Tourism development and the degrowth paradigm

Abstract

This paper aims to look at alternatives to the classic models of development by exploring the paradigm of degrowth in a tourism context. Degrowth touted as an alternative to mainstream paradigms of development, aims to ensure a high quality of life for people in a society where work, production and consumption are reduced. As a weapon to the problems accrued by capitalism, degrowth reorients the current unsustainable and inequitable path through the transition to a smaller economy with less production and consumption. By arguing that natural limits to growth of many destinations have already been surpassed and their carrying capacity levels have been reached, degrowth proposes the abandonment of growth which promotes nothing other than a quest for profits on part of the owners of capital and results in disastrous implications for the environment and the humanity. As As a philosophical concept and movement, degrowth is revolutionary and anticapitalist directed to sustainable change which results from an interest in locality and place, small and medium-sized enterprises, employment generation and reduction in working hours, ecology and quality of life, decommodification of tourism activity, carbon reduction in transport, changed pattern of production and consumption, and high priority in the travel experience.

Overtourism: Between the Right to Travel and Residents’ Rights

“…Maybe there are degrowth solutions in tourism as well? As a consequence, Andriotis [8] points out that degrowth tourism allows the creation of net benefits for local residents and community participation, in turn allowing increased control of resources for groups that are not included in the decision-making processes. Buhr et al [9] argue that both degrowth and sustainability focus on the environmental crisis and social aspects, however degrowth ideas are very different from basic sustainability research, clearly criticizing the key prerequisites for a dominant economic paradigm.…”

“…Additionally, Kallis [77] argues that this project seeks to construct a society living better with less. Andriotis [8,78] notes the importance of the degrowth movement's guiding philosophy, which is directed towards sustainable change, contributing to a tourism society of degrowth. Examples of future research in the area of overtourism, as Séraphina et al [25] describe, could include: the political consequences of overtourism (the strategy that will be implemented by political leaders to ensure the happiness of their citizens and to maintain the income of the tourism sector); the romanticized view of some destinations (the difference between a tempting destination and reality); and the experience for tourists visiting overcrowded places (escapist or authentic experience).…”

“…Additionally, Hall [19] notes that the slow consumption approach is closely linked to the concept of 'decroissance' or 'degrowth'. Andriotis [8] argues that degrowth reorients the current unsustainable and inappropriate approach to tourism, turning it into a smaller economy with less production and consumption. As a philosophical concept and movement, Andriotis [8] points out that degrowth is revolutionary and anticapitalist; it is focused on sustainable change and results from an interest in locality and place, small and medium-sized enterprises, job creation and reduction of working hours, ecology and quality of life, reduction of tourism activities, carbon reduction in the transport sector, a change in production and consumption patterns, and the high priority of the travel experience.…”

“…This has to be emphasized, as noted by Margaryan [6], because tourism has for a long time (and often still) been uncritically perceived as an alternative to heavy industries, as it is considered light, clean, low-impact, and non-consumptive. The importance of degrowth in tourism thinking has now been considered [7][8][9]. The rights of travelers' and the local population's right to live where they please are important to discuss in the context of overtourism.…”

Overtourism and degrowth: a social movements perspective

“…Building upon sparse degrowth literature in tourism (Andriotis, 2014;Hall, 2009, Canavan, 2014, the 2000s saw the intensification of tourism related social movements and degrowth advocacy (Demaria, Schneider, Sekulova, & Martinez-Alier, 2013), and investigations into the disruptive effects of the Barcelona model (Capel, 2005;Delgado, 2007;Milano & Mansilla, 2018;Russo & Scarnato, 2018). In this light, ABTS' activism and the extent to which this has influenced a shift, from "growth for development" to "degrowth for liveability" is explored.…”