Closing Remarks and Outlook: Futures for Tourism in the Spatial Economy

João Romão ()
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João Romão: Yasuda Women’s University

Chapter Chapter 13 in Economic Geography of Tourism, 2025, pp 229-249 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This concluding chapter synthesizes the key contributions of economic geography to tourism studies, highlighting how spatial and economic dynamics shape tourism development. The discussion revisits core concepts such as agglomeration, specialization and path dependence, while addressing contemporary challenges like digitalization, sustainability and socio-economic inequalities. Five major trends influencing the future of tourism are explored: spatial polarization, AI-driven tourism, the rise of the metaverse, sustainability and degrowth and the blurring of work and leisure spaces. These trends raise critical questions about governance, technological disruptions and territorial resilience, emphasizing the need for adaptive policies and interdisciplinary approaches. Ultimately, the chapter underscores how economic geography provides essential tools for analyzing and guiding tourism’s role in regional development, ensuring it remains a driver of equitable, sustainable and innovative transformation.

Keywords: Economic geography; Spatial polarization; Digital tourism; Adaptive governance; Work-leisure merge; Physical-virtual convergence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:adspcp:978-3-031-88626-3_13

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-88626-3_13

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