1st Edition
The Challenge of Tourism Carrying Capacity Assessment Theory and Practice
Planning and management for tourism growth is becoming essential in the context of sustainable development. Particularly so since many tourist destinations are facing severe pressures from tourist flows and activities. Such pressures are evidenced in terms of dysfunctions (congestion, environmental degradation, etc) which ultimately affect the attraction and competitiveness of tourism destinations. The development of tourism should be considered in accordance with sustainability principles. In this context respecting the capacity of the local system to sustain growth becomes a key challenge. This book examines the use of various tools to define, measure and evaluate tourism carrying capacity (TCC) - a tool aiming to impose limits for entering certain tourist destinations or using certain activities. Drawing on case studies from France, Spain, Italy, Greece, the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Austria, Germany and Finland, it presents practical experiences of implementing TCC in various tourist destinations (i.e. historic towns, coastal zones, islands, etc). It draws conclusions regarding the measurement and implementation of TCC assessment and provides further guidelines towards a comprehensive methodological framework for assessing tourism sustainability in the future.
Biography
Harry Coccossis is Professor of Urban, Spatial and Environmental Planning in the Department of Planning and Regional Development at the University of Thessaly, Greece, and Dr Alexandra Mexa is a Lecturer in the Department of Marine Sciences, at the University of the Aegean, Greece.
’There is much controversy around the principle and practice of tourism carrying capacity assessments. This is a timely book for anyone interested in that debate as it provides a valuable focus on practical approaches and methodologies...’ Dr Bill Bramwell, Sheffield Hallam University, UK and Co-Editor, Journal of Sustainable Tourism ’Aimed at final year under and postgraduate students of tourism economics and planning as well as public sector and private sector practitioners, this book presents [an] essential synthetic approach to developing within this growing sector.’ Professor François Vellas, University of Toulouse, France ’...a timely addition to the growing literature on the subject also known to tourism scholars as the concept of Limits of Acceptable Change and Growth Management Strategies.’ Tourism Recreation Research