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Beyond "more is better": ecological footprint accounting for tourism and consumption in Val di Merse, Italy.

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Habits of conservation, consumption, and recycling are important determinants of economic throughput. Provincial governments interested in tourism's role in a diverse, steady-state economy may wish to orient tourism development around the tourist segments with less intensive consumption habits. We estimate consumption of energy and materials by tourists vacationing in Val di Merse, a rural region of Tuscany, Italy. We compare tourists and their host population by means of a consumption-based indicator, the ecological footprint. The average tourist is often thought to consume more on vacation than at home, and often more than local residents, but our estimate of the tourist footprint as an equivalent resident (5.28 gha) is similar to that estimated for residents (5.47 gha), excluding air travel. Planning and management considerations are discussed.

Keywords

Ecological footprint, tourism, consumption

Citation

Patterson, T.M.; Niccolucci, V.; Bastianoni, S. 2007. Beyond "more is better": ecological footprint accounting for tourism and consumption in Val di Merse, Italy. Ecological Economics. 62: 747-756
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/29678