El comportamiento de la demanda hacia un turismo más sostenible en destinos saturados. Análisis de las implicaciones económicas

Abstract

Sustainability has been regarded as a key factor for competitiveness in tourism destinations, becoming a majar strategic backing on the part of destination policymakers and managers To provide a richer understanding of tourists' heterogeneous preferences for sustainable destinations, this thesis introduces the concept of tourists' "sustainable intelligence" (level of commitment, attitude, knowledge and/or behavior with regard to sustainability). Following the identification of three different demand segments using the concept "Sustainable intelligence", this study allows us to ascertain the current tourist profile with respect to sustainability and to identify tourists' willing to pay more for a more sustainable destination and the explanatory variables that influence tourists' willingness to pay to enjoy a more sustainable destination. This study surveyed tourists on the Western Costa del Sol (Spain), a mature sun-and-sand destination that is currently undergoing restructuring and facing several developmental challenges associated with sustainability.