Sustainable Governance of Tourism-Based Social–Ecological Landscapes

Federica Epifani () and Donatella Valente ()
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Federica Epifani: Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Donatella Valente: Laboratory of Landscape Ecology, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 22, 1-17

Abstract: In this research, we intended to develop a tool that is able to support the governance of tourism destinations in pursuing adaptation strategies to face environmental impacts. The Sustainable Tourism Assessment Index (STAI) is a synthetic index suitable to assess a destination’s readiness for the implementation of sustainable tourism development trajectories, and it is characterized by a place-based and holistic approach. STAI has been tested in two specific destinations, Gargano and Grecìa Salentina, both located in Apulia (Italy). The two areas were analyzed based on a set of selected indicators, appropriately adapted from a literature analysis, using data from multi-source scraping and referring to the year 2019. Principal component analysis allowed us to compare the tourism performance of the two areas. STAI was then calculated at the municipality scale on the basis of the values of each variable. According to the results, we argue that STAI is a useful tool for governing tourism destinations, including minor ones, and helps support the implementation of development strategies in accordance with the SDGs. Moreover, it helps in comparing different locations in the same region/country from a different perspective of sustainability, as well as assessing the levels of governance sustainability of a tourism-based socio-ecological destination.

Keywords: sustainable tourism governance; Sustainable Tourism Assessment Index; SDGs; environmental indicators; landscape management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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