Spanish Tourist Sector Sustainability: Recovery Plan, Green Jobs and Wellbeing Opportunity

Abstract

This paper presents an overview on political economy and economic policies into the European Green Deal framework and the Spanish recovery plan, with special attention to the tourism sector and actual opportunities for green jobs in the Spanish tourism market. Firstly, there is a literature review, combining the scientific production with professional and institutional literature, to understand the topic development, from the former restrictive point to the wider current view. Secondly, a case study about the green jobs opportunity in the Spanish hotel industry is presented, taking into account wellbeing economics, for the renewal of the Spanish tourism industry. Methodology combines the qualitative analysis of literature and the qualitative review of the CSR reports from top Spanish hotel chains as well as the feedback of sustainability experts at the hotel industry. This paper provides valuable information to improve the sectorial recovery plan and coordinate the policymakers and the business managers and entrepreneurs.

Green Jobs—A Literature Review

“…Following the scrutiny of the selected literature, one can easily presume that many studies have chosen to begun to approach green jobs in line with the "Green Jobs Initiative" description issued by the partnership between the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and the International Labor Organization (ILO). Thus, the studies conducted by: [18,19,21,22,[25][26][27][28][30][31][32][33][34] assess green jobs in terms of their ability to decrease the impact on the environment to a level that falls within the range of sustainability. Such jobs involve reducing the consumption of energy, raw materials, and water by adopting and implementing highly efficient strategies aimed at "decarbonizing the economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, to minimize or completely avoid all forms of waste and pollution, to protect and restore ecosystems and biodiversity" [32], in line with the "Green Jobs Initiative" [2].…”

“…Following the same line of thinking, ref. [19] points out that the prospects for future growth are important, as the degree of awareness of ecological and environmental issues is constantly growing. Furthermore, the above-mentioned study provides an overview of the economy and economic policies in the framework of the European Environment Agreement and the Spanish Recovery Plan, paying a special attention to the tourism sector and the real opportunities for creating green jobs in the Spanish tourism market and concluding that green jobs are still limited in the Spanish tourism industry.…”

A Review Research on Tourism in the Green Economy

“…The tourism industry is a favourable sector for proposing the change to a green economy, and it can even be considered as a standard bearer of the transition process in search of wellbeing opportunities and possibilities for sustainable development (Prideaux et al 2020;Arnedo et al 2021;McKinley et al 2019;Sevastiyanov et al 2014;Law et al 2012;Mestanza-Ramón et al 2019). Green tourism can ensure viable long-term economic operations in host communities in ways that bring wealth to all stakeholders and that socio-economic benefits are fairly distributed.…”

Modeling Landscape Architects’ Competences for Sustainable Management of Green Infrastructure

“…Sustainable development of an environment in which individuals work, build their houses and relax is among the priorities of society. Landscape architecture and the product resulting from the work activities of landscape architects influence directly or indirectly the achievement of sustainable development aims such as: providing a healthy life; encouraging the wellbeing of individuals of all ages; constructing a sustainable infrastructure; supporting an integrating and sustainable industrialization that boosts innovations; developing and managing residential areas that are attractive, beautiful, safe and sustainable; taking urgent actions to combat the climate change and its impact; protecting and recovering land ecosystems and encouraging their sustainable development; managing forests sustainably and protecting biodiversity (Arnedo et al, 2021;Benedict & McMahon, 2002;Dragozova & Malkovska, 2017; European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools [ECLAS], 2010). Landscape architecture education is directed towards ensuring acquisition of knowledge that promotes inclusion and justice, while encouraging lifelong learning.…”