Query Filters
Journal = all
Keyword = sustainable tourism
Total — 12 articles
Article28 February 2023
Michele Sisto and Angela Cresta
The aim of this original contribution is to present the procedures and process initiated by some municipalities in inland areas for the inclusion of an ancient rural tradition, practiced in south-central Italy—the “Tracing of the straight
The aim of this original contribution is to present the procedures and process initiated by some municipalities in inland areas for the inclusion of an ancient rural tradition, practiced in south-central Italy—the “Tracing of the straight furrow”—in the “National Register of Rural Landscapes of Historic Interest, Agricultural Practices and Traditional Knowledge”. The registry proposes to identify and catalog in a database the rural landscapes, practices and knowledge worthy of importance to safeguard their integrity and vulnerability. The article describes the research activity that was implemented to record the practice, and also wants to show that the standard procedure prepared by the Ministry cannot consist only of desk analysis (data collection, and preparation of the required dossier). Indeed, there is a need to initiate a process that, starting with the proposing institutions, involves local actors and communities who are familiar with traditional places and practices. Citizen participation in this decision-making process that implements the area’s tourism-cultural development policies is also essential to consolidate intra-generational and local relationships: desk analysis is thus enriched by field analysis. This makes it possible to highlight problems/potentialities and help in the selection of contextualized solutions to encourage adherence to initiatives especially after recognition of traditional practice in the National Register.
or
Access Full Article
This article is part of the Special Issue Sustainable Tourism.
Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 2, Issue 1 (2023), pp. 16–34
219 Views43 Downloads
Commentary24 February 2023
Ada Rocha and Cláudia Viegas
Food service comprises the production of meals consumed outside the home, including consumers from all age groups and in different sectors, such as schools (from kindergarten to university), public and private companies, the health sector (from
Food service comprises the production of meals consumed outside the home, including consumers from all age groups and in different sectors, such as schools (from kindergarten to university), public and private companies, the health sector (from hospitals to elderly care institutions), military, sports facilities and restaurants (from fine dining to fast-food). Food service units (FSU) achieved importance and responsibility not only for feeding the population but also as an important setting for public health interventions, potentially educating consumers and modulating behaviours through the meals provided. In addition to its socioeconomic impact, the food service industry has a strong environmental impact. More sustainable food service starts with the basics: minimizing environmental impact by reducing carbon footprint. Food service industry is being encouraged to make choices that positively impact the environment. Nevertheless, most of the efforts and research made in the last years have been focused on evaluating and reducing food waste. This article focuses on strategies that could be implemented beyond food waste, and act on changing the food offer towards health and sustainability while promoting consumers’ behaviour change.
or
Access Full Article
Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 2, Issue 1 (2023), pp. 10–15
122 Views35 Downloads
Short Note10 February 2023
Simone Pettigrew and Leon Booth
Autonomous vehicles will be a key component of the sustainable cities and transport systems of the future. However, there is little data available on effective methods of communicating with the public about these benefits to optimise
Autonomous vehicles will be a key component of the sustainable cities and transport systems of the future. However, there is little data available on effective methods of communicating with the public about these benefits to optimise uptake and achieve their sustainability potential. The aim of this exploratory study was to assess outcomes associated with exposure to various messages communicating proposed benefits of autonomous vehicles. Australians aged 16+ years (n = 1053) responded to two online surveys administered two weeks apart. The instruments included items relating to demographic attributes, driving factors, and attitudes to autonomous vehicles. Respondents were randomised to one of five messages referring to efficient travel time, economic savings, saving lives, mobility for the elderly and disabled, and job opportunities. Messages relating to saving lives and providing mobility for the elderly and disabled performed best, especially in terms of presenting a strong argument (62% agreement) and believability (67% agreement), respectively. The results provide initial evidence that public awareness communications could favourably influence attitudes to autonomous vehicles, potentially enhancing uptake rates to yield corresponding benefits. This information will be of value in countries where the roll-out of autonomous vehicles is a strategic priority to achieve sustainable cities and transport systems.
or
Access Full Article
Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 2, Issue 1 (2023), pp. 1–9
170 Views40 Downloads
Article21 October 2022
Elena Bulmer, Magali Riera Roca and Julio Blas
Adopting a long-term perspective has helped companies survive in difficult times and overcome economic crises, recessions, and pandemics such as the current COVID-19. At present, the project management approach is changing from more authoritarian management models
Adopting a long-term perspective has helped companies survive in difficult times and overcome economic crises, recessions, and pandemics such as the current COVID-19. At present, the project management approach is changing from more authoritarian management models to frameworks that are based on the management of people and society. This article researches the concept of sustainable leadership in the project management profession. It evaluates the level of sustainable leadership among project managers in Spain using the Avery and Bergsteiner’s (2011) model of bees and locusts as a reference framework (Bee and Locust Sustainable Leadership Model). A qualitative study was carried out based on the analysis of the responses given by sixty-eight project managers in Spain who answered a 52-point ques-tionnaire. The findings yielded interesting results. It was found that in projects considered as temporal organizations, companies tended to employ a mixture of bee and locust’s leadership elements. Respondents recognized the importance of employee training and development, and most considered that it was essential to consider the environment when determining the organization’s commercial objectives. However, based on this study’s findings, the project management profession still has a long way to go as regards the practical implementation of sustainable leadership.
or
Access Full Article
Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 4 (2022), pp. 224–232
590 Views153 Downloads
Article8 September 2022
Annalisa Stacchini, Andrea Guizzardi and Michele Costa
The first objective of this study is to analyze visitors’ perceived value of four Italian small areas, that have been granted the European Regional Development Fund’s financing for developing sustainable tourism. The second objective of this
The first objective of this study is to analyze visitors’ perceived value of four Italian small areas, that have been granted the European Regional Development Fund’s financing for developing sustainable tourism. The second objective of this work is to investigate the influences of socio-demographic and trip-related characteristics on the tourists’ assessments of the main aspects of such destinations, for detecting variables useful for market segmentation and for designing better-targeted marketing actions. These areas host protected natural reserves, historical heritage, rural or mountain traditions, and ways of life, the conservation of which is combined with local economic growth through the development of green, cultural, and slow tourism. Thus, insights on how visitors’ perceived value is configured there might provide hints useful for upgrading the local tourism supply consistently with the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 for sustainable development and the European Green Deal Strategy. Results confirm that the perceived value is a fundamental construct, as it strongly and positively influences satisfaction, intention to recommend, and destination image. The value of sustainable destinations, as perceived by visitors, is mainly based on the affective benefits that sustainable experiences provide, starting from positive social interactions making tourists feel welcomed. The tourist segment valorizing sustainable destinations is mostly composed of old people and low-income travelers, who seek basic services and facilities, as their satisfaction depends mainly on relaxing immersed in pristine nature.
or
Access Full Article
Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 3 (2022), pp. 202–223
778 Views220 Downloads
Article26 August 2022
Stephen K. Wegren
Although Russia’s grain growing regions have experienced episodic droughts, the financial impact of climate change has to date been modest when measured in terms of value of production lost. As industrial agriculture continues to emit greenhouse
Although Russia’s grain growing regions have experienced episodic droughts, the financial impact of climate change has to date been modest when measured in terms of value of production lost. As industrial agriculture continues to emit greenhouse gases, the impact of climate change will intensify, making Russia’s southern regions drier and hotter, and potentially forcing a structural shift in production northward, an event that will lead to lower yields and grain output. The sustainable sector in Russia’s agricultural system is not able to compensate for lower grain output in the south, nor is it able to feed the nation or ensure food security across the full spectrum of commodities that consumers expect. The prospect of Russia as a declining grain power impacts the dozens of nations that import Russian grain, most notably authoritarian regimes in the Middle East.
or
Access Full Article
Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 3 (2022), pp. 188–201
587 Views219 Downloads
Article18 August 2022
Mohammad Valipour, Helaleh Khoshkam, Sayed M. Bateni and Essam Heggy
The water crisis is still a major issue in Qatar. Seawater desalination has been strongly implemented in the Persian Gulf region. However, it is costly and there is corrosion in piping materials and other equipment. Hence
The water crisis is still a major issue in Qatar. Seawater desalination has been strongly implemented in the Persian Gulf region. However, it is costly and there is corrosion in piping materials and other equipment. Hence, there is a vital need to detect groundwater resources in Qatar. Various factors affect the variability of groundwater in Qatar including hydrogeological aspects, climate change, drawdown and abstraction, rainwater harvesting, desertification, and population growth. In this study, we employ the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Land Data Assimilation System (FLDAS) to monitor annual variations of soil moisture (SM) in the depth of 1–2 m (as an indicator of groundwater) and rainfall flux (RF) from 1982 to 2019. The results show that SM and RF anomalies were positive from 1982 to 2000 (except 1992). In contrast, these anomalies became negative during 2001–2019 (expect 2001 and 2018), implying the drawdown of groundwater resources. Drier years (i.e., negative RF anomaly) in the recent 19 years (2001–2019) reduced SM and led to a negative SM anomaly. The Mukaynis and Wadi Jallal regions (located in Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah municipalities, respectively) had the highest RF and SM from 1982 to 2019. The center-pivot irrigation systems close to the Mukaynis and Wadi Jallal regions indicate their accessibility to groundwater resources in Qatar. Moreover, these regions have the lowest risk of salinization and groundwater vulnerability. In addition, annual trends of groundwater storage (GWS) retrieved from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) from 2003 to 2019 have been presented. This study is beneficial for detecting and monitoring groundwater resources for the sustainable management of water resources in arid environments.
or
Access Full Article
Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 3 (2022), pp. 171–187
709 Views180 Downloads1 Citation
Review8 August 2022
Ambe J. Njoh, Ijang B. Ngyah-Etchutambe, Fri C. Soh-Agwetang, Pascar T. Tah, Mah O. Tarke and Fotoh J. Asah
Ensuring access to clean energy for all—Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #7—remains one of the most elusive SDGs in developing countries. This study reviews efforts to meet this goal in a developing community, namely Esaghem Village, Manyu
Ensuring access to clean energy for all—Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #7—remains one of the most elusive SDGs in developing countries. This study reviews efforts to meet this goal in a developing community, namely Esaghem Village, Manyu Division in Cameroon. The efforts involved the use of a micro-off-grid solar PV system. The study employed primary data collected in-situ and from the project documents, and secondary data from electronic as well as conventional sources. The review is intended to highlight the impact of political, eco-nomic, social, technological, ecological, cultural and historical (PESTECH) factors on renew-able energy (RE) initiatives in a developing country. These are important but oft-ignored historio-cultural factors in the energy domain. The review reveals how one feature of indigenous African tradition, namely the self-help ethos can be harnessed to improve clean energy access in a developing country. It also showed how factors commonly associated with developing countries such as war, administrative centralization, bureaucratic corruption and ineptitude as well as poverty, thwart RE initiatives. The review underscores the importance of non-technical dimensions of RE projects and holds many lessons for the development, manage-ment and sustainability of such projects in developing countries writ large.
or
Access Full Article
This article is part of the Special Issue Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 3 (2022), pp. 159–170
559 Views217 Downloads
Article17 May 2022
Alfred Söderberg
The market share of e-bikes has increased extensively in Europe over the last decade. How this trend will affect the transport system depends to a large extent on the substitution effect which needs to be determined
The market share of e-bikes has increased extensively in Europe over the last decade. How this trend will affect the transport system depends to a large extent on the substitution effect which needs to be determined in detail to allow projections on the potential of e-cycling as a means to promote sustainable transport systems. Further, little is known about what psychological determinants influence e-bike use, an important topic for policy makers that wish to promote e-cycling. This study aggregates GPS data from two randomised controlled trials in Sweden to determine the effect of e-bike use on travel behaviour. Motives behind e-bike use are investigated within a pathanalytic structural model, based on an expanded theory of planned behaviour. The results reveal that, on average, total cycling increased by 4.5 kilometres per person and day during the trials and its modal share measured in distance increased by 19%. E-bike use was predicted by the intention to bike to work, which in turn mediated the effects of attitudes and self-efficacy on e-cycling. Attitude mediated the indirect effect of personal norm on intention and collective efficacy amplified the effect of self-efficacy on intention. The results show that e-cycling has a large potential to contribute to a sustainable transport system. Policy makers could increase the use of e-bikes by strengthening individuals’ attitudes toward cycling and perceived self-efficacy to e-cycle, by making environmental personal norms more salient and by highlighting collective action in the effort to limit environmental degradation.
or
Access Full Article
Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 2 (2022), pp. 88–104
772 Views203 Downloads
Article29 April 2022
Richard W. Butler and Rachel Dodds
Islands have long attracted tourists and some islands rank amongst the most visited places in the world. Such popularity has created problems of overdevelopment and tourism at unsustainable levels, leading to the phenomenon of overtourism. Traditionally
Islands have long attracted tourists and some islands rank amongst the most visited places in the world. Such popularity has created problems of overdevelopment and tourism at unsustainable levels, leading to the phenomenon of overtourism. Traditionally islands could rely on natural features to limit tourist numbers but this is increasingly not the case today, therefore, this paper reviews how changes in attitude, access and media coverage have led to problems of excessive visitation. The paper discusses the failure to create and implement appropriate policies which might mitigate against such developments and notes the inherent long-term problems many island authorities have traditionally faced when trying to improve economic conditions for their residents. The paper concludes that more specific action in terms of policy goals and implementation are needed if islands are to avoid the issues of unsustainable development and overtourism currently being experienced in many mainland tourist destinations.
or
Access Full Article
Highlights of SustainabilityVolume 1, Issue 2 (2022), pp. 54–64
874 Views561 Downloads