The slow tourism movement is gaining popularity as more destinations focus on the local environment and heritage experience. The approach to slow tourism usually occurs either when traditional destinations exhaust their life cycle with an evident reduction in sustainability, or when newly emerging destinations decide to develop in this way. The case of Madeira is different; the island has several decades of tourism development without excessive pressure or overcrowding, and in planning for the future it wants to sustain these conditions. Seeking to understand Madeira’s perception of the development model, we surveyed entrepreneurs in Madeira’s lodging, restaurant and bar, shopping, transportation, intermediation, and tourist activity industries, as well as its public sector. Even without having encountered the popularized the ideas of slow tourism, Madeira’s tourism entrepreneurs show significant alignment with the values of quieter tourism. In contrast to its mature counterparts (i.e., Europe’s other popular sun and beach destinations), for Madeira it is not a question of destroying or rehabilitating, but rather of continuing sustainable development processes. Our results suggest that although slow tourism is typically a reaction to a very advanced phase of the life cycle, it can be the result of an endogenous impulse, as is true for Madeira.

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to analyse perceptions among European tourism experts specialising in tourism planning regarding the impact that climate change may have on tourism management. Design/methodology/approach -The methodology used was the double convergent Delphi Method. A total of 70 European experts in tourism planning were surveyed to determine their opinions. Two focus groups of experts were organised, first to fine-tune the questionnaire before implementing the Delphi method and, second, to check the results afterwards.Findings -The most noteworthy findings expressed were: climate change has already begun; life in the forthcoming decades will be subject to constant uncertainty; there is a clear perception of responsibility; there is a reluctance to accept repressive taxation but support for renewable energy incentives; and there is a call for responsible growth based on integrated destination management, public-private co-responsibility and the application of mitigation/adaptation measures. Additionally, climate change is already threatening tourist enterprises, and an efficient integrated management system in companies and tourist destinations will be required to cope with its negative effects.Research limitations/implications -The limits of this research are those inherent in the Delphi method itself, which is highly opinion-based. To reduce this, the sample was broadened to include 70 interviewees instead of the 30 traditionally used. Practical implications -The practical implications lie in offering an exploratory vision of climate change from experts' perception; their outlook considerably broadens the field of reflection.Originality/value -Additionally, the value of the paper is to allow discussion on the perception of experts in tourism planning regarding climate change in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

The concept of sustainability has been so overused in relation to tourism management that it runs the risk of becoming a cliché.

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