Sustainable Urban Tourism Development Research Articles

Sustainable Urban Tourism Development in Doha: Balancing Economic Growth and Environmental Stewardship

This study investigates the development of sustainable urban tourism in Doha, Qatar, with a focus on balancing economic growth and environmental stewardship. The research explores the integration of sustainable practices within Doha’s tourism sector, the implementation of key policies such as the Qatar National Vision 2030, and the impact of the FIFA World Cup 2022 on tourism and sustainability efforts. Using a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative interviews with 30 key stakeholders and quantitative data analysis, the findings reveal that while Doha has made substantial progress in areas such as resource management and green infrastructure development, challenges remain—particularly in retrofitting older buildings and enforcing sustainability standards. The FIFA World Cup 2022 acted as a catalyst for sustainable practices, but the long-term success of these efforts depends on continued investment and policy enforcement. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and tourism officials working to promote sustainable urban tourism in rapidly developing cities.

Scale development for measuring sustainability of urban destinations from the perspectives of residents, tourists, businesses and government

This study develops four subjective scales to measure a destination’s sustainability from the perspectives of residents, tourists, businesses and government agencies. Using the expert opinion survey, participants were asked to evaluate the initial list of indicators based on five aspects of sustainability, including economic, socio-cultural, environmental, political and technological sustainability for each stakeholder group. Then, the scales were validated using partial least squares - structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and confirmatory composite analysis (CCA). This article has a unique theoretical contribution by developing four scales to measure the sustainability of destinations from the perspective of four main stakeholders. Moreover, this article provides practical implications and can assist tourism providers and governments in better understanding sustainable urban tourism development and shaping policy.

Sustainable Urban Tourism with Green-Slow Mobility: A Case of Ikebukuro, Japan

This study investigates how green-slow mobility services can contribute to sustainable urban tourism development. It first reviews the literature related to green-slow mobility and sustainable urban tourism to identify a research gap. It then discusses how green-slow mobility services can nurture the atmosphere of slow tourism in urban areas based on the case of the Ikebus, a green-slow mobility service in Ikebukuro, Japan. The case of the Ikebus is described based on secondary data, mainly from Toshima City in Tokyo, Japan. Based on the Ikebus case, this study proposes that green-slow mobility can enhance the slow tourism atmosphere in a destination through the destination’s residents and workers. The case demonstrates that, with strategic planning and implementation, green-slow mobility can lead local residents and workers to feel a greater attachment to the city. As the symbol of Ikebukuro, the Ikebus will signal to tourists and visitors that residents and workers in Toshima City are supportive of providing tourists and visitors with local tourism experiences. This study proposes a preliminary new idea that green-slow mobility can serve as a catalyst to realize slow tourism in urban destinations.

Održivi razvoj gradskog turizma u Kragujevcu

The development of tourism in cities in recent years has increasingly led to negative ecological, socio-cultural, and economic effects. Cities in Serbia are facing the same issues, and therefore must plan their tourism development according to the principles of sustainable development in order to reduce the negative impact of tourism. Market research is crucial for planning strategies for sustainable urban tourism development. This scientific work highlights the importance of market research for the sustainable development of tourism in Kragujevac, with a focus on the identification of key elements that contribute to the improvement of city tourism. A survey conducted among 302 respondents during June and July 2023 collected data on demographics, motivation for visiting, satisfaction with the offerings, and perceptions of the ecological and social aspects of tourism. The results show that tourists are most attracted to cultural and historical landmarks, events, natural beauty, and gastronomic offerings. The research revealed challenges in the sustainable use of natural and cultural resources, which requires further consideration to enhance tourism development. Strategies that support environmentally friendly practices, such as using renewable energy sources and promoting eco-tourism, along with improving tourists' awareness of sustainable practices, are recommended.

Urban Tourism: Designing a Tourism Space in the Post-war City Context for Sustainability

Tourism is viewed as a tool for poverty alleviation, economic diversification and regeneration, multilateral integration and peace, post-conflict stability, and socio-economic recovery in many post-conflict nations. Urban tourism is one of the forms that has emphasized the importance of supporting urban sustainability while considering all of the city's dynamic change processes, such as natural resource protection, culture, architecture, and environmental management. The purpose of this study is to assess the issues and challenges that confront urban tourism development and to make recommendations for developing sustainable urban tourism in Jaffna City. This study incorporated both primary and secondary data. Direct field observation, structured questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews were used to collect the necessary primary data. Secondary data was gathered from authorized statistical reports. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistical methods, and a SWOT analysis was performed to determine Jaffna's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to sustainable urban tourism development. The maps for the study were created using the ArcGIS 10.4 software. According to the study's findings, ineffective green environmental protection systems, inadequate infrastructure facilities, a lack of industrial professionalism, cultural barriers to tourism promotion, ineffective marketing promotional strategies, a lack of institutional coordination, and a lack of tourist product diversification are the factors posing challenges to Jaffna city's sustainable urban tourism development. Based on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Jaffna's urban tourism development, this study provided recommendations for sustainable tourism development that will assist different stakeholders in rethinking Jaffna's urban tourism in a sustainable manner.

Prospects for the Formation of a Smart Destination as a Determining Factor in the Modernization of Urban Infrastructure and a Means of Sustainable Urban Tourism Development in Kazakhstan

New requirements of society for the provision of tourist services are shaped by informatization and the transformation of society into one of modern technology. The value of the innovative component of tourist service provision, modernization of priorities in the consumer market, communicative interaction with consumers using the latest technology, and other components call for new approaches and methods in the formation of the complex of relationships in tourist destinations. In this, of importance is the need for scientific research into the formation of a smart destination of the megapolis as a certain factor in the modernization of urban infrastructure. The purpose of the study is to discover prospects for the formation of a smart tourist destination of the metropolis as a decisive factor in the modernization of urban infrastructure and the means of sustainable development of urban tourism. Analysis of research results points to the key technological developments used in smart tourist destinations, as well as the universal mobile travel applications most relevant in Kazakhstan's megacities. The authors conclude that smart tourist destinations can function as the components (elements) of smart cities, giving opportunities for the formation and promotion of the tourist product and the development of urban infrastructure.

Prospects and strategies for developing sustainable city tourism in the Sultan Siak tourism destination at Pekanbaru City in the adaptation of new habits

After the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, urban tourism is expected to be transformed and developed to be more sustainable. The purpose of this study is to develop prospects and strategies for the development of sustainable city tourism during the new normal in the tourism destination of Sultan Siak Halfway House in Pekanbaru City. In this study, SAP and ETOP analysis methods are used to identify the prospectivity of sustainable urban tourism development, while SWOT methods through the formulation of SO, ST, WO, and WT strategies are used to formulate sustainable city tourism development strategies during the new normal in the tourism destinations of Sultan Siak Halfway House. The findings of this study indicate that the development of sustainable urban tourism during the new normal in the tourism destinations of Sultan Siak Halfway House is a future business carried out with the primary strategy on the realization of synergy among tourism sector stakeholders through the improvement and development of social, economic, and urban tourism environments that are healthier, cleaner, safer, and more comfortable.

Identifying Urban Tourism Development Challenges in Mahikeng

This research aimed to identify urban tourism development challenges in Mahikeng. Using a quantitative research method, a self-administered questionnaire was developed and distributed online. A database consisting of active tourism product suppliers in Mahikeng, obtained from the Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT) was used. Fifty-two completed questionnaires were returned out of 60. To reach the aim of this study, descriptive statistics and an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were done, which yielded four factors: provincial-level management challenges, national-level management challenges, municipal-level management challenges, and private sector management challenges. There is a lack of coordination and planning among different departments of government, while the private sector is heavily relying on government support. Through these results, tourism product suppliers in Mahikeng can strive towards self-motivation and form tourism associations. Government can revisit their tourism strategic management objectives to overcome the identified challenges and, in turn, ensure sustainable urban tourism development in Mahikeng.

Sustainable Urban Tourism Development and Quality of Life: A Case of Kampung Bharu, Kuala Lumpur

Abstract Introduction. With the transformation of Kuala Lumpur as a mega city and the boom of Malaysian urban tourism, understanding the interaction between tourism and local community livability is important for sustainable urban tourism development. Material and methods. Founded in 1899, Kampung Bharu is a famous traditional Malay village facing conflicting urban development and local community livability issues. Thus, to understand the local community perception of urban tourism development and its effect on their quality of life, this study investigates the effect of sustainable tourism development on the local Kampung Bharu community’s quality of life. This study collected 364 valid responses from the local community through a self-administered survey. Results. The study confirms that economic and environmental impacts of urban tourism development deteriorate the local community’s quality of life. However, the socio-cultural impacts of urban tourism development positively and significantly enhance the quality of life of the local community in Kampung Bharu. Conclusions. The study highlighted the importance of the local community’s perceptions, community attachment, and perceived quality of life to destination managers responsible for planning and developing future tourism projects. Several limitations and recommendations for future research are presented.

Mobility Patterns of International Tourists: Implications for Responsible Urban Tourism

Up until the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapid growth of tourism in popular urban destinations around the globe saw the effects of chronic overcrowding and the breaching of acceptable limits of change imposed on local communities. Overtourism became prominent, intensifying amplified calls for planning and development regimes that emphasize responsible and sustainable tourism growth. In Japan, the term “tourism pollution” emerged as a response to untrammeled growth in cities like Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka. Understanding the mobility of international tourists in urban contexts is raised here as one way to come to terms with urban overcrowding, particularly in hotspots where popular attractions predominate. In examining international tourist mobility, we argue that spatial and temporal behaviors can be constructive toward the responsible planning and development of urban tourism. Japan’s second most populated city Osaka is the context for this research with GPS big data collected in partnership with one of the country’s foremost navigation app developers. American, Chinese, and South Korean tourist mobility patterns were observed with the evidence pointing out that overcrowding evident at iconic attractions was largely influenced by public transport networks in the city. Evidently, there were distinct differences between the three groups of tourists highlighting that spatio-temporal behavior varied according to the tourist’s country of origin. The findings from this research are instructive to urban tourism stakeholders including policy makers, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), and public transport providers and can help inform responsible and sustainable urban tourism planning and development.

Policy of Sustainable Development of Urban Tourism

Abstract Introduction. City tourism is one of the most frequently chosen forms of tourism consisting of many motives for doing it. On the modern tourist market, there are many negative phenomena that significantly affect the functioning of urban tourist destinations but primarily have an impact on the decisions of potential tourists about choosing cities as a tourist destination. These phenomena pose a threat to the development of both cities and tourism. They are conditioned by endogenous factors, which result from the functioning of the city, and exogenous ones, i.e. those related to socio-economic relations of the city with the environment, including tourist traffic. Cities, as a destination or transit tourist destination, are characterized by high concentration of tourist traffic; hence, the negative phenomena often affect urban tourist space with great intensity. The aim of the study is to present the author’s concept of sustainable urban tourism policy assumptions. After presenting the concept of sustainable urban tourism development policy, the following issues will be discussed: basics of tourism policy, urban tourism, sustainable tourism, classification of threats related to the sustainable development of urban tourism. Material and methods. The study is of theoretical and conceptual nature. The following research methods will be used: critical analysis of the literature and methods of logical operations. Results. The effect of the considerations is to propose the assumptions of the concept of sustainable urban tourism development policy. Conclusions. The most important problems related to the functioning of sustainable tourism were indicated, taking into account the impact of tourism on the natural environment and on overtourism.

Identifying stakeholder perspectives and worldviews on sustainable urban tourism development using a Q-sort methodology

ABSTRACT Tourism growth, particularly in cities, is coming under increased scrutiny. However, even often visited cities appear to find it difficult to agree upon a strategy to limit tourism growth. The current paper investigates this issue by looking at the extent to which different stakeholders’ perspectives on tourism development align. Q-sort methodology is employed to find the main worldviews and the extent to which they are shared by stakeholders in similar roles (e.g. policymakers, industry, resident). Results point to the existence of five different worldviews, which differ in the extent to which tourism growth is desirable or problematic and whether resident participation is advantageous or counterproductive. Stakeholders have highly different worldviews, even those with similar roles, which may help explain the difficulty to change the tourism growth paradigm as they limit opportunities for generating new consensus-based collective solutions. If we accept that tourism development strategies are driven and informed at least in part by individual worldviews, it may be impossible to make ‘objective’ policy choices. Instead, it might be more useful to explore possibilities to allow stakeholders to express their worldviews to better understand what sustainable tourism development entails for different people at different places and moments in time.

Managing Sustainable Urban Tourism Development: The Case of Ljubljana

The interest in sustainable urban development and sustainable tourism development is growing. Yet, according to our knowledge, only a limited number of studies combining those two areas exist, and the holistic model for sustainable urban tourism development has not been introduced. Our study aims to integrate sustainable urban development scientific area with sustainable tourism development scientific area and to integrate and advance the existing models for sustainable urban tourism development. As a method for analyzing the results of 322 interviews, we used content analysis. Based on the analyzed data, the conceptual sustainable urban tourism model is proposed and applied to the case of Ljubljana. The results show that Ljubljana needs more emphasis on sustainable urban tourism development by considering different dimensions of sustainability, stakeholders, as well as types of tourism. Specifically, respondents took into consideration social, environmental, as well as economic sustainability. The most often mentioned stakeholders were local communities and companies; meanwhile, according to their opinion, Ljubljana has the greatest potential in cultural, green, and sports tourism. Finally, the study integrates sustainable urban development and sustainable tourism development scientific areas by providing a conceptual model and taking into consideration the need for proper management, ranging from planning to education and policy-making.

The Mediating Role of Strategic Planning on the Determinants of Sustainable Urban Tourism: Empirical Evidence from Tanzania

This study investigates the mediating role of strategic planning on the relationship between the destination determinants and sustainable urban tourism in Tanzania. The paper is guided by both social exchange theory and stakeholders’ theory. Four determinants of sustainable urban tourism were explored namely, stakeholders’ financial support, level of responsibility, technical support and information for the promotion and development of tourism and support from the local communities. Unlike other variables which were positively related to sustainable urban tourism, the support from the local communities was found to have a negative relationship with sustainable urban tourism. Structural equation modelling technique revealed that strategic planning had a full mediating effect of two sustainable urban tourism determinants namely, level of responsibility and support from the local communities. It was also revealed that the effects of stakeholders’ financial support and technical support on sustainable urban tourism are partially mediated by strategic planning. It is recommended that strategic planning policy initiatives to promote sustainable urban tourism development should focus on stakeholders’ willingness and participation, awareness on the sustainability issues, enhance technology innovation and proper infrastructure development

Geographical and Logistic Aspects of Urbotourism Sustainable Development Under the Conditions of Overtourism Extension

A new phenomenon in tourism in the early 21st century is overtourism, which reflects the acute nature of the problem of managing growing tourist flows, especially in urban areas. The increasing number of urban tourists increases the consumption of natural and tourist resources of cities, exerts socio-cultural influence and exerts pressure on urban infrastructure. Therefore, for urban tourism, it is now an important task to effectively manage the flow of tourists in cities to ensure the sustainability of integrated urban development. Strategies, measures and proposals for sustainable urban tourism development include mandatory consideration of logistical and socio geographical (regional) features of urban tourist destinations.

A Holistic Conceptual Framework into Practice-Based on Urban Tourism Toward Sustainable Development in Thailand

This article is a research output presenting a new step for urban tourism development in Thailand. It focused on how a urban tourism development action plan was made in accordance with the sustainable tourism development policy in Thailand, and the overall effect of urban tourism development plan-making practice on the environment, quality society, local economics, and urban history and culture. This article proposed a holistic conceptual framework of urban tourism development plan-making practices regarding sustainability. It began with a literature review of urban tourism development and stakeholders in urban tourism development planning. The author emphasized the presentation of the outcome from quantitative and qualitative investigations of urban tourism in Chiang Mai and Phuket, two cities, in a case study of Thailand. The result highlighted the capacity of the area and the urgent need, in a five year period, to develop urban tourism towards sustainability by focusing on the fundamental problems of urban development and urban tourism development, as well as the integration of sustainable policies and the stakeholders’ participation in urban tourism development planning. For this reason, a possible sustainable urban tourism development plan-driving framework has been proposed to encourage the existing participation of stakeholders for future research development.

ГЕОЛОГІСТИЧНІ СТРАТЕГІЇ РОЗВИТКУ ТУРИСТИЧНОГО ТА ГОТЕЛЬНО-РЕСТОРАННОГО БІЗНЕСУ В УМОВАХ ОВЕРТУРИЗМУ

Revealed essence of complex geologistic strategy of sustainable urban tourism development in the conditions of overtourism, which is based on four concepts: decentralization of tourism, reverse geologistics, marketing impact on geologistics and increased requirements to tourists safety problems. The first concept is based on the geologistics organization of the tourist area of the city, which includes such components as: geologistical (geographical and logistical) identification of the resource base of urban tourism; geologistical planning of tourist flows and determination of their needs; geologistical design of tourist infrastructure network; geologistic design of supply chains for tourist infrastructure functioning. The second concept involves an integrated approach to the utilization of the total amount of municipal waste, including tourist one, taking into account their collection and removal from the city, as well as processing at specialized enterprises. The third concept reflects how to use marketing to influence tourist traffic, reducing the volume of unwanted types of tourism (eg, intim-tourism). The fourth concept reflects the aggravation of the tourists safety problems in cities in the conditions of overtourism. In this context, the experience of the Ukrainian cities like Lviv and Kyiv has been explored, and relevant recommendations have been given.

수정된 RETS를 활용한 지속가능한 도시관광 개발에 대한 지역주민 임파워먼트 척도 개발

도시관광 개발이 지역공동체의 부정적 영향을 최소화하면서 긍정적 영향을 극대화하기 위해서는 지역공동체 주민들의 대다수가 관심을 반영한 사려 깊고 효과적인 정책들에 의하여 이루어질 수 있다. 효과적인 정책들은 시민들의 참여에 의한 지지를 바탕으로 이루어지며, 시민참여성은 시민들이 임파워먼트 인지가 필요하다. 이와 같은 관점에서 본 연구의 목적은 도시지역 주민들의 지역 관광개발에 대한 임파워먼트 수준을 측정할 수 있는 신뢰성과 타당성이 있는 정량적 도구로서 수정된 RETS 척도를 개발하는 것이다. 이를 위해서 본 연구는 오리지널 RETS 모델의 측정 기준을 유지하면서 한국 관광분야에 적용할 수 있도록 수정하여 척도개발을 증명하였다. 본 연구는 측정오류를 최소화하기 위하여 포커스 그룹과 예비설문조사를 실시하였으며, 본 설문조사는 2016년 7월 1일부터 2017년 8월 31일까지 실시하였다. 크론바하 알파 검정을 통해 수정된 RETS의 신뢰성을 검정하였으며, 탐색적 및 확인적 요인분석을 통해 척도의 타당성을 검정하였다. 본 연구에서 제시하고 있는 수정된 RETS모형은 정책개발자들 및 연구자들에게 도시관광개발에 대한 도시민들의 임파워먼트 수준을 측정할 수 있는 실증적 도구를 제공할 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

Public parks as urban tourism in Jakarta

Sustainable urban tourism development should provide better places for people to live in and for people to visit. Jakarta as the capital city has a potential for its urban tourism. Thus, urban tourism attribute such as Public Park should be in high- quality to cope with the needs of urban people and outside visitors. The purpose of this study is to investigate Public Park attributes and to analyze its compliance refer to Public Park that eventually supports sustainable urban tourism. This paper used a qualitative approach. Primary data obtain from direct field observation in seven Public Parks in Jakarta; Menteng Park, Suropati Park, Situ Lembang Park, Ayodhya Park, Cattleya Park, Kodok Park, and Langsat Park. Observation checks list use as guidance. The result provides an assessment of Public Park based on four categories; the accessibility, park activities, safety, and user. The implication of this study offers recommendations to enhance Public Park so that it complies with good public park design- attributes and with the obligations of sustainable urban tourism in Jakarta.

INTERNATIONAL VISITOR EXPERIENCE LEVEL IN URBAN DESTINATIONS IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

The purpose of this research was to examine empirically the international visitor experiences while in urban destinations Nairobi County, Kenya.
 Methodology: The research hypothesis was constructed based on previous theoretical and empirical studies. A survey was conducted on 231 departing visitors to collect primary data from January to June 2017. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used to measure the linear correlation between international visitor experiences and urban destinations.
 Main findings: The results found out that visitor experience levels have direct positive influence on visitors’ visitation to Nairobi’s urban tourist attractions and thus directly influenced their return intention through their destination satisfaction process.
 Implications: Destination managers and tourism organizations particularly service organizations need to take into account of the satisfaction levels and the level of experience of urban visitors to enhance their revisits.
 Novelty: The findings of this research have provided to the understanding of valuable practical information about visitors experiences while in urban destinations. This information could be used in promotional strategies, product development, and urban planning frameworks should be geared to meet destination demand and sustainable urban tourism development.