditions within Tourism

This article presents a current EU project on the interpretation of Gastronomic European cultural heritage.Europe’s cultural heritage is highly diverse.This is by no means limited to museums,theatres,or castles;gastronomic traditions are also part of Europe’s cultural heritage.As an essential part of the collective European memory,it is essential to preserve this diversity.From an economic perspective,the preservation of cultural heritage is a crucial task for the future.Within the EU,more than 300,000 people work in the cultural heritage sector;in addition,there are about 7.8 million jobs in the EU that correlate indirectly with cultural heritage(e.g.,tourism).How could gastronomic traditions be used to support a sustainable tourisms development?

Carbon Footprint of Tourism Sector in Portugal-Calculator Development

A carbon footprint(CF)calculator was developed to apply to a Portuguese touristic accommodation to contribute to a sustainable touristic activity.Although some calculators are available online,they are related to the country reality or use outdated emission factors.A calculator based on national emission factors is important.The calculator was developed in Microsoft Excel(version 365)and is based on the CO2e emissions resulting from electricity,water,fuels and food use,laundry and waste production.The calculator development involved:study the accommodation emission sources,selection the environmental indicators,determination of the emission factors and development of the CF formulas.Total CF calculation was made considering the partial CF per component,a monthly and annual comparison of each indicator’s emissions contribution using graphs.The emissions amount per overnight stay,per room,per area,were also assessed and these values were transformed into global hectare(gha).Avoided emissions calculation gives the information about the efforts in CF reduction,and two indicators were considered:electricity production from renewable energy sources and the amount of separated waste for recycling.It was considered reforestation measures to achieve carbon neutrality.This calculator incorporates four components not often used:water,laundry,waste,food,and avoided emissions.

A Creative Wedding Event Management for Sustaining Community-Based Eco-Tourism: A Case Study in Thailand

The research aims to propose a proper model for organizing a creative wedding event to boost Community-Based Eco-Tourism(CBET)in rural areas.It is participatory research.Site observation and in-depth interviews are 10 stakeholders from various organization;local people,the district sheriff,the provincial culture,the national park,the district municipality,the community-based tourism group,the wedding organizers and the educators from a wedding event in themed“Carry Love Covering the Forest”organized in Wiang Sa,Suratthani,the southern part of Thailand were applied.Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the data.The results found that the managing model for organizing an event tourism in Community-Based Eco-Tourism composes of three stages being pre-event,during-event,and after-event.The research provides a comprehensive understanding management model of CBET.The research makes contribution to develop and manage a new creative event to enhance positive impacts of community-based tourism to sustain,especially in eco-tourism destination.

Managing Tourism Development in the Dutch City of Utrecht using a Linear Programming Model of the Tourist Carrying Capacity

As one part of the Landstad International Metropolitan Area,Utrecht has become known as one of the best tourist destinations in recent years,with the rapid growth of worldwide travel trends.In this paper,through the adaption of the linear programming model,the paper intends to not only quantify the optimum number of visitors to Utrecht but also formulate a number of policy recommendations based on the reconstruction of this optimum.The paper draws the following conclusions:(1) tourist carrying capacity of Utrecht is not yet exceeded;(2) restrictive accommodation policy does not currently seem necessary;(3) the cultural-historical attractions are not yet optimally used;(4) investing in strategic provisions is currently not necessary.And from the conclusion,the paper further puts forward the following suggestions on the city’s tourism development strategy:(1) to identify "tourist flood plains";(2) to encourage the tourist disclosure of these alternatives;(3) to invest even more explicitly in residential tourism and,where possible,curb day tourism;(4) to introduce a new business model.

Public policies and conservation plans of historic urban landscapes under the sustainable heritage tourism milieu: discussions on the equilibrium model on Kulangsu Island, UNESCO World Heritage site

Purpose The tensions and threats in historic urban landscapes brought about by heritage tourism are still regional,global,general,and dynamic issues.For Kulangsu,there is an obvious problem in the connection between the current conservation plan and public policy.To a large extent,public policy cannot effectively,specifically,and flexibly respond to the dynamic problems in the implementation of the conservation plan,which seems insufficient concerning the effect of these conservation plans and public policies on promoting the adaptive reuse and sustainable tourism of the historic urban in Kulangsu heritage sites.Thus,giving more consideration to the combination of public policies and conservation plans of historic urban landscapes under the heritage tourism milieu,ensuring a balanced,sustainable,and integrated development pattern still calls for new discussions in achieving good performance of sustainable heritage tourism.This study conceptually discusses the equilibrium model of historic urban landscapes with a range of strategies under a sustainable heritage tourism background and responds to the synthetic contradiction of the imbalances among public policy,conservation plans,and development practices.Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a range of prepared desktop studies(public policy studies,conservation plans),field surveys,participant observations,and randomised interviews to respond to the insufficiency of the current heritagepractices.Findings This study discusses the equilibrium model of sustainable heritage tourism at heritage sites.It takes Kulangsu Island,a UNESCO World Heritage site in Southeast China,as an example to discuss the equilibrium model,which encompasses a convergent parallel framework and three dimensions concerning heritage management and policymaking.The equilibrium model of historic urban landscapes is a dynamic framework that integrates social,economic,environmental,and cultural concerns into a holistic collaborative framework under a sustainable heritage tourism background.Originality/value In line with the requirements of the Historic Urban Landscape(HUL)approach and general principles in support of sustainable urban heritage management promoted by UNESCO and ICOMOS,the study points out the peculiarities and potential of the equilibrium mode in solving the current challenges of historic urban landscapes for sustainable heritage tourism.Finding ways of linking policymaking,conservation,development,heritage tourism,and different interest groups to a holistic framework can stimulate effective means and management mechanisms for the complicated and changeable issues of sustainable heritage tourism.

Recreation ecology research in China’s protected areas:progress and prospect

As a type of tourist destination,Protected Areas(PAs)have been the focus of recreation ecology research since their establishment.The contradiction between recreation and ecological protection of PAs in China is more prominent than in other countries because of China’s large population density and complex PA management system.Thus,a review of related research is urgent for promoting sustainable tourism development of PAs in China.Combining quantitative analysis with a literature review,this study analyzed the historical development process and current research topics of recreation ecology in China’s PAs,focusing on the impacts of tourism on the natural environment,environmental management of tourism,and the development of different types of sustainable tourism in PAs.Overall,the research gaps are as follows:(1)studies on impact mechanism of tourism based on long-term monitoring are lacking;(2)the existence of numerous local communities in most of the PAs in China is usually ignored;(3)insufficient attention has been paid to the impacts of tourism infrastructure construction;(4)assessments of sustainable PA tourism are lacking.Correspondingly,this paper presents implications for future research and serves as a reference for PA tourism management in other countries.