No abstract

The gradual development of mountain tourism, which today represents an important segment of the global tourism industry resulted in placing mountainous and alpine areas in dominant position as a subject of the international discussion over sustainable tourism development, given that mountains are by their nature limiting environments. The democratization of mountain adventure tourism contributed, on the one hand, to the relative relief of isolation that characterized the mountainous regions, through the increase of accessibility, and on the other hand, to their economic development. Despite its importance, the increased commodification of mountain adventure tourism led to the appearance of certain negative effects: high levels of leakage of tourism development benefits from local communities and severe degradation of the natural environment. The implementation of a series of measures-such as regulations focusing on the seasonal and geographic spread of tourism activities, the appropriate zoning of land uses and activities, etc.-can contribute to the maintenance of the comparative advantages of mountain destinations. However. one of the most important prerequisites of the effective management of mountain destinations is the direct involvement of local communities in the decision -making process. The present article aims to set forth and analyze the perspectives and the eventual problems of the development of mountain adventure tourism, as well as to outline an organizational framework of destination management. The purpose of such a framework would be to contribute to the creation of sustainable communities endowed with on the one hand the resilience which will allow them to survive under the highly volatile conditions of tourist demand, and on the other, the ability to maintain the cohesion and support the welfare of all its members.

No abstract

This study aims to research the special characteristics, expectations and experiences of the tourists a destination attracts and elaborate them during sustainable tourism planning in the effort to (re)build a destination. Research conducted in southern Chania, Crete, Greece based a) on a structured questionnaire to capture the characteristics of tourists visiting the area, their motivation and opinions b) a content analysis of the material posted on “Trip Advisor” in order to understand the perceived image of the area. Cluster analysis highlighted three groups a) the eternal lovers, b) the devoted families and c) the adventurers. All groups declared a high degree of satisfaction and loyalty to the destination and a strong interest in sustainable and alternative tourism. Nevertheless, the commercial image of the area continues to focus on the model "Sun - Sea - Sand", without sufficiently highlighting other local resources. The results can be the basis for the enrichment and upgrading of the quality of the existing tourism product, to be supported by a management model under the UN SDGs. This approach is expected to increase the competitiveness of the destination and lead to sustainable development.

No abstract